Roman Passions: A History of Pleasure in Imperial Rome / Edition 1

by Ray Laurence

Overview

Immerse yourself in the sensual delights of Rome in all their guises.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781847250322
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	06/08/2009
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

RAY LAURENCE is apopular historian living in Britain. He is co-author of Pompeii: The Living City.

Table of Contents

1: Introduction - Roman Passions 2: Into the World of Roman Pleasure 3: The Emperor's Pleasures 4: The Aesthetics of the City 5: A Little Place in the Country 6: The Roman Body at the Baths 7: Roman Erotics 8: Dining 9: Food and Wine 10: A Great Song and Dance 11: Violence 12: Collectors and Collections 13: Pleasure transforms Roman culture \ Timeline \ Glossary of terms \ Further Reading
Bibliography \ Index

Editorial Reviews

Laurence (research fellow, archaeology & antiquity, Univ. of Birmingham; coauthor, with Alex Butterworth, Pompeii: The Living City) brings a spirit of lighthearted inquiry to this readable work. Each chapter analyzes a first-century Roman pleasure or leisure activity, e.g., dining, architecture, bathing, sex, theater, violence, collecting, and gifts, drawn especially from erotic culture and supported by archaeological evidence. Linking the disparate subject matter is Laurence's examination of how each of the early emperors created a new culture of pleasure in his reign to reflect his individual greatness while appealing to a sense of tradition and stability. Comparisons between Roman and 21st-century lifestyles are instructive while avoiding anachronism, e.g., against expectations, geological evidence shows that imperial Rome was the greatest polluter before modern industrialized societies. With a broader appeal and more currency than other surveys of Roman leisure, this is sure to interest students not only of Roman history but of cultural history in general.
—Margaret Heller

Library Journal

'Really quite rude, quite often - I'm enjoying that hugely! ... Just what you need really to help you drift peacefully off to sleep' - Lindsey Davis's 'Bedtime Read', The Book Show, Sky Arts

'It is all here: emperors' luxurious lifestyles, magnificent urban architecture, grand country villas, baths, sex, food, drink, the theatre, games (especially violent ones) and collecting and displaying rarities ... Commendably detailed.' - Peter Jones, BBC History Magazine

"What's not to like about a guidebook through the consumerist wonderland of ancient Rome, a breezy tour of conspicuous living, lavish dining, mass spectacle, and, of course, sex? ... The book provides general readers with an engaging introduction to early Roman social history. Summing up: Highly recommended."CHOICE

From the Publisher