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Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome
 
 
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Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome [Paperback]

Lesley Adkins (Author), Roy A. Adkins (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)

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Book Description

0195123328 978-0195123326 July 16, 1998
This handy reference provides full access to the 1,200 years of Roman rule from the 8th century B.C. to the 5th century A.D., including information that is hard to find and even harder to decipher. Clear, authoritative, and highly organized, Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome provides a unique look at a civilization whose art, literature, law, and engineering influenced the whole of Western Europe throughout the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and beyond.
The myriad topics covered include rulers; the legal and governmental system; architectural feats such as the famous Roman roads and aqueducts; the many Roman religions and festivals; the Roman system of personal names; contemporary poets and historians; even typical Roman leisure pursuits. Each chapter includes an extensive bibliography, as well as more than 125 site-specific photographs and line drawings. Maps chart the expansion and contraction of the territory from the foundation city of Rome itself to the Byzantine Empire and the ultimate decline of the West.
Combining both archaeological and historical evidence, the Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome is perfect for anyone interested in Roman history, the classics, or an overview of the amazing period in which the Romans ruled.

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Archaeologists Lesley and Roy Adkins offer a sweeping overview of the Roman world in Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome. The authors, whose previous books include Dictionary of Roman Religion, An Introduction to Archaeology, and Handbook to Life in Ancient Greece, draw upon both archaeological and historical evidence to provide an authoritative and engaging look at an empire that lasted some 1,200 years and formed the basis for the development of Western jurisprudence and governmental systems.

The chapters are arranged thematically, and cover the republic, military affairs, geography, town and countryside, travel and trade, writing, religion, economy and industry, and everyday life. Within each chapter the authors cover an exhaustive range of subtopics. For instance, in the chapter on towns and countryside, one can find information that spans from the planning and construction of aqueducts to the furnishings found in the typical Roman apartment. Though each entry is fairly short, the authors include extensive bibliographies at the end of each chapter, as well as over 125 photographs, line drawings, and maps to round out the picture. Informative and entertaining, Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome is an illuminating guide to the Roman world.

From School Library Journal

YA?Broadly thematic in its arrangement, this reference book covers a wide range of topics and myriad details of Roman life from 800 B.C.-A.D. 500. A detailed index provides easy and complete access to the contents, maps, illustrations, charts, and tables. The bibliography cites mostly British journals and publications. An ideal and readable resource for students of Roman history and the classics.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (July 16, 1998)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0195123328
  • ISBN-13: 978-0195123326
  • Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #303,631 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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53 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference, June 22, 2000
This review is from: Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome (Paperback)
Anyone serious about Roman history ought to own this book. Be warned...it is not a narrative text. Don't expect to linger over it at a coffee shop. Instead, it is more in the nature of an encyclopedia. Organized thematically, there are 9 chapters covering all aspects of Roman life: A brief historical overview; military affairs; geography; town life; trade; language; religion; economy; everyday life. Within each chapter one finds a series of short essays, numerous very helpful illustrations and maps, chronologies, and the like. I have been reading a lot of Roman law lately, as well as history of the early church, and have kept this handbook by my side. It has answered almost every question my reading raised about Rome. If it has any failing, it is that it covers only the historical period up to the fall of the Western Empire. Information about the later Eastern Empire is sparse, at best. Having said that, it is highly recommended.
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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Informative one-volume encyclopedia of Rome, July 26, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome (Paperback)
One of the first things the serious student of Roman history learns is how complicated the subject is. The neat, orderly account in the freshman history text quickly proves to be misleading (while at the same time a testimony to the painstaking efforts of scholars). When the minutiae become overwhelming, and you have trouble relating or remembering all the parts, that's a good time to refer to this handbook--whether you need to know something basic, like who was emperor in 192 or what the offices were in the cursus honorum, or want to know something more specialized, like which legions Caesar commanded. Its articles have the right balance of detail and brevity to make them useful for both beginning and advanced students.

The authors, being archaeologists, devote a lot of space to material culture. Students should appreciate this; classroom study of ancient Rome usually emphasizes literary monuments, and it's the things, the "stuff," the common objects of daily life, which by their sheer ordinariness are least likely to be described by authors. Unfortunately, this does mean that certain other topics are given short shrift. There is virtually no material on Roman law--its content, its development, and its institutions--unless you're content with a few paragraphs and references. There's a great section on arms and armor, but almost nothing on the specific rights of citizenship.

The perfect guide to ancient Rome probably hasn't been written yet, but until it appears, I'm using this one and do give it my recommendation. Great for filling in the background of your picture of Roman life.

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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely useful and concise, May 12, 2001
This review is from: Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome (Paperback)
Overall a very handy book that should have a place in every classicists library, or anyone who has even a slight interest in ancient Rome for that matter. Only a few complaints. One may come across minor errors and contradictions, for example: At one point it says that the historian Tacitus was the father-in-law of Agricola, but later in the book corrects itself and says that Agricola was the father-in-law. On page 122 on the map of Egypt the Nile river is missing (a rather significant omission that should have been caught). Bio's of the emperors are extremely brief, so buy a copy of Michael Grant's The Roman Emperors. But then again the purpose of this book seems to be to touch on as many subjects as possible in a limited space. The section on abbreviations is particularly useful. Overall, very much worth its price.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
proclaimed western emperor, alae sociorum, several smaller provinces, provincial fleets, consular legions, pia fidelis, libens merito, legionary pay, movable festival, annona militaris, scaenae frons, legionary legate, birth unknown, primus pilus, radiate crown, middle republic, terra sigillata, urban cohorts, plebeian tribune, waxed tablets, senatorial province, pro praetore, imperial province, late republic
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Julius Caesar, Marcus Aurelius, Praetorian Guard, Courtesy of Somerset County Museums Service, Roman Empire, Septimius Severus, Asia Minor, Hadrian's Wall, Second Punic War, Black Sea, Antoninus Pius, Middle Ages, Byzantine Empire, Jupiter Optimus Maximus, Vestal Virgins, First Punic War, Lucius Verus, Campus Martius, Claudia Pia Fidelis, Pliny the Elder, Circus Maximus, Cisalpine Gaul, Germania Inferior, Juno Moneta, Latin League
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