Roman Passions: A History of Pleasure in Imperial Rome [Hardcover]

Ray Laurence (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 8, 2009

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

Editorial Reviews

Review

"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

'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

'A detailed exposition of the world of late Roman culture.'

(Times Higher Education )

"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 

'A detailed exposition of the world of late Roman culture.’

(, )

About the Author

Ray Laurence is Professor of Classical and Archaeological Studies at the University of Kent, UK. He is the author of many titles including Pompeii The Living City (with Alex Butterworth) which was awarded the Longman-History Today New Generation Prize 2006.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Continuum (June 8, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1847250327
• ISBN-13: 978-1847250322
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,148,356 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and Provocative, November 4, 2010

By 

krebsman (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Roman Passions: A History of Pleasure in Imperial Rome (Paperback)

Ray Laurence poses some tantalizing questions in ROMAN PASSIONS. How big a role does pleasure play in the development of civilization? What did the Romans take pleasure in? How did that affect them? Or what was it in them that made them take pleasure in certain things? Then in twelve lively chapters with titles like "The Roman Body at the Baths," "Roman Erotics," "Food and Wine," "Violence," "Collectors and Collections" he explores the various forms of Roman pleasure culminating with the final essay, "Pleasure Transforms Roman Culture." This is followed by a Timeline, a Glossary (which defines not only the Roman names and terms, but the modern British terms that Laurence sometimes employs, like "ASBO"), a Further Reading section, Notes, and an extensive Bibliography that includes over 300 works.

I found this book easy to read and quite enjoyable. It caused me to see a lot of things in new ways and raised questions not just about the Romans but my own culture. It's a provocative book for anyone with an interest in Rome. This is NOT a book just for specialists in the field. If your knowledge of Rome has been gleaned exclusively from films and Roman detective novels by Steven Saylor or Lindsey Davis you will have no trouble understanding or enjoying ROMAN PASSIONS.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amusing, well researched and well written book, September 5, 2011

By 

MR J WEBB - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Roman Passions: A History of Pleasure in Imperial Rome (Paperback)

Don't expect prurient pleasure from this book, although it does discuss Roman sexual mores in detail. This book is more about the Roman's attitudes rather than their practices. Their use of pleasure as an instrument of social rewards and punishment could teach us a lot.

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasurable Investigations, November 22, 2011

By 

S. Southall (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Roman Passions: A History of Pleasure in Imperial Rome (Paperback)

Pleasure gets a bad rap in 'serious' studies, yet the many facets of pleasure influence cultures and individuals across the world and the centuries. The pleasures to be found in the Roman villa powerfully motivated elite Romans, and included the relaxation provided by gardens, art collections, and banquets. Food and wine, song and dance, sex and violence all have their cultural attractions, and this book displays the Roman approach to these perennial pleasures. Written in a easy accessible style, this is a pleasurable read that places a lot of information into a desireable package.