Pompeii: Public and Private Life (Revealing Antiquity) (Paperback)

by Paul Zanker (Author), Deborah Lucas Schneider (Translator)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This guide to the ruins of the Italian city of Pompeii is refreshingly straightforward and rife with insight. Zanker, a professor at the University of Munich and director of Rome's German Archeological Institute, approaches Pompeii from a historical perspective, offering a plausible and interesting description of what life in Pompeii was probably like in A.D. 79. He also uses viewpoints deriving from the modern discipline of urban studies. For example, a discussion of the use of homes in the Roman era (when houses were divided into distinctly decorative and functional areas, as well as servants' quarters) compares the conventions of that time to today's "'eat-in' kitchens, and bathrooms designed to be attractive as well as utilitarian." Public spaces, too, reveal much about a society. Accordingly, Zanker writes about the statues that honored the sponsors who funded Pompeii's "new" marble theater, and he gives readers an illuminating tour of an extensive athletic training ground, or "campus," which included a swimming pool. One of the most intriguing subjects is the town's complex water system: an aqueduct with pipes running to different neighborhoods, with many houses sporting running water. Anyone interested in how cultures continue to reinvent the wheel (the residents of Pompeii also had a sewer system) will delight in this book and in the exceptionally smooth, jargon-free translation. While a generous number of drawings, photographs and plans provide valuable visual cues for armchair travelers, this volume can also serve as an excellent guide during a visit to Pompeii.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
paper 0-674-68967-4 In a painstaking analysis of Pompeii's development from country town to city, German scholar Zanker (Classical Archaeology/Univ. of Munich) draws an intimate portrait of ancient urban life. Ash from an eruption of Vesuvius in 79 a.d. blanketed Pompeii, preserving the ancient city intact, together with all traces of its earlier development. Thus, unlike other Roman sites, Pompeii is not simply a collection of ruins, but an artifact that can tell how Roman cities developed and give a sense of the way in which Romans used urban spaces. Drawing on the unique archaeological opportunity presented by Pompeii, Zanker first narrates Pompeii's growth from a culturally Hellenistic Oscan city allied with Rome to a city colonized by Roman veterans of the civil wars of the first century b.c. According to Zanker, Oscan Pompeii had characteristically Greek institutions, such as the gymnasium, baths, and theater. After Roman colonists took over the city in the wake of an ill-fated rebellion by the Pompeians around 89 b.c., a splendid amphitheater. was built, and structures with political applications, like the forum, were expanded. In particular, the temples and public places devoted to the Roman gods were renovated, a reflection of the renewal of the traditional Roman religion after the accession of Augustus as emperor. The early Augustan period also saw development of an infrastructure, including a water and sewer system, and civic pride was reflected in the tombs of the town's leading citizens, which were designed as places of rest and reflection for the residents. After an earthquake in 62 a.d. emphasis in rebuilding shifted from the political to the pursuit of pleasure and entertainment. Zanker closely analyzes the villas, paintings, gardens, and other spaces of Roman Pompeii to develop a vivid picture of private urban life, mostly devoted to esthetic and cultural pursuits but not without everyday cares, among the mostly well-to-do citizens of the city. A thoughtful and well-researched examination of everyday life in the ancient world. (21 color, 55 b&w illustrations, not seen) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: Harvard University Press (January 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0674689674
• ISBN-13: 978-0674689671
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #515,380 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Private Houses in Pompeii, March 18, 2005

By	D. A Wend (Buffalo Grove, IL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This book is an excellent introduction to Pompeii studies. Paul Zanker expertly describes the beginnings and variations on the private houses in Pompeii; how they were influenced by lavish country villas and how many of the houses were changed to provide an illusion of luxury. The "illusion" comes into play because many of the houses had very limited space and made the best of what they had. Several of the homes, such as the House of the Grand Duke, were not known to me.

Mr. Zanker begins by relating the beginnings of Pompeii as an Oscan city and traces its development through the Social War, when Sulla settled veterans in the city, and into the Augustan period. The latter was arguably the golden age of Pompeii when the emperor took an interest in the city (by having an imperial aqueduct diverted to the city) and was a period of great civic building. The author provides a glimpse into some of the current theories about the city, such as did the wealthy leave Pompeii following the earthquake of 62? This is a theory that could use a chapter on its own and gets a page of discussion here. Another interesting discussion has to do with the reconstruction following the earthquake in 62 CE. Why were buildings like the basilica, and other civic buildings, left in ruins? One possibility is that buildings were rebuilt because there were fraternal groups that needed the use of the buildings (like the worshipers of Isis). Buildings like the amphitheater were repaired but the theaters were not.

So this is a good introduction to the private homes of Pompeii: a book that can be read and followed up by more in depth reading. It is a fascinating look at the public and private sides of the city, illustrated nicely, and well written. Highly recommended.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pompeiian textbook, August 10, 2004

By	clwinter - See all my reviews

Zander's Pompeii is one of the main textbook books on Pompeii these days. She covers the city from an archaeologist's point of view by discussing the public and private areas of the city and how Pompeiians would have used them. She discusses not only how each of these areas were populated by regular Pompeiians, but also the women's and slaves' roles throughout the city through these private and public areas.

This book is filled with good information for students, teachers and the amateur classicist alike. A must have for anyone interested in Pompeii or ancient Roman culture.

5.0 out of 5 stars Zanker on Pompeii, February 17, 2001

By	"kateyboal" (Saanichton, BC Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pompeii: Public and Private Life (Revealing Antiquity) (Hardcover)

This book is with out a doubt an wonderful souce for students and Pompeii fanatics. As a classist myself, I was enraptured by this book. Zanker is able to intergrate the archaeological evidence with a comperhensive look at the pompeian socity. This is not to be missed!!