Daily Life in Ancient Rome

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Great book, needs illustrations - Rated
I loved this book. Even though there's a fair bit of detail on Roman dining, clothing, entertainment and so on, the text never becomes boring. Even what I consider the driest part of the book, a section on Roman clocks and timekeeping, manages to be breezy enough.

The book however, is badly in need of some illustrations. The author has done his best to describe things, and done quite well, but I DID find it a bit of a drag trying to visualize things such as buildings and clothing.

Even a few simple line drawings would have gone a very long way.

An engaging account of life at the peak of the Roman Empire. - Rated
Now more than 50 years old, this account of daily life in ancient Rome still manages to completely absorb the reader.

Carcopino has managed to avoid the trap of becoming overawed by his subject material. Showing clarity and even a love of his subject, he delves into the ordinary routines, habits and desires of the inhabitants of ancient Rome at it's peak. What was it like for a Roman to shave?!

This is a 'smells and sounds' book. Other publications may provide a more chronolgical/historical perspective on Rome notably Gibbons 'The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' but only Carcopino will leave you feeling closer to those men and women who lived under the rule of Caesers from Augustus [27 B.C - 14 A.D] to Trajan [98-117 A.D].

My own specific interest was in discovering how early Christianity made an impact on Roman life. I won't spoil the effect of Carcopino's closing line under the sub-heading 'The Advent of Christianity' but for a reader with faith it will never be forgotten.

I recommend this book more for those who want to understand 'what it was like' rather than simply 'what happened and when'.