All Things Ancient Rome 2 Volumes

Through roughly 160 alphabetically arranged reference entries, this book surveys the material culture and social institutions of Ancient Rome. Ancient Rome was one of the great civilizations of antiquity. Honoring the contributions of their cultural forebearers-who included Etruscans, Asians, and Egyptians as well as Greeks-Roman artists, writers, and thinkers freely borrowed where tradition dictated and innovated where personal talent and imagination directed, forging a unique creative experience that formed the basis of Western European artistic, literary, and philosophical production for 2,000 years. While other reference works typically examine battles and politicians, this book focuses on Roman social history and daily life, painting a detailed picture of the material culture and social institutions of Ancient Rome. A timeline highlights key events, while an overview essay surveys the achievements of the Romans. Reference entries provide objective information about art, architecture, literature, commerce, transportation, government, religion, and other topics related to Roman life. Each entry provides cross-references and suggestions for further reading, and some provide sidebars of interesting facts along with excerpts from primary source documents. The book closes with a selected, general bibliography of resources suitable for student research.

Julius Caesar's life and example have fascinated and motivated generations of people for nearly 2,000 years. This book explores the people, places, events, and institutions that helped define arguably the most famous individual in the history of Rome. Far from being "ancient history," Roman history and culture from the time of Julius Caesar and the Roman Empire have surprising parallels with the political strife and societal issues in 21st-century life. Interest and awareness have also been bolstered by recent successful Hollywood films as well as television series that depict Roman history. All Things Julius Caesar: An Encyclopedia of Caesar's World and Legacy provides a unique reference on topics and themes related to the life and times of Julius Caesar. It offers historically accurate information about what he did—and did not—do, and examines his impact on later eras via images and idealized depictions of him popularized in literature and other media up to the present. The approximately 200 entries in this two-volume set are organized alphabetically according to topic or theme—for example, individuals such as Marc Antony, places such as the province of Gaul, events such as Roman elections or battles in the Civil War, and institutions such as Roman classes, slavery, patrons, and clients. The entries cover all the territories of the Roman Empire during Caesar's time, from Britain to Egypt. The set includes primary documents such as excerpts from ancient letters, essays, and biographies and supplements the text with images and maps. The bibliography provides print and electronic resources suitable for high school and college student research as well as further reading for general audiences.

Volume two reveals the extraordinary diversity of ancient Roman religion. A comprehensive sourcebook, it presents a wide range of documents illustrating religious life in the Roman world - from the foundations of the city in the eighth century BC to the Christian capital more than a thousand years later. Each document is given a full introduction, explanatory notes and bibliography, and acts as a starting point for further discussion. Through paintings, sculptures, coins and inscriptions, as well as literary texts in translation, the book explores the major themes and problems of Roman religion, such as sacrifice, the religious calendar, divination, ritual, and priesthood. Starting from the archaeological traces of the earliest cults of the city, it finishes with a series of texts in which Roman authors themselves reflect on the nature of their own religion, its history, even its funny side. Judaism and Christianity are given full coverage, as important elements in the religious world of the Roman empire.

This study of Ancient Rome offers a fascinating glimpse of what Roman society was like—from fashion, to food, to politics and recreation—gathered from literary works, art, and archaeological remains. While the political history and prominent figures of Ancient Rome are well known, accounts of daily life in that time and place often remain untold. This fascinating encyclopedia explores this period from a social and cultural perspective, digging into the day-to-day activities of how Romans dressed, what they ate, how they worked, and what they did for fun. Drawing from recent archaeological evidence, author James W. Ermatinger explores the everyday lives of Roman citizens of all levels and classes. This book is organized into ten sections: art, economics, family, fashion, food, housing, politics, recreation, religion, and science. Each section contains more than two dozen entries that illuminate such topics as slavery as a social movement; the menus of peasants, slaves, and the elite; and the science and engineering solutions that became harbingers for today's technology. The work contains a selection of primary documents as well as a bibliography of print and Internet resources.

"Through roughly 160 alphabetically arranged reference entries, this book surveys the material culture and social institutions of ancient Rome"--

For six centuries Rome ruled almost the whole known world. The two books in this box set chronicle the story of one of the greatest historical periods. One examines the warfare, government, conquests and leadership of ancient Rome, while the other shows how people lived and worked during this cultural peak in world history.

Describes the daily life of Romans of all classes, their festivals, religious life, and family life.