The Houses Of Roman Italy 100 B C A D 250

"Extensively documented with well-chosen, good quality photographs, Clarke's book effectively surveys these representative examples from the Late Republic to the Late Empire, illustrating the shift in the agendas of decoration as well as in the patterns of the lives played out behind closed doors within these highly charged domestic interiors."—Richard Brilliant, author of Visual Narratives: Storytelling in Etruscan & Roman Art "An enlightening and engaging walk through Roman cultural history. . . .This book will be essential to anyone interested in the classical past, in artistic ensembles, or in the experience of architecture."—Diane Favro, University of California, Los Angeles "Real experts in Roman painting are few. This book should be very welcome to Roman art historians and social historians wanting to present this material to their students."—Eleanor Winsor Leach, author of The Rhetoric of Space

"Extensively documented with well-chosen, good quality photographs, Clarke's book effectively surveys these representative examples from the Late Republic to the Late Empire, illustrating the shift in the agendas of decoration as well as in the patterns of the lives played out behind closed doors within these highly charged domestic interiors."—Richard Brilliant, author of Visual Narratives: Storytelling in Etruscan & Roman Art "An enlightening and engaging walk through Roman cultural history. . . .This book will be essential to anyone interested in the classical past, in artistic ensembles, or in the experience of architecture."—Diane Favro, University of California, Los Angeles "Real experts in Roman painting are few. This book should be very welcome to Roman art historians and social historians wanting to present this material to their students."—Eleanor Winsor Leach, author of The Rhetoric of Space

This book examines different forms of ritual activities performed in houses of Graeco- Roman Egypt. It draws on the rich archaeological record of rural housing and evidence from literature or papyrological references to both urban and rural housing.

This volume considers the relationship between architectural form and different layers of identity assertion in Roman Egypt. It stresses the sophistication of the concept of identity, and the complex yet close association between architecture and identity.

21 papers focus on modelling the costs of construction over the course of 2,500 years, from Bronze Age Greece to the early Middle Ages. They discuss both broader issues of methodology and particular case studies, with particular attention to the exploitation of raw materials (e.g. quarries), transport, and construction processes on building sites.

Studies in the Historical Jesus: Anarchy, Miracles, and Madness is a selection of key essays on the historical figure of Jesus published over the last fifteen years by Justin J. Meggitt. Each addresses a central question in the study of Jesus and his context, from the role of myth in the creation of traditions about him and the historicity of his miracles, to the problem of his politics and the reasons for his execution. The collection brings fresh perspectives and new data to bear on enduring debates, and demonstrates the value of "history from below" in making sense of the historical Jesus and the world that made him.

Architecture is a powerful medium for representing, ordering and classifying the world, and understanding the use of space is fundamental to archaeological inquiry. Architecture and Order draws on the work of archaeologists, social theorists and architects to explore the way in which people relate to the architecture which surrounds them. In many societies, houses and tombs have encoded cultural meanings and values which are invoked and recalled through the practices of daily life. Chapters include explorations of the early farming r archi*eye of Europe, from before the use of metals, to the Classical and Medieval worlds of the Mediterranean and Europe. Research of the recent past and present include an overview of hunter-gatherers' camp organization, a reassessment of the use of space amongst the Dogon of West Africa and an examination of mental disorders relating to the use of space in Britain. The volume goes beyond the implication that culture determines form to develop an approach that integrates meaning and practice.

In this fresh, accessible, and beautifully illustrated book, his third to examine an aspect of Roman visual culture, John R. Clarke explores the question, "What made Romans laugh?" Looking at Laughter examines a heterogeneous corpus of visual material, from the crudely obscene to the exquisitely sophisticated and from the playful to the deadly serious—everything from street theater to erudite paintings parodying the emperor. Nine chapters, organized under the rubrics of Visual Humor, Social Humor, and Sexual Humor, analyze a wide range of visual art, including wall painting, sculpture, mosaics, and ceramics. Archaeological sites, as well as a range of ancient texts, inscriptions, and graffiti, provide the background for understanding the how and why of humorous imagery. This entertaining study offers fascinating insights into the mentality of Roman patrons and viewers who enjoyed laughing at the gods, the powers-that-be, and themselves.