Life, Death, and Entertainment in the Roman Empire

by David J. Mattingly

Book Overview

"[T]his handsomely-produced volume performs admirably as a series of introductions to sources, approaches, and the state of scholarship on major topics in Roman social history . . . Collections of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0472085689
• ISBN13: 9780472085682
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: University of Michigan Press
• Length: 353 Pages
• Weight: 1.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

No-Spin Zone

Nothing further to add, but wanted to point out that this work is not as slanted politically correct as Encolp in his review above make it seem. The book is much more objective, all the pseudo-intellectual babbling is purely the reviewer's preferred conlcusions using the data in the book as a springboard. I just can't help wonder why he is so disturbed by so-called "manly types" (or what he means by that).

Power, Wealth, Pleasure, and a "Duh" Mentality...

Sound familiar? Does what goes around -- come aroundagain? Are the malls the 21st century version ofthe Roman baths? Are the Nascar racetracks the 21stcentury version of the chariot races? Are ourfootball stadiums the 21st century version of theColosseum? This book does not present its themesin these terms, but one cannot help but think aboutthese things as one reads it -- in tandem with readingthe Roman writers who satirized or caught in verse thegoings-on in their own times: Catullus, Martial, Petronius, Juvenal. Besides the "Introduction" by David S. Porter, thereare 3 large Parts to the division of the book. PartI is titled: "Social Structures and Demography". Withinthis section are informative and highly interesting essayson "The Roman Family," "Elite Male Identity in the RomanEmpire," and "Roman Demography." Part II is titled:"Religion." There is only one essay in this Part --"Roman Religion: Ideas and Action." Part III is titled:"Bread and Circuses" [the famous phrase used to describehow the rulers and the "elite" kept the masses under theircontrol -- by giving them doles of food or by providingthem with mass entertainments to keep their minds offthe fact of their gruelling lives and that they didnot lead the "good life" that the "elites" were leading --sound familiar?]. In this Part are the essays: "Feedingthe City: The Organization, Operation,and Scale of theSupply System for Rome," "Amusing the Masses: Buildingsfor Entertainment and Leisure in the Roman World," and"Entertainers in the Roman World." Since our modernera also seems to be so much into shallow entertainmentand pleasures, perhaps the titles of the subsections ofthis last chapter will be intriguing: Actors and Athletes.Chariot Racing.[the factions and their fans sound likeancient Roman predecessors to the WWF and Nascar fanatics...] Gladiators, Beast Hunts, and Executions.[well, we haven't "progressed" in our tastes and"sophistication" that far yet...but, who knows? ...] All in all, this is a very interesting, insightful,intriguing -- as well as provoking book. Thesection that interested me the most was the oneon the Roman emphasis and hang-up on male identity -what was considered manly, and what was not. It isn't,as if that is one of the main obsessions in our owntimes in the U.S. of A. , of course. And what areall the "manly" types contributing to the betterment,stability, and nobility of our present society and culture? It gives one pause, for reflection.

Extremely entertaining and informative

First off, this book is a collection of seven very long essays by different experts. The essays deal with the minutest details of Roman life, ranging from religious practice to construction to gladiatorial combat and criminal execution. Not all essays are created equal, and there are two in here that I found rather dry, but perhaps that is because I couldn't care less about the specifics of amphitheater construction. The others were phenomenal, and even the "boring" ones contain excellent and useful information.I read L,D, & E (as I have begun to call it) for an undergraduate class in Roman History and had to write a critical review-type paper about it. I have to say I actually enjoyed the assignment. The book was, overall, excellent. It features real-life "snapshots" of different aspects of Roman life, and unlike many books about Ancient Rome, it doesn't focus solely on the upper classes. It also doesn't spend any time discussing politics or history or "great men" of the times, so if you're looking for that, go elsewhere. This book is NOT an introduction to imperial Rome -- you'll need to have one of those under your belt already -- but it IS the most wonderful, complete, and readable supplementary material available. It really fills in the gaps and answers questions you didn't know you had, giving you a vastly more complete picture of Rome under the Emperors.

Good resource book

This is an interesting, well-written book that would be a good edition to the library of any student of Roman history as well as being a good resource for writers of historical fiction.

Fantastic discussion of "real life" in Rome...

This book discusses aspects of Roman life that are frequently difficult to research... such as the kinds of toys Roman children enjoyed or the types of birth control that were popular. It covers such subjects as "feeding the city" and "entertaining the populace" as well as religion and other expected items. The work comprises a sweeping approach to "real life stuff" in a framework that is scholarly (with plenty of documentation) but highly entertaining. It's the kind of book I've been wanting to own for years.