Stories of Daily Life from the Roman World
What did Roman children do first when they arrived at school in the morning? What excuse for missing school could be counted on to stave off a whipping from the teacher? What did a Roman banker do when someone came to borrow money? What did a Roman wife say when her husband came home drunk? The answers to such questions can be found not in mainstream ancient literature (whose writers had their minds on higher things) but in language textbooks for ancient Latin learners. These 'colloquia' offer an ancient introduction to Roman culture, covering such areas as shopping, banking, bathing, dining, arguing, and going to school; recently rediscovered, they are here presented for the first time in a format aimed at readers with no prior knowledge of Latin, Greek, or the ancient world. They come complete with introductory material, extensive illustrations, and a full explanation of their fascinating history.
- Helps readers to better understand Roman culture by means of texts written by Romans specifically to introduce it to foreigners
- Provides a novel and enjoyable guide to the lives of ordinary Romans engaged in activities such as shopping, eating and arguing
- A large number of clear, easily intelligible images enhance the texts which they accompany
Reviews & endorsements
'Eleanor Dickey's [book] deserves serious consideration for those tasked with introducing the ancient world to students … Stories of Daily Life, in short, will prove to be a versatile, potent, and inexpensive supplement to a variety of courses on the ancient world, even for students with little familiarity with antiquity more broadly.' Charles McNamara, Gnomon
Product details
August 2017Paperback
9781316627280
178 pages
216 × 140 × 9 mm
0.26kg
59 b/w illus.
Temporarily unavailable - available from TBC
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Days in the lives of schoolchildren
- 3. Let's go to court
- 4. Financial transactions
- 5. Supporting friends
- 6. What to say when things do not go so well
- 7. Lunch time
- 8. Afternoons at the baths
- 9. Dinners
- 10. Bedtime
- 11. Passages providing additional context for the Colloquia
- 12. Further information about the colloquia
- Appendix: a school whipping at Pompeii?