The Roman Banquet
The Roman Banquet
Out of Print
Dining was an important social occasion in the classical world. Scenes of drinking and dining decorate the wall paintings and mosaic pavements of many Roman houses. They are also painted in tombs and carved in relief on sarcophagi and on innumerable smaller grave monuments. Drawing frequently upon ancient literature inscriptions as well as archaeological evidence, this book examines the visual and material evidence for dining through Roman antiquity. Topics covered include the relationship between Greek and Roman dining habits; the social significance of reclining when dining in public; the associations between dining scenes and death; the changing fashions of dining at the end of antiquity; and the use of banquet scenes in the art of early Christianity. Richly illustrated, The Roman Banquet offers a full and varied picture of the role of the banquet in Roman life.
- Illustrated with 150 halftones and 16 color plates
- Multi-disciplinary approach combining art and archaeology with literature and epigraphy
- Broad based cultural study
Reviews & endorsements
"The book is handsomely produced and well illustrated, with a generous section of colour plates." Ruth Westgate, Cardiff School of History and Archaeology, Cardiff University
"The Roman Banquet is a superb example of art history in context. By isolating the visual, achaeological and literary evidence for a single theme, this short book succeeds in providing an overview of the role of art in communicating deeply held social and cultural ideals...This book is highly recommended for anyone interested in Roman art, archaeology, and cultural and social history." - Helen Nagy, University of Puget Sound
"...artfully packaged into an attractive book-length format, in which a lively text and rich assortment of illustrations, some in colour, combine to offer the reader a stimulating introduction to the world of Roman banqueting and to the issues raised by the many surviving images of Roman conviviality." - J.J. Rossiter, University of Alberta
"Engagingly written, extensively documented, and generously illustrated by a variety of media (sculpture, painting, and mosaic) from a range of locations, contexts and chronological periods, the work contains much that is new. Dunbabin illustrates the book with well-chosen, mostly clear photographs closely keyed to the text. A valuable glossary, extensive bibliography, and helpful indices add to the usefulness of the work." American Journal of Archaeology, Robert I. Curtis, University of Georgia
Product details
February 2004Hardback
9780521822527
312 pages
255 × 185 × 26 mm
0.937kg
Unavailable - out of print
Table of Contents
- 1. Romans, Greeks and others on the banqueting couch
- 2. Place-settings
- 3. Public dining
- 4. Drinking in the tomb
- 5. Banqueting in late antiquity
- 6. The last banqueters.
