Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome

Facts On File Library Of World History

by Lesley Adkins, Roy A. Adkins

This handy reference provides full access to the 1,200 years of Roman rule from the 8th century B.C. to the 5th century A.D., including information that is hard to find and even harder to decipher. Clear, authoritative, and highly organized, Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome provides a unique look at a civilization whose art, literature, law, and engineering influenced the whole of Western Europe throughout the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and beyond.
The myriad topics covered include rulers; the legal and governmental system; architectural feats such as the famous Roman roads and aqueducts; the many Roman religions and festivals; the Roman system of personal names; contemporary poets and historians; even typical Roman leisure pursuits. Each chapter includes an extensive bibliography, as well as more than 125 site-specific photographs and line drawings. Maps chart the expansion and contraction of the territory from the foundation city of Rome itself to the Byzantine Empire and the ultimate decline of the West.
Combining both archaeological and historical evidence, the Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome is perfect for anyone interested in Roman history, the classics, or an overview of the amazing period in which the Romans ruled.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ancient History, Reference, Roman History, Ancient, Classics

416 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1994

Reviews

[Michael Smith]

Reference librarians are very familiar with this publisher, which has put out a long, long string of useful ready-reference volumes on an impressive array of topics. Because of my long-term interest in classical history, this one has a prominent spot on my own shelf, and it’s been heavily thumbed over the past fifteen years. Basically, if there’s a person, or a place, or a literary work, or a reference to something from everyday life, anywhere in the 1,200 years of Rome’s royal, republican, and imperial history, you have a good chance of finding it explained here.

There are nine thematic chapters, ranging from a general outline of Rome’s history, its geography, and its military affairs, to travel and economics, literature and religion, and the minutiae of life as a Roman. Under those headings, you’ll find (for instance) the organization of the standard Roman legion and how it changed over time (including ranks, weapons and armor, and fortress plans), the types of municipalities established and sponsored by the central government (the Romans were very big on planning as opposed to allowing settlements to grow organically), the fostering of the brick and tile industries, literacy and education at the various levels of society, the change in official attitudes toward Christianity and other intrusive and competing religious movements (religion was a matter of state control in Rome, not personal beliefs), and the function of slavery (which was not at all race-based). There also are a number of quick-reference lists, covering emperors and literary figures and other prominent persons, deities, provinces, abbreviations found in monumental inscriptions, weights and measures, and other complex subjects. More than a hundred illustrations elucidate the volume. The bibliography runs only about a dozen pages, but there are other sources for that -- including a couple from this same publisher.

If you’re a student of ancient Rome, or a fan of historical fiction with a classical setting, or just a junky of miscellaneous information, I can strongly recommend this volume. And you might take a look at the publisher’s catalog, too.

[Kara]

A solid and thorough encyclopedia of all things Roman, with lists both chronological and by subject of the kings, consuls, emperors, the trades and equipment, the architecture and roads, and all the lands influenced by the empire. Its dense and list heavy but still very readable. An excellent reference guide if you needed to look up a particular fact about ancient Rome.

[Graham]

This is an excellent source for information on Ancient Rome. So many books of this kind focus on the Empire, and have little about the Republic or the old kingdoms. This books does a good job of covering a lot of ground others miss, and it does so in an accessible and well-organized manner. Great reference book.

[Aaron]

I thought this was going to be a primary sourcebook like Jo-Ann Shelton's 'As the Romans Did'. Turns out it's more of an encyclopedic reference guide. So, while it was factually interesting and easily digestible, it was stylistically dry. I didn't get the 'Rome as told through the voices of the Romans' effect that I was hoping for, but it was educational nonetheless.

[Alex]

Five stars on account of the sheer breadth of information and research on display here (not to mention the impressive--and extremely useful--bibliography), though this is very much a reference tome. Those seeking a general or layman's overview of the Roman world ought to look elsewhere.

[Andrew Daniels]

A lot more tedious than I expected, I thought I would learn more and find this more interesting. It was quite Anglo-centric, like Britain was the most important province in the Roman Republic and Empire. You'll hear more about Britain than Hispania, Greece, Asia or Africa

If you are looking for a book that brings the Roman world to life, this is not the book
Its totally suitable for those with no knowledge at all

[Paige McLoughlin]

a manual on the nuts and bolts of Roman history, politics, emperors, military, architecture, roads, religion, mythology, cults and Christianity, technology and engineering, provinces, timelines, language, and writing. Everything Rome is in indexed form. Not bad. If you already know a lot of Roman history the entries will jog your memory.

[Sarah]

Very interesting. I would recommend this as an over view for those interested in Roman culture. However, if you are attempting to study for certamen or the NJCL culture tests, this is not the book for you. The lack of latin names for common objects made it not helpful for that.

[Patricia]

I didn't realize this was a literal encyclopedia, but I still liked reading it all the way through. I learned a lot, and the diagrams and pictures were very helpful.

[Sarah Holz]

Solid quick reference guide with an extensive bibliography for further reading and research.

[Bonnie_blu]

Very good overview of Roman society from the early Republic to the end of the Empire (2,200+ years). The book covers all aspects of Roman life, and helps the reader to orient him/herself to a more "Roman" mind frame, although it is impossible for any modern person to understand life in Ancient Rome fully since the cultural realities and attitudes were vastly different from life as we know it.

[James]

Unlike their book on Jane Austen's England, this is an encyclopedia without much narration. As a random read about Roman history, ho-hum, but if you are researching for writing purposes, it's a 5 star book since it has an extensive bibliography.

Recommended as a reference.

[Colin]

Adkins and Adkins are absolutely brilliant.

[Ijorabi]

Very informational and extremely well organized.

[Jessica]

95 books/2009

I comprehensive and easy-to-use reference book on Ancient Rome. As an author I found it incredibly useful and informative.

[Ryan Patrick]

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[Michael Anderson]

Very useful reference to daily life in Rome.