Running the Roman Home

by Alexandra Croom

Running of the Roman Home explores the real 'every-day' life of the Romans and the effort required to run a Roman household. It considers the three elements of housework - supply, maintenance and disposal. It is divided into sections on how the Romans collected water and fuel, milled flour and produced thread; how they cleaned the house, illuminated it, did the washing up, cleaned their clothes, got rid of waste water and sewage, and threw out their rubbish. The evidence is taken from literary, archaeological and artistic sources, and often compared to historical or modern parallels from communities using the same methods.

Genres: History, Ancient History, Nonfiction, Archaeology, Classics

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Sarah Schanze · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I kind of wish the font could have been a little bigger, the straightforward information and easily organized and clearly labeled chapters make this a great resource. It's easy to find what you need, and includes some great pictures and photos.

[Ben Kane · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most frustrating things about writing novels set more than 2,000 years ago is the dearth of details about ordinary life. All too often, the ancient texts that survive (Pliny, Plutarch, Livy et al) are rich on the detail of wars, politics and important men of the time. It's understandable that such historians didn't linger on the minutiae of what went on in their own houses, or in the streets of the cities in which they lived - if writing a history of the here and now, what 21st century writer would think to comment on the wonders of the flushing toilet, or the various recycling bins that we all have to deal with each week before our rubbish is picked up by the council? The ancient historians probably didn't comment on such things because a) they were boring and b) they were an understood part of life at the time. There was no need to mention them. Fast forward 2,000 years, however, to a time in which many of us long to know the exact details of day-to-day Roman life and one is left feeling very frustrated.

So when a book such as this comes along, it is to be welcomed with open arms. The author is Keeper of Archaeology at Tyne & Wear Archives and Museum, so she knows her onions. She has collected together what information remains about the supply of water, fuel and items such as wool, details about the cleaning of houses and clothes, sanitary facilities or the lack of them, and waste disposal. Best of all, she has compared what we know of Roman times to studies of societies in the world today who still largely live in this manner. The extrapolations made are naturally theory, not fact, but they make a lot of sense. The book is short but well-written and full of interesting diagrams and photos. There is a decent bibliography at the back as well. In short, this would make an excellent addition to the bookshelf of anyone interested in ancient Rome. Thoroughly recommended.

Ben Kane, author of Spartacus: The Gladiator.

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource for writers. Have the urge to write an entire chapter of the characters doing laundry because I GET IT. I UNDERSTAND HOW THIS WAS DONE. I won't, of course. But I really want to.

[Ellis Morning · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of great information. It makes you very grateful for the modern amenities you take for granted every day!

[Bonnie_blu · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Running the Roman Home" is an excellent analysis of the of many hours of unending, often backbreaking, labor it took to house and feed a family in ancient Rome. Ms. Croom examines the differences in running rural, small city, and large city homes, and compares them to current, non-industrial societies. Every day, Romans had to locate water, firewood (or charcoal), and food. Numerous hours were needed to obtain these necessities and prepare them for use. One of the most demanding chores was laundry, which could take two to three days to complete. After reading this book, I was so very thankful for modern conveniences, such as being able to turn on a faucet and get clean water, open a fridge and get healthy food, and turn a thermostat up or down to make my environment comfortable.

[Jonathan Farley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly comprehensive book on Roman household management, which was fascinating in every detail it covered. I purchased the book to examine one detail of household management but unfortunately this was not covered. It was a bit of a long shot anyway. Never-the-less it was fascinating in every way and a book I shall certainly dip into again and again