24 de ore în Roma antică. O zi din viața oamenilor care au trăit acolo

24 Hours in Ancient History #1

by Philip Matyszak

Mergeți o zi în sandalele unui roman... cum era oare viața într-unul dintre cele mai puternice și mai pline de viață orașe ale lumii antice – un oraș care era de opt ori mai dens populat decât new yorkul din zilele noastre? Pe parcursul unei zile, întâlnim 24 de romani din toate straturile societății – de la un senator la o sclavă, de la un gladiator la un astrolog, de la paznici la spălătorese – și, petrecând câte o oră alături de fiecare în parte, descoperim detalii fascinante ale vieții lor zilnice.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ancient History, Audiobook, Historical, Ancient, Italy

272 pages, Paperback

First published October 5, 2017

About the author

Philip Matyszak is a British nonfiction author, primarily of historical works relating to ancient Rome. Matyszak has a doctorate in Roman history from St. John's College, Oxford. In addition to being a professional author, he also teaches ancient history for Madingley Hall Institute of Continuing Education, Cambridge University.

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yeast wasn't known as a separate raising agent in ancient Rome, so today's bread (and the Roman's were very keen on bread) was made from a lump of dough kept from the previous day's baking, and, with each baker having a secret recipe, fed with honey, rubbed with vine leaves and generally cherished. No one baked at home.

The biggest disaster that could befall any city where the houses were primarily wood, was fire. And although there was no police force as such - in times of insurrection, a makeshift one armed with swords and clubs would be empowered - there was a continual fire watch patrol, day and night. The vigiles. There were fire engines (not quite big and red with ladders and flashing lights, but still fire engines) as there had been from Egyptian times, and water was brought hand to hand. Long chains of people would know exactly where to start the chains and there were exact times of how long it would take from source to fire.

The book is not introspective but has some reasonably interesting facts of small things (like the bread and fire vigiles) that I just didn't think of, and is written in a very engaging way. Roman life, the houses, the pots and pans, the takeaways, the communal swimming pools. bars, markets, whorehouses, are not so far from our own civilization, just a different technology as might be expected, but not a radically different way of organising a city.

[☘Misericordia☘ ⚡ϟ⚡⛈⚡☁ ❇️❤❣ · Rating 5 out of 5]

+ Some mildish fun at the expense of the Ancient Rome.
+ 'Horae' instead of Chapters
- Some mild editing issues.
Q:
Above all, ancient Rome was an attitude. (c)
Q:
The historian Tacitus remarked with outraged horror the story of an aristocratic woman called Visitilia who, facing punishment for her numerous affairs, evaded the law by simply applying for a prostitute’s licence (licentia stupri). When the Aediles could find no reason not to give it to her, she carried on as she had before, but now charged for it. (c)
Q:
It’s not as though it is hard to discover what Mamila is doing there. She’s not as blatant as the dorides (women who stand naked at the doors of some brothels and taverns to lure in passers-by), but she is wearing a toga. On a Roman man, the toga is a symbol of respectability. On a Roman woman of negotiable virtue, the toga is a highly practical garment without fastenings that a) drops to the ground after a practised wiggle of the shoulders, and b) when on the ground, the garment – which is actually a semi-circle of thick woven wool – forms a soft blanket for what happens next. (c)
Q:
... casting an imperial horoscope tends to be terminally discouraged. (c)
Q:
In other words, garbage in, garbage out, and Balbilus has no idea of the accuracy of the information he is using to calculate Hadrian’s future. (c)
Q:
Sergius is an auctoratus. This means that while most gladiators fight because they have no choice, Sergius is a gladiator because he wants to be. (c)
Q:
Things went downhill from there. It quickly became apparent that the Syrian was a spice trader who knew Cyrene and the eastern Mediterranean as well as Selius knows the way to his own latrine. Selius writhes mentally at the memory of Manidus dabbing his lips with a napkin to hide his smile as the trader gently corrected him at every turn. ‘Flocks of ibex flying into the sunset? Do you perhaps mean ibis? It’s just that ibex are a kind of antelope and not very aerodynamic.’
‘Your meal was flavoured with silphium? How wonderful that they have rediscovered a supply of the plant! Everyone thought it had been extinct these last hundred years. And you ate it at the taverna of Tingitus by the harbour? That is excellent news. I was told it had burned down a few years ago. I am delighted to hear it has been rebuilt.’ (c)
Q:
He mutters to himself, ‘It’s pure larceny, the philosophers aspiring to happiness. I mean, what is happiness, when you come down to it? I take it that happiness is an untroubled soul in a body at peace with itself. So who has that? Is it the man who is constantly enquiring into the shape of the earth, whether space is infinite and the size of the sun? Do I grapple with astronomical distances, the nature of the elements, the existence or non-existence of the gods, or do I engage in incessant controversies with my colleagues? That’s your philosopher. I, once I’ve arranged my next dinner, am convinced that I’m living in the best of all possible worlds. Once my stomach is satisfied, my hands and feet can look after themselves. Philosophers, hah! They have no place in a decent dining room.’ (c)
Q:
The carriage is not sacred, but the occupant is, and anything that might be conceived as disrespect for her is generally fatal. (c)
Q:
Marcia has taken a deliberately roundabout route to get there because she rather relishes these trips into the busy bustle of the metropolis. Another reason for the unusual route is to give condemned prisoners she may cross paths with a second chance. Every now and then, the guards hauling a man off to his place of execution – for example, to the Tarpeian Rock near the Capitoline Hill – might bump into the attendants of a Vestal Virgin as she goes about her duty. Naturally, the guards will give way – consuls, tribunes and even the emperor must do that – and then, if she wishes, the Vestal can exercise her power to free the condemned man right there and then.
Since those carrying out the execution have a certain sense of duty, they make sure they don’t take their intended victim along the route usually used by a Vestal on her way to get the shrine’s sacred water. However, Marcia likes to give her goddess a sporting chance to exercise clemency, and, like the guards, she does not take the usual route either. (c)
Q:
A Vestal’s career lasts thirty years and has three stages. In stage one, which lasts for ten years, the Vestal is a student, and if this seems a long time to outsiders it certainly does not to the student, who has to learn arcane texts, odd rituals and a surprising amount of Roman law within this time. (Unlike most women, Vestals can testify in court and are often asked to keep contracts, wills and other vital documents in their care. Also, a deposition sworn before a Vestal is as valid as sworn testimony in court.)
The next ten years of a Vestal’s career are spent practising what she has learned. The final ten years are spent teaching this painfully acquired knowledge to the next generation. After that, it’s done. The Vestal has discharged her duties, and should she so wish, she can spend the next thirty years painting the town red as she works off various pent-up frustrations.
In reality, no Vestals actually do this. In fact, very few even marry. The average retired Vestal is in her early forties, wealthy, independent and of an aristocratic family. Why such a person – among the freest in Rome – would then want to subordinate herself to a husband is something Marcia can’t understand. Most ex-Vestals are of the same opinion, so they generally remain single and continue to live at the Vestal’s shrine. If they do take lovers, they do this very discreetly, and elsewhere.
Also – someone has been counting – the statistics do not look good for prospective husbands either. For some reason, the husbands of those Vestals who do marry seldom last more than a year or two. The devout believe that even Vesta, gentle goddess of the hearth, is jealous of sharing with mortals those who once belonged to her alone. Marcia, who is keenly aware of certain illicit stirrings within her own body, secretly suspects that with some of these prematurely deceased husbands exhaustion might also be a factor. (c)
Q:
Marcia idly ponders on the odd combination of circumstances that has a professional virgin collecting water from the spring of a nymph goddess who is mainly worshipped in the context of conception and pregnancy. (Egeria is also pretty hot on urban legislation, prophecy and earth-mother rituals, so as a goddess she has a remarkably mixed portfolio.) (c)
Q:
Secondly, the average Roman court case is meant to start at sunrise and end before dusk. This does not give prosecution or defence a lot of time... (c)'defence', it should have been.
Q:
Trials are held in public, and since even a case of modest theft – such as a cloak – can result in draconian punishment, the histrionics by defendants, their counsel and even the judge, all provide an intriguing, authentic spectacle for onlookers.
A condemned thief might end up in the arena wearing the toga molesta – a tunic covered in inflammable material that is set alight for the delectation of the audience. Hence the grim Roman joke, ‘A thief stole a tunic. To hide the pattern he smeared it with pitch.’
Unsurprisingly then, anyone accused of a crime looks for the best legal representation he can find. (c)
Q:
... in the more civilized world of the Empire, the law recognizes that slavery is an unnatural condition, and those subject to it – by birth or misfortune – are, nevertheless, as human as anyone else. Therefore, all sorts of legal issues have developed around the rights of slaves and their relationship with their masters. For example, a master can be forced to sell a slave whom he is judged to have treated barbarically, and a master who abandons a sick slave so as to save the cost of medical treatment is judged to have performed manumission by neglect. If the slave recovers, he or she does so in freedom. (c)
Q:
Fortunately – all unbeknown to Cerinthus – Sulpicia will be her guide, as she was the source of the loving letters she had sent earlier. Sulpicia has been dead now for several generations, but Miyria’s most prized possession is a copy of The Elegies of Tibullus and Propertius, in which the poems of Sulpicia are preserved. Sulpicia lived in the reign of the Emperor Augustus, but she was Miyria’s age when she wrote her poetry. Sixteen is late for an aristocratic Roman girl to marry (many are married at the age of thirteen or fourteen), but a merchant’s daughter such as Miyria might marry later, at the ripe old age of eighteen. Both girls knew the dark excitement of forbidden romance, and frustration with an older generation which tried to control their every move. (c)
Q:
In front of Augustus’ tomb is the horologium, one of the first Egyptian obelisks ever brought to Rome. This is one of Gallienus’ favourite structures, for when he passes it on a sunny day a quick glance at the pavement in front of the obelisk tells him the time of day and even the season. In fact, there is a line marked on the stone flags north of the obelisk that shows the maximum stretch of the shadow at different times of the year.
Detractors say that the whole thing was designed only so that on Augustus’ birthday the shadow of the obelisk would point directly at the door to Augustus’ tomb, but the sceptical Gallienus doubts that the whole thing is merely a propaganda exercise. Rather, the obelisk, by measuring the length of the shadow cast by the sun, acts as physical proof that the calendar reformed by Julius Caesar (and refined later) is truly keeping track of the seasons. In the last days of the Republic, the calendar was so wildly out of sync with reality that summer festivals were sometimes celebrated in ankle-deep snow. (c)
Q:
... the kitchen. This is a small, unpleasantly hot room that leads to the alley out back, which – despite punishments and protestations – often serves as a toilet of first resort for the tavern’s more desperate customers. (c)
Q:
Sometimes, Copa wishes she were a man and could try a more relaxing career – perhaps a legionary post on the Rhine fighting off Germanic raiders. (c)
Q:
as the proverb goes: ‘Sooner two clocks will agree than two philosophers’, with the implication that both groups tend to be rather idiosyncratic. (c)
Q:
... the real problem lies in the nature of Roman days and nights. Each lasts for twelve hours, from sunup to sundown, and from sundown to dawn. This would be fine, if only every day were the spring and autumn equinox, when day and night are exactly the same length. However, a day at midsummer is a great deal longer than a day in midwinter, though each is still exactly twelve Roman hours long. To keep with twelve hours for each day and night, Roman hours get longer and shorter with the seasons. This means that sundials work perfectly all year long, but variable hours present the clockmaker with a major challenge.
For example, at the equinox, the time taken to get through this hour, hora septima, is just under three-quarters the time it will take at the summer solstice, but a quarter longer than it did at the midwinter festival. Once you have calibrated for the shorter or longer day, you need to build in a mirror system to measure the nights, which are doing the opposite. Nor do the days move smoothly across this half-hour variation in the annual length of the Roman hour. Winter hours remain short until the spring, after which they start to lengthen rapidly. The philosopher Aristarchus of Samos (circa 300 BC) would argue that this is because the Earth has an oval orbit around the Sun, but the man was evidently a fool and his argument was comprehensively shot down by Archimedes. The current approach to the issue skips the theorizing and attempts to deal with the inconvenient reality. (c)
Q:
Most people find squinting at the sun and agreeing the time by consensus works just fine. (c)
Q:
A thought strikes her. By all means build the dial, she tells Albinus, as it will impress the grey-beards of her father’s group. But leave out the complex machinery behind it. She will just remind her father’s slave to advance the needle a bit further every week.
Unknowingly, Copa has identified a major reason why the Romans will never become a fully mechanized culture. The Romans have so much cheap manpower available that there is no real incentive to invent machines to do the work or reason to use these machines if they are invented. (Once, someone invented an ingenious crane that would significantly reduce the manpower needed to build the Emperor Vespasian’s new amphitheatre at the Colosseum. Vespasian rewarded the inventor but declined to use his invention, saying, ‘You must allow me to give work to the poor.’) (c)
Q:
The Romans believe that washing clothes in urine makes whites whiter and colours brighter, and this magic ingredient also removes stubborn stains. And the Romans are right. Yes, that wonder material, human pee, is what every materfamilias relies on for her husband’s shining white toga and her seductively dyed filmy nightwear. This is because urine contains the special component ammonia, which will still feature in washing powders two millennia hence. In a pre-chemical era, the best way to get ammonia is from those cheap and self-powered dispensaries known as human bladders. (c)
Q:
Even the priestess herself is a henotheist, which means that, though dedicated to Isis, she acknowledges the existence of other gods, and will even pray to them on occasion. (c)
Q:
Like all long-distance traders, Miyrius knows the ratios 1:5:28. The first is the cost of shipping an amphora by sea on an established trading route. It is five times cheaper than moving that amphora the same distance by river barge, and twenty-eight times cheaper than moving the goods overland by ox-cart. That’s why it is cheaper to import corn from Egypt than to trek it over the Apennines from the Po valley in Northern Italy. (c)
Q:
The world is huge and strange, and only merchants in their quest for new trade routes and goods have probed – unsuccessfully – to find its limits. Sometimes Miyrius wonders if the gods who allegedly gave the Romans their ‘empire without limit’ realize that they were actually bestowing on the Romans a relatively small chunk of land on the shores of a somewhat minor sea. (c)
Q:
There’s an entrepreneurial spirit and an unflinching belief that, no matter how good or bad things may be, they can always be made better. In Rome, the slave strives to be free, the freedman to be prosperous, and the wealthy merchant to be accepted by higher society. While often complaining bitterly about their lot, the Romans are seldom resigned to it. They are dynamic, not depressed. They are convinced of their own superiority, and imbued with the feeling that, now they are here at the centre of the universe, they should make the most of it and kick and claw their way to a better life for themselves and their children. (c)

[Chrissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows one day in Rome, hour by hour, starting at midnight. The month is September and the year 137 C.E.--the Roman Empire is almost at the apex of its power. Hadrian was its emperor. We see one hour of 24 different people’s lives. These characters are fictional, but people just as these did exist. Although they are fictional, the information presented about their lives is not. We meet a night watchman, a peasant farmer entering the city for the sale of his goods at market, a mother caring for her sick infant, a baker, a schoolboy, a senator, a Vestal Virgin, two teenagers in love, a stone mason, a washerwoman, a water-clock maker, an astrologer, a gladiator, a prostitute and others. The hour we look at is representative and indicative of their different lives. Through them we learn the specifics of their jobs and recreational pastimes. We learn of their personal concerns. What they eat, where they sleep, how they dress and what they talk about are all covered. We observe the daily lives of many sorts of ordinary people.

A lot of information is presented in a manner that is easily accessible and interesting. The book does not read as a text book and is neither boring nor dry. The mix of factual information and fictional characters is ingenious; it makes the book easy to read and captivating. One’s interest never lags; you move quickly from topic to topic. Although one does not get great depth in any one area, that presented feels sufficient.

The source material for factual information is continually provided and in a consistently seamless manner. The stream of information flows in an uninterrupted fashion, which is pleasant and easy to follow. This is remarkably well done. We are presented with lines from poets, leaders and famed men of ancient times. Pliny, both the Younger and the Elder, are quoted but in such a manner that it feels as though they are talking directly to us, the reader. Inscriptions discovered on ancient brothel walls are cited too.

The author draws general conclusions about Roman life and society. I was surprised to learn that nobody made their own bread; the hazard of fire was too great. Routines, daily chores and how things were done were not mechanized to the extent they could have been--because labor was plentiful and cheap. Romans were obsessed with cleanliness. How garments were cleaned, how alarm clocks were made and that prostitutes were taxed by the state even after they had become married were some of the many interesting things I learned. That which we are told is just plain interesting!

The audiobook is read by John Telfer. He is easy to follow. The speed is perfect, and each character’s intonation feels just right. There is a little bit of dramatization, but this is not overdone. I have given both the narration and the book’s content four stars.

I highly recommend this book. A lot of information is provided in a short book that is enjoyable to read.

*********************

Another book that might interest you is Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town by Mary Beard. I gave it three stars.


*24 Hours in Ancient Rome: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There by Philip Matyszak 4 stars
*24 Hours in Ancient China: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There by Yijie Zhuang 4 stars
*24 Hours in Ancient Athens: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There by Philip Matyszak3 stars
*24 Hours in Ancient Egypt: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There by Donald P. Ryan TBR

[Faith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has entertaining glimpses into the lives of 24 Roman citizens (one for each hour) during the reign of Hadrian. Included are a baker, slave girl, mother tending to her sick child, messenger, vestal virgin,stone mason, tavern keeper, gladiator, prostitute and parasite (professional dinner guest).

I learned about fire brigades, sour dough bread, hairstyling, child and infant mortality rates (undoubtedly increased by the practice of abandoning unwanted infants on the street), street smells, a precursor of the pony express, rental togas, bath houses, dinner party preparation and much more. There were a lot of fascinating details. Now I want to read the author’s book about Athens.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Odlična knjiga, naročito za ljude koji su ljubitelji istorije a interesuje ih nešto iz pogleda manje bitnih ljudi od onih na koje smo navikli.

Jedan dan di u svakom satu pratimo novog karaktera, od pekara, stražara, prostitutke itd. Likovi ne kapiraju da žive u zlatnom doba RIM-a, vremenu prosperiteta, mira i ekspanzije pošto se svi trude samo da prežive nekako do sledećeg dana u svojim kratkim životima.

Jednostavno pisano al izuzetno zabavno, sa dobrim tempom interesantnim likovima i pričama koje razbijaju svaku romantiku i ubijaju moju želju da živim u tom vremenu :P

Svka preporuka.

[Ieva · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+++++ zvaigznes!!!! Ārkārtīgi interesants un aizraujošs ieskats "parasto" cilvēku dzīvē Senās Romas laikā (konkrēti -137.gadā). Cauri vienas dienas stundām mēs ceļojam cauri pilsētai, katru stundu nomainot galveno fokusu uz kādu no pilsētniekiem - dežurējošu (mūsdienu izpratnē ugunsdzēsēju), vergu meiteni, Vestāliešu jaunavu, meiznieku, pavāru, prostitūtu, iemīlējošos pilsoņa meitu, skolaspuiku, ūsenspulkstena meistaru, astrologu, gladiatoru, māti, kuras bērns mirst, zemnieku, kurš ieved preci tirgum un daudzus, daudzus citus. Caur viņiem mēs uzzinam par laika mērīšanas sarežģījumiem (dienā ir 24 stundas, bet tās maina garumu atkarībā no Saules, 12 stundas pienākas naktij un 12 - dienai...), par frizūru sarežģītību, dažādajām praktizētajām ticībām, par pirts apmeklējimiem un ēst gatvaošanu, par bērnu mirstību (uz sabiedrības attieksmi, ka līdz gadam nav ko uztrauties, zīdaiņi pārāk bieži mirst un nevar tak par katru sērot) un ļoti daudz ko citu. Grāmata, kas vēsturei piešķir seju un cilvēcību.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This is a fun, lighthearted look at daily life in Hadrian's Rome. With a series of interconnected stories told through individuals each given one hour of the 24, it gives a flavour of lived experience, enhanced by primary sources seamlessly blended in to the text.

While there's nothing groundbreaking here, the book works as an effective introduction, done in an engaging way- especially the audio version, which was excellently read. It would be great for younger people who are just getting to grips with Roman history or those who have always wanted to meet the everyday Roman. From the baker and chef to the gladiator and prostitute, each person is fleshed out in a believable way and given just enough personality to suggest shared experience.

An enjoyable listen.

[Milan Trpkovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zanimljiva i edukativna knjiga. Topla preporuka za sve one koji bi da obnove svoje znanje o Rimu, kao i za one koji bi da prošire svoje znanje iz opšte kulture i razumevanja istorije.

[Dylan · Rating 4 out of 5]

24 Hours in Ancient Rome is 24 chapters with fictional accounts of the daily happenings of some kind of Roman Citizen, pulled from a large number of sources. Matyszak does an excellent job of blending fictional elements with facts, factoids and tidbits (such as actual Roman graffiti or a recipe for breakfast) to create a surprisingly compelling read. I went into this with a few years of Latin and a year of Roman history and I came out with a much greater appreciation for what it was really like down in the streets. I'm looking forward to reading more of Matyszak's work in this series.

[Assaph Mehr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across Matyszak's 24 Hours in Ancient Rome: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There via a recommendation by Alison Morton (of Nova Roma fame). It looked right up my alley, so I jumped straight into it. Very glad I did!

What to Expect
A witty, fictional non-fiction description of the lives of representatives of the Roman multitude, around the time of Hadrian. Matyszak takes a random day, and starting from midnight moves through the lives of the 'little people' who made up the million or so inhabitants of Rome at its prime. Each hour sees the 'story' shift to a new person, as they go about their business.

What I liked
I loved the mix of fiction and non-fiction. Using the stories of fictional(*) people to highlight the daily lives, and then digressing on to passages of explanations of what they are doing and why; their whole world - the whole city - through their eyes. The book is written with charming wit - it's not often that a non-fiction book leaves one in stitches.

(*) Fictional, but not entirely made up. Matyszak uses names as found in graffiti, burial inscriptions, surviving quips from contemporary writings, etc. He also provides us with a glimpse into these, by quoting the original references. Martial, Juvenal, Apuleius, Pliny (both elder and younger), Petronius, and many others - all contribute their words. Matyszak uses the windows they afford us into daily life in ancient Rome to breathe life to those characters.

What to be aware of
This is neither a history of grand events, nor an academic discourse about the sources and their interpretation, or comprehensive review of evidence. Matyszak uses a framework of fiction as an educational tool to teach us about the lives of ordinary Romans, hinting at the depth of evidence behind him. It also reflects life in early 2nd century CE - a thin slice out of the millennia long history of Roman culture.

Summary
I absolutely loved how Matyszak brings ancient Rome to life. Reading his stories, one walks, sees, smells, and is totally immersed in the great city. I find well-researched historical fiction a great learning tool, so this combination was perfect for me.

I would heartily recommend this to anyone interested in ancient Rome, whether reading or writing about it. This books does a tremendous job in educating the reader in a way that sticks.

Get your copy and start reading today, and be entertained while you learn.

(A small note to fans of Felix: this book is 'set' about three hundred years after the period I based Egretia on. It's mostly applicable, though some deviations are expected).

---
Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: a story of Togas, Dagger, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Urban Fantasy, and Detective mysteries.

[Radmila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Septembar 137. godine naše ere kada je Rimsko carstvo na vrhuncu moći.
Knjiga nas vraća u doba vladavine Hadrijana. Pratimo jedan dan od 24h iz uglova ljudi koji se bave raznim zanatima; kuvari, stražari, glasnici...
Rimljani su dan počinjali u ponoć, ali su sate brojali od zalaska sunca pa tako i ova knjiga počinje pričom u 00:00.
Svi likovi u knjizi su povezani i svako vodi kratak život pun nejednakosti sa velikom nepravdom koja ih svakodnevno sustiže.
Knjiga obiluje slikama koje verno doprinose da se što bolje doživi svaka priča. Takođe se oslanja na izvore ljudi koji su zaista tamo živeli.

Preporuka za sve one koji vole istoriju. ☀️
"Stari Rim je mnogo više od skupine zgrada. Iznad svega, stari Rim je bio stav."

[Miroslav Mlinarček · Rating 4 out of 5]

Svakako jedna zanimljiva knjiga koja pokušava predstaviti stari Rim iz perspektive raznih "običnih" ljudi koji su živeli, radili i umirali u ovom slavnom gradu. Cela radnja knjige je smeštena u 24 sata a prikazan je jedan običan dan u prestonici Rimskog carstva za vreme vladavine cara Hadrijana. Autor knjige čitaoce upoznaje sa ljudima raznoraznih zanimanja - noćnim stražarom, trgovcom, pekarom, robinjom, carskim glasnikom, učenikom, senatorom, vestalkom, pravnikom, krčmaricom, časovničarom, kuvarom, bludnicom, gladijatorom, devojkom koju muče ljubavni problemi i majkom čije je dete bolesno.
Vredi pročitati.

[Flapper72 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It takes us through 24 hours in ancient Rome - yes, I know, it says that in the title. We spend a couple of hours with various people - as Rome comes to life and people live their day. Publican, Baker, Launderer, Wife of wealthy man, gladiator etc etc etc. The story is interlaced with facts that just felt so exciting and how phrases used in Ancient Rome still impact on and are used in our language today. (Candida = white = colour of toga worn to be voted into positions of power = candidate). Well, that was kind of it but you get the idea. I just find facts like that enthralling. Also, time. In Rome the day started when light came up and was split into set divisions through until dark. Therefore, although there were the same number of hours throughout the year those in the winter were shorter than those in the summer. Makes sense really but so interesting. I'm a simple creature but I love finding out about real people and how they lived their lives so this was just the book for me.

[Milica Stojiljkovic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iako sam ovu knjigu čitala na bookmate-u, iznenadila sam se kada sam videla koliko su njene korice predivne uživo. Knjiga se odvija, kao što sam naslov kaže, u 24 sata. Sastoji se od 24 poglavlja, po jedno za svaki sat i u svakom je opisan život nekog drugog stanovnika Rima: od sveštenice, preko kuvara, noćnog stražara, do dece. Sadrži dosta naziva na latinskom, opisa i pravila poslova koje su morali da obavljaju, šta su jeli i kroz šta je trebalo proći da bi se jelo spremilo. Po meni, autor je zaista uspeo da približi način razmišljanja jednog prosećnog čoveka starog Rima. Knjiga mi je prijala, prilično je zabavna, ali ima i ozbiljnih delova. Dala sam joj 4 zvezdice samo jer mi je u određenim trenucima imala malo više informacija, ali je bez obzira na to vredna čitanja.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason, I didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Possibly because of the cover, it looked to me as a book targeted towards a much younger audience. Turns out, it's just as good for someone older. The book genuinely goes through 24 different hours of a day, using the example of one person and their life to show what they would be doing at that time. You can find the likes of a senator, fireman, slave girl, baker and so on, each with their different time slot and each with their social class painted around them. For someone who is passionate about Roman history, this is quite a useful crash course into the very personal lives of the Romans. Recommended.

[Bookmuseuk]

It's not often you come across a book which is so deliciously rich in historic fact, and yet presented in the most readable and engaging manner, but that is exactly what 24 Hovrs in Ancient Rome offers. It presents a day in the life of your average ancient Roman citizens, from an Imperial messenger to a washerwoman, spice trader to my favourite, the water-clockmaker.

Each person's tale is one hour (hovr) long, describing in detail their comings and goings, challenges and accomplishments, told in a believable way, as if spying upon these people as they go about their business, observing interactions, talents and trade.

The text is interspersed with extracts from ancient texts, supporting the story-like narrative, and in some instances illustrations.

In the case of the water-clockmaker, you discover rare insight into not just his life, but that of the Roman way of life as a whole:


Unknowingly, Copa has identified a major reason why the Romans will never become a fully mechanized culture. The Romans have so much cheap manpower available that there is no incentive to invent machines to do all the work or reason to use these machines if they are invented.


An again, when reading of a mother nursing her sick child, we're abruptly made aware of how easily life slips away in ancient times and the sickness rife in cities:

As do most working-class girls, Sosipatra married in her late teens. In the ten years since, she has continually been either pregnant or nursing a baby. Yet for their best efforts, the couple have just one healthy child. This is their daughter, Termalia, who is now seven years old. That's about two years after the age when Roman parents can be reasonably sure that their child will survive. That is, survive the illnesses that in Rome kill two to four of every newborns before they reach the age of five.


It's these glimpses, far from the gladiators and gloriously epic scenes we witness on television and in films, which makes this books so compelling. It is fiction untouched by sensationalism, allowing the true history to breathe on the page, telling us of another side of Roman life; that of the people who truly lived there.

[TG Lin · Rating 3 out of 5]

歷史研究的題材有大有小。對於非圈內的一般讀者而言，從國家組織政治切入，是最迅速的認識方式。但若想瞭解構成歷史的「人」，則需從當時人們的生活給還原回來——套個現在流行的詞彙，就是進行「脈絡化」。因此我一向覺得，閱讀歷史，在認識了王侯將相那種廟堂高層意識形態的材料之後，就必須再認識那些庶民生活周遭所見的主題，才算是真正想瞭解歷史。否則，成天只會拿人物特質或政策施行，來討論董卓呂布曹操成敗的，差不多只算是一般電視政論者的程度而已吧︰徒具有綱要，但當中填充的內容是十分鬆散或空洞的。這也是我自己從「郭衣洞學校」畢業後的體悟。

描述古羅馬的生活，西方的著作相當多。過去我就讀《原來，來古羅馬人這樣過日子》、《如何豢養一隻奴隸》。而這本《古羅馬24小時歷史現場》，則是從「一天裡廿四小時」內的各個時段，取該時刻的羅馬城現場的某一個片斷，描述當時當代人們生活的各個面相。由於古羅馬帝國初期的文獻十分豐富，再加上不斷有新的考古與文物發現出土與新方法的採用，使得我們現代人重建這段歷史的成果相當生動活潑。

本書帶給我不少新的知識。而當中「糾正」我的最大收獲，就是韋斯帕先皇帝拿著徵得的「廁所稅」向兒子說明的那一段。Suetonius 在他的書中（或許說是中譯本、23節）並沒特別描述，只說這是來自於「糞便」，但本書卻直指這是洗衣店用來作為去污劑的原料——尿液——回收的稅。這麼一來，整個故事的背景更加地鮮明了︰主旨雖然不變（仍是老爸在消遺不懂世事的兒子），但皇帝並不是刻意沒事找事而在公共廁所前收錢，他所徵收的，是商家拿來做生意獲益的原料稅。

相當具有知識性的一本好書。但我並不喜歡這個中譯本。雖然我不曉得英文原文是怎麼寫的，但該書的中譯者顯然想要把描述的字句搞得非常輕鬆俏皮，因此大量地使用今天臺灣年輕人愛用的詞彙（趴趴走、開趴）；雖然我無法預言未來的中文趨勢，但如此愛用這種不知能流傳多久的用詞，是否將讓本書的「保鮮期」只限定在十年之內嗎？而本書在 39、264 頁，居然出現了「玉米」，想必是譯者把 Corn 這個穀類的汎稱拿來作超時代的誤譯了吧。

#書名標題我覺得用廿四小時比阿拉伯數字的24好
#內文的附注用了中文圓體與歐文SanSerif有失莊重
#總之我這枚老古板不欣賞本書的編輯概念

[Nienke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jaaaaa dit was leuk! Mijn innerlijke Latijn-wiskundeseut werd hier heel nostalgisch van. In 24 hoofdstukken (1 per uur van de dag/nacht) kom je dankzij 24 verschillende personages (rollen) te weten hoe de samenleving in het oude Rome werkte. Het is non-fictie, maar verpakt als verhaal, en dat werkt voor mij. Er stonden ook veel (vertaalde) fragmenten uit originele werken in, wat zeker soms een meerwaarde was, maar vaak iets te niche. Ik vond het echt heerlijk om nog eens alles wat ik in het middelbaar heb geleerd op te halen (I know, ik klink nu echt als een seut, sorry not sorry).

[Overbooked ✎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely wonderful depictions of a typical day, hour by hour, in Imperial Rome. Very accessible book, rich in interesting facts and some humorous information, perfect for people who don’t like dry history books. Well written, informative and fun in equal measure, what more can you ask for?

[Brennen Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and witty. Gives brief insights into 24 fictional lives of what a normal day could have been like for the people living in Rome during the time of Hadrian. Well researched and cited but not really meant to be a historical account just mostly for the fun of it with close enough accuracy.

[cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

[Gareth Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable - listened to the audio book on drives and in the evening.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun little look into what everyday life in Rome during the second century would've (more or less) looked like! It's obviously not super detailed and in depth but really accessible and I liked the focus on  "ordinary" people. Also very much appreciated the  inclusion of a lot of ancient sources into the narrative text!

[Chinchilla_clouds · Rating 4 out of 5]

Η καθημερινότητα των ανθρώπων της αρχαίας Ρώμης με συγκινητικό, αστείο και γλυκό τρόπο. Δεν είναι μια ας πούμε ακαδημαϊκά δοσμένη περιγραφή, είναι όμως ευκολοδιάβαστο βιβλιαράκι με διάφορες διασκεδαστικές πληροφορίες για την ζωή των ανθρώπων τότε.

[worldofbooksby_h · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oduvek sam bila fascinirana starim Rimom, i njihovim carstvom.
Zamislite moje odusevljenje kada sam kroz ovu knjigu uspela da provedem tamo 24 sata, i to u vreme vladavine cara Hadrijana.
Nase putovanje krecemo u setom satu noci, sto bi u danasnje vreme bilo izmedju 00- 01h - Rimljani su dvadesetcetvorocasovni dan pocinjali u ponoc, ali su sate noci brojali od prethodnog zalaska sunca.
Svoje price nam pripoveda 24 stanovnika Rima,sve su razlicite i predstavljaju njihovu svakodnevnicu.
Svakog sata upoznajemo novog lika krecemo od strazara, prevoznika, robova, klesara, senatora, mlade cerke bogatog trgovca, carskog glasnika, pravnika, krcmarice, casovnicara, pa sve do gladijatora i astrologa.
Saznajemo dosta toga o pravilima ponasanja, obicajima, rimskim gala vecerama, javnim kupatilama, sistemu obrazovanja, o izgradnji spomenika, vestalskim devicama i njihovim zivotima,odnosu patrona i njihovih klijenta kao i o svemu onome sto je predstavljalo jedan obican dan u ovoj imperiji.
Neke stvari sam vec i znala iz raznih predmeta tokom skolovanja, a neke sitnice su me poprilicno iznenadile, i ponovo me podsetile koliko su Rimljani bili "moderni" i slobodni za taj vremenski period.
Ja sam uzivala u obilasku, i novim informacijama😊
Preporuka od mene za vas 📚🎄

[MTK · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well-written and interesting series of fictionalised essays about everyday life in ancient Rome.

[Aaron Blampey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed feelings - some parts were interesting and well written to be engaged whereas other parts I found myself lost, in either my own thoughts or unknown vocabulary.

[Verena Wachnitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and interesting book about daily life in Ancient Rome during Hadrian's reign.

[Catriona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun format for a book packed with information and atmosphere

[Saimi Korhonen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The totality of these twenty-four hours is more than the sum of its parts. In the end, this book has only a single protagonist. That protagonist is the city of Rome - a teeming, bawdy, barely governable ant-heap of a place. Its flaws are many and sometimes horrifying, yet we nevertheless find in this city a huge energy and optimism. There's an entrepreneurial spirit and an unflinching belief that, no matter how good or bad things may be, they can always be made better."

In this book Philip Matyszak takes the reader on an adventure throughout the city of Rome in 137 AD when the empire was almost at its peak and ruled by the Emperor Hadrian. But instead of focusing on the emperor, his royal family or the rich and the powerful, Matyszak tells the reader stories, based on historical evidence, of the life of normal people such as a baker, a prostitute, a housewife, an up-and-coming senator and a gladiator.

I really like this series of books and how they are structured. Every chapter is, in a way, a short story with a protagonist, dialogue and so on, but despite the fictional narrative style, every chapter is full of information, quotes from original sources and all that good stuff you want from a nonfiction book. The stories also link together through recurring characters and relationships which is a lot of fun to read and makes the book even more engaging. Through this varied cast of characters, you get to learn about many aspects of Roman life – politics, art, commerce, religion, family life and so on. There is no time to go super in depth about things but that's not a critique because the point of this book is to offer a baseline understanding of the city's vibrant life. I learned a lot even though I have studied Roman history a bit in uni and have, of course, read some stuff on my own because I am an antiquity nerd.

Here are some random details and facts I learned that I found interesting or particularly memorable:

Romans only knew purple carrots because orange carrots were, in 137 AD, still a millennia away from being introduced to Europe.

Bakers had their own representative in the senate.

A baby was legally recognised as a human when they turned one.

A roman boy became a man at 14 when he ceremoniously dons a man's toga for the first time.

If a Vestal virgin was "sullied", she couldn't be buried in Rome because she had betrayed her country but she couldn't be buried outside of Rome either cause she was still holy, nor could she be executed due to her holiness. The solution? They buried them alive within the city walls.

Re-heading of statues was common. People had their heads sculpted and then just bought a fancy body from a sculptor somewhere. Often, when the person died, the head was tossed and the body given to a new person to put their head on.

Durign Hadrian's era slavery was seen as an "unnatural state" but slavery was still very common. Masters owned their slaves but couldn't abuse them horribly (they might be forced to sell them to someone else if their cruelty was made public). It also wasn't unusual for a slave to report their master if they were involved in criminal activity.

Human pee was used widely in laundry as it helped keep the coolers of the clothes bright and vibrant, and help the color dye stick to the fabric.

Romans brought their own napkins to dinner parties and stealing one from some other guest or the host was considered super rude. There is even a poem about a man named Hermogenes, a notorious napkin thief.

But these are but a few of the many intriguing details Matyszak has included in this book. I am so happy I was able to read this book even though this was, perhaps, so far my least favorite in the series. I don't know why and it's not due to any lack of historical accuracy or anything like that. Maybe the characters and the more fictional side of things lacked the same energy that I got from the book about Athens (also by Matyszak), which is my favorite of these "24 Hours in Ancient ___" books.

I would happily recommend this to anyone who wants to understand ancient Rome and its culture. This book is especially good and kind to beginners, as you do not need any previous knowledge about anything and the author holds your hand throughout all the historical anecdotes. For a more experienced enthusiast this probably won't offer much.