Roman Woman: Everyday Life in Hadrian's Britain

by Lindsay Allason-Jones

Roman Britain is vividly portrayed in this fascinating and authentically detailed story about a year in the life of an ordinary woman and her family.

The year is AD 133. Hadrian is Emperor of Rome and all its vast empire, including Britannia. The greater part of that island has long been under imperial rule and the Roman legions control most of the land, quelling uprisings and building new forts and towns. Around the fortress of Eboracum (now known as York), a bustling garrison settlement is developing, while along the north-west frontier of Hadrian’s empire, the legions are completing the construction of a mighty wall.

Introducing us to this world is Senovara, born into the Parisi, a local tribe whose customs have been little changed by Roman rule. But she is also the young wife of Quintus, a veteran of the 6th Legion Victrix. Settling in Quintus’s home is both bewildering and awe-inspiring for Senovara as she seeks to adjust to Eboracum’s cosmopolitan environment, come to terms with new customs and reconcile their cultural differences.

Senovara finds that daily life in the settlement can be harsh; a constant struggle to provide her family with fresh food, water and warmth. Yet there is much enjoyment to be had as well, at the public baths or with new friends. There is also the excitement of religious festivals and in the regular news from the frontier, and peril in the form of a deadly fever which sweeps through Eboracum, forcing Senovara and her children to flee to her brother in the countryside.

Roman Woman is an immersive, compelling narrative which gets to the heart of what life was like for everyday people in Roman Britain.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Historical, Roman Britain

336 pages, Paperback

First published July 20, 2000

Reviews

[Aisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a one of a kind book. It's my first from this author. The tag line "everyday life in Hadrian's Britain" is as accurate as it can get. This book is neither a lesson in history nor a bit of historic fiction exploring the life of a character. It is a bit of both and something in between.

The book follows Senovara, a Parisi (a British Celtic tribe) woman married to a Roman citizen with German roots. In this multicultural household, there is room for cultural exchange. And it is this cultural exchange that is at the heart of the story. The characters don't have a particular arc, the story doesn't have a plot line. I'd perhaps describe it as "pleasantly mundane".

I enjoyed the elaborate descriptions of farm life, 'events' in the city and recipes of the times. It is a pleasant read that takes you through the times through the eyes of Senovara. It brings a sense of how far we have come as a society and yet how at the bottom of it all, the human struggles and challenges remain much the same.

The one thing I am almost certain about, is that this book will potentially receive very polar reviews. "Pleasantly mundane" is not everyone's cup of tea.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very useful book if you want to learn about the day to day life of a Roman citizen in Hadrian's Britain. It follows the life of a family over an entire year and breaks down daily, mundane life according to the seasons, celebrations or things that might happen to everyone: illness, death, birth and so on. You also get to learn how they cooked, cleaned and how they arranged their living spaces.

[Sarah Kimberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever been curious about what life was like in Roman Britain?

I for one love learning about how Ancient people lived centuries ago and what day to day life entailed. The food people ate, fragrances, the medicine administered, social lives and the garments people wore. All of this came alive in Jones’ stunningly written book. Fiction peppered with historic fact. A unique portrayal of a Roman woman across a year in her life in the Parisi tribe ✨

Senovara is her name. A wife and mother living in Eboracum ( a Roman settlement now known as York). We see the Roman expansion through her eyes as she begins to blend in with the new culture and experience the hustle and bustle of multiracial life. Senovara’s journey is one of joy and sorrow- a depiction of how ordinary life looked and how people lived with the cards they were dealt. Very very interesting!

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m always interested in books that present history in original ways and so I was very interested in this book. The book follows Senovara, a Roman woman married to a cobbler, over the course of a year, with each of the twelve chapter been dedicated to a month of the year. There is little plot or character as this more of a fictional narrative, but the story and world created by the author is very immersive and the research and knowledge of the author is evident throughout.

One of my only criticisms is that by the very nature of the book, that at times the dialogue is a little clunky as things are explained for the readers benefits.

It was nice to read a book that focuses on ordinary people during Roman times, especially on women. The story was very believable and relatable and overall, this was a very pleasant and easy read.

[Aithne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine, but I would've liked it more if it was just your regular popular-scientific book, not a novel. No idea if it says more about the book or my geeky preferences ;). It was full of detail and by this virtue worth reading, and the story was mildly interesting too. Then again, the language, especially dialogues, often felt stiff, and the lack of any footnotes, references, commentaries etc. made it impossible to judge which of the details are based on solid evidence, which are just a possible interpretation of evidence, and which are just the author's imagination filling the gaps in our knowledge.

There certainly were parts which made my eyebrows go up: natives being captivated by the colourful garments of the Romans (whereas real-life classical authors commented on Briton clothing being extremely colourful - to the point when it's close to the only thing we know for sure about it); the main character wondering whether to wear a 'cloak' (I assume we're talking of a palla here...?) or a stola, as if those options were mutually exclusive; her deciding that a stola would be too impractical because of the thinness of the material (idk, I'm no expert, but I've seen a bunch of reenactors wearing thick woollen stolas...?); and anyway, stolas in Hadrian's times? Isn't it a bit late?

Then there were things which didn't give me that one big 'huh?' moment, but felt like an oversimplification or a wasted opportunity, or just an unlucky reinforcement of some stereotypes. Like, Senovara was born on a farm and throughout the book she keeps comparing her old life to her new, Roman life in a bustling city. I get it that this was only her personal story, and afaik the Parisi indeed weren't particularly into nucleation. But she keeps thinking and commenting on so many things - and yet never, not even once, about the fact that there were bigger agglomerations of people in Britain before Romans. Not a single mention of hillforts or oppida. You get the impression that all you had were some scattered roundhouses, and then the Romans came and introduced the concept of cities. Or another thing: it's stated several times that both Britons and Germans believed that a man and a woman were equals in marriage, much unlike Romans. I mean, not that I know of any evidence disproving this point, but is there one proving it? Or the fact that Celtic women were considered ready for marriage only at the age of 21? That's rather late for a 2nd century society. Feels like a much more modern concept.

And then there's slavery. Oh my goodness. Alright, two issues here.

One, we have no idea how widespread slavery was in Britain. We know it was there, as Britons were exporting their own people in bulks as slaves to the Empire; but precisely those bulks could suggest that they weren't keeping too many of them for themselves. My uneducated guess would be that the richest people had slaves, the rest was getting by on their own. Yet in this book Senovara's brother (who's a freaking farmer out of all professions) has not only a slave, but a whole bunch of them - so many, in fact, that he sells one of them to his sister, as he doesn't know what else to do with the girl. That's not historical facts, that's the author's choice.

Two: the girl. Yes, it's a girl. Not as in 'a young woman', she's freaking twelve years old. There was absolutely no plot-related reason for Armea to be so extremely young. She could've as well been four years older and of a sturdy build, but the author on purpose made her a frightened, scrawny tween. And she's not just some ghost in the background either; no, Senovara often reflects on how nice it is to have someone else do all her most hated chores. Which I understand and I'd even be inclined to understand it if we were talking of an enslaved adult - we all live here, someone has to do it, so why me and not you? - but we're talking about a damn child. Like, the novel opens with a sequence of Senovara going to fetch some water on a freezing day, which is awful, even though luckily in the end she doesn't have to go to the far-away well - and then we learn that fetching water is one of Armea's first daily chores; and a couple of chapters later it's freezing again, and Armea does have to go to the well, every freaking day. Coming back blue from the cold. I mean... Am I supposed to like Senovara? Because she certainly comes across as either a total airhead or a heartless monster. She remembers how badly her arms hurt while 'ironing', but it doesn't cross her mind it must be even worse for one only half her age. Her idea of comforting the child when she notices she's close to tears is to quickly give her some work so that she wouldn't start crying. And then the idiot pats herself on the back thinking of how well they're treating Armea and how she's more a family member than a house slave. Really, Senovara? That's how you'll treat your children when they grow up a bit? Goodness, good that you decided to have no more than two...

And I don't understand why it's even a thing. There was no historical obligation to give Senovara a slave. There was absolutely no reason for said slave to be twelve. It's all the author's choices, and they perplex the shit out of me. I don't think the book profited from them in any way. I, for one, actively disliked Senovara, just as I disliked her even more heartless husband; and as I didn't like them, I mostly didn't feel like reading about them. Add to it the things I mentioned in the first paragraph and you get a rather disappointing reading experience. I admit I had to force myself to keep going.

The details were cool though. The atmosphere was cool. The picture of Senovara's life, whether true to the facts-as-we-know-them or not, was vividly painted. I just wish it wasn't a novel. Guess I should've just picked Women in Roman Britain instead - a mistake which I'm certainly going to rectify... One day.

[Alissa Monden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely story, and just as the title said, it's about everyday life in Roman times. As someone very interested in history I can't help but wonder how much of the book is actually based on research and things that are known and how much is fictional. For me it felt like it could all be true and based on research. But I also understand that some things might not be known from historical texts and/or research. But it was very well written. And eventhough it is about everyday life, you still feel invested in the life of the characters without the epic stories or battle that you might have in other books. I'm really happy that this was part of the Archaeobookclub reads because I don't think I would have picked up the book on my own and I really enjoyed reading it. One more example of "don't judge a book by its cover" (or title).

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most humble book I've ever read. I loved it dearly. Senovara takes us through everyday life in Roman York, nee Eboracum, by living a quiet life well. Senovara Parisi, a Celtic tribe in Northern Britain, but her husband Quintus is a retired legionnaire and cobbler who was born in Germania, so settling a few hours from her family with her foreign husband and the rainbow of people from all over the Empire who live in the town feels cosmopolitan and new to her and us. Senovara's grandmother grew up in a round house and doesn't hold with the new rectangular buildings, but Senovara grinds her food with a mortarium instead of a mortar and owns several tunics, none of which she wove herself. In February, Quintus arranges with Senovara's brother to buy a young girl as a slave, the daughter of a couple who are slaves at grandmother's farm, and Senovara reflects on Celtic slavery, where the slaves have less status than masters but live on the same land and do the same work for generations, and Roman slavery where people are bought, sold, and transported over long distances with no regard to their families. It's clearly a sticky wicket between a contemporary understanding of slavery and Senovara, who is used to slavery and needs some help with the chores. Armea helps Senovara with tasks like fetching the water and watching the children so that Senovara can bake the bread, smooth the linen, and even have time to visit her friends, who are from far off places Senovara can barely imagine. Lots of little threads run through the stories of a sweet peaceful year: Senovara's toddler isn't talking yet, a butcher is courting a widowed friend of Senovara's, the neighbor's children aspire to join the Roman army, and the wife of a friend of Quintus' is young and about to have her first baby. Senovara takes us to the bath, the market, a play, her home farm, and out into the woods looking for herbs and berries. Every object mentioned in the book was probably found in an archeological dig of the Roman layer of York, but I couldn't find a picture of the gold and purple shoes that Quintus makes for the army officer. This is such a sweet book: history as story as history.

[Flapper72 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the story of a lady, Sonovara, who lived in Roman Britain. We hear how she lived her life through the year. Family, children, festivals, food. I really love books like this. Social history. What life was really like. What did people eat? How did they keep warm (or not). What about illness? Slaves. The movement of people around the Roman Empire and with their army and, thus, the cultural diversity in Britain. I really enjoyed this book.

[Audrey Albright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the most compelling story but a fascinating look at everyday life in Roman Brittain.

[Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took so long to read because I didn’t want it to end. I loved following the day to day minutiae of this Roman family on the Frontier!

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this reading as a would-be historical fiction writer looking for an in-depth guide to life in Roman Britain, and I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I was blown away.

The author does an excellent job of weaving a genuine story without any obvious infodumps, cheesiness, or predictability. Organized by month, and taking place over the course of one year, it follows the day-to-day life of a middle-class Roman family of mixed heritage (the husband is Germanic and the wife is Celtic). This provides plenty of opportunities to view events through different cultural lenses, and raises some interesting issues in and of itself. It really does a great job of demonstrating what an ethnic melting pot Britain was at the time. (Many of their neighbors and friends also hail from diverse backgrounds.)

In conclusion, a quick, easy read, but also a very believable and relatable one.
by the time you finish this book, you will have become truly invested in the lives of these characters, and learned more than you ever would have in a typical reference book. I know, because I have read quite a few books on Roman Britain! Most only cover the military conquest of the island, rural Celtic life, and the decline of Roman influence just before the Dark Ages. If you want to go really in-depth in regard to civilian city life, this is your best and only bet.

Indeed, I think if more history was told in such an accessible way, it would really get kids--heck, even adults--interested in the past.

[S.E. Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gently paced novel/ dramatised description of everyday life by academic, Lindsay Allason-Jones. At the time of publication (2000) she was Director of Archeological museums in Newcastle.

Not a huge amount happens, but it is a vivid evocation of how ordinary people lived in York in A D 133. The lead character is Senovara, a local woman (Parisi tribe) married to a retired Roman veteran and shoemaker.

I will be keeping my copy as research resource than because I loved the story.
3.5 stars rounded up

[sherry revill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Britons, Romans, and Others

I gave this only 4 stars because it was too short! The book covers a year in the life of a family living in a garrison town in Roman Britannia. There are a few entertainments and a few holidays. A few family meals and almost complete recipes. Since this is Hadrian's era, the province is at peace, so no messiness. All in all, a quick, pleasant read that leaves you wanting more since we were only given one year.

[Catherine Ayres · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much. The simple story set so much archaeological discovery into firm context and I was totally immersed in life in Hadrian's Britain whilst reading it.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful book, I put everything aside to read this one and wish I could find another. I am sort of obsessed with accurate stories about Roman Britain that make the characters feel contemporary and I feel this one did just that.

Senovara the female protagonist is a hard working person from an earlier time who, nonetheless, has motives and feelings that I could identify with. I saw reviews that said it was not a romance or a mystery but perhaps it was a little of both?

I say that because even with the cultural constraints on marriage, Senovera and Quintus had a great deal of love for each other and their respective families. The story ends with Senovera "adjusting herself to fit more comfortably against Quintus' rough tunic.

Mystery is surely there with the military wives learning how to interact with other cultures both as marital partners and their friends and peers. Mysterious also is what gods were answering their prayers as they would speak them. In some cases the wives were more sophisticated but often the men as we read about the eclipse and it's portents.

My 3 years of high school Latin and my degree in anthropology has made me appreciate who we are and where we came from over many centuries. Latin and the Romans have shone an everlasting spotlight back in time for all of us. I hated for this book to end. Summa Cum Laude Lindsay Allason-Jones

[Symone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic and descriptive insight into the day to day life of a twenty something woman in the time of Emperor Hadrian. What the book lacks in plot, it makes up for in information and Allason-Jones has done a fantastic job with Senovara and her family. It's detailed to a fault on tiny little bits of minutiae that most of us wouldn't even think about, and leaves you exploring Britain in a way that we previously never would have. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in ancient history.

I actually came across it in the Colloseum gift store in Rome, which is possibly the highest indicator that it's a very interesting read.

[Pam Keevil · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very comprehensive and easily read story of a family and their friends and wider relations in Eboracum. Each chapter follows the story over one month and depicts the everyday struggles to survive and thrive. The only thing that was missing for me was a stronger narrative arc; the daughter's unwillingness to speak was not enough. As it was a garrison town perhaps the threat of the garrison moving? I really enjoyed the depiction of Saturnalia and the chariot races.

[Jennifer Bohnhoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this would be nonfiction. I thought wrong. This sweet little novel depicts a year in the life of a British woman who has married a retired soldier. She doesn't live along the wall, but in Eboracum, the town now known as York. Nothing much happens in this book, but if you're looking for what life was like, and all the little details that are never included in histories, this is the book for you.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

The information contained within about ordinary lives in Roman Britain was very interesting; it was nice not to read about emperors and aristos for once. The narrative was a bit clunky and expositional, but I suppose this is to be expected.

[Library Mouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

🖼️🍷👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🐕

[Zac · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is delightfully mundane. It is what it says on the cover, everyday life in Hadrian's Britain. The narrative's strength lies in its simplicity. I wish I had read it sooner.

[Lycoris Sheppard · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolute tripe. I couldn't finish it.

[Seren · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt this was trying to be something it didn't quite achieve, which is a great shame as I think very highly of the author's academic work. The tale follows a year in the life of an ordinary Romano-British woman and her family, using a different situation in each chapter to show an aspect of everyday life. Set in the city of Eboracum (I now live in York), it was based in the area local to me so I was determined to finish. There were some interesting issues raised in a cross-cultural marriage and passing references to the role of women but none were explored in any depth. I never did engage fully with the characters and found each of the scenarios too contrived for believability. The novel certainly did not take me back into that world. I think it's because there was no clear resolution or character development at all. Nothing was building towards any climax and this was clear at the start.

[John Fulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a novel, but a fictional narrative telling the story of Senovara, a British woman married to a Roman veteran in Eboracum (modern York) during the reign of Hadrian. Each chapter describes the events of a month, and gives an excellent insight into the everyday struggles of life in Roman Britain, and a feeling for the clash and merging of cultures that must have been taking place as the native British became more and more Roman.

There's no real plot - it's just the story of a year of Senovara's life - but it's rich in detail, which makes for an immersive experience. Recommended if your interest in Roman Britain extends beyond legions and battles and walls and into the lives of ordinary people.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roman Woman follows a year in the life of Senovara, a married mother of two as she manages her home and family throughout the diffrent stages of the year.
Half history lesson, half story, the stakes are low and the vibes are good, if you're interested in reading about how your average roman citizen was living then I highly suggest you read this.

I had a lovely time with it and it joins my collection of 'year in the life of a woman living at some historical point in time' books, which I love!

[Zoë]

so good!!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent! I recommend ☺️