As the Romans Did: A Sourcebook in Roman Social History

by Jo-Ann Shelton, Pauline Ripat

As the Romans Did offers a rich, revealing look at everyday Roman life. It provides clear, lively translations of a fascinating array of documents drawn from Latin and Greek source material--from personal letters, farming manuals, medical texts, and recipes to poetry, graffiti, and tombstone inscriptions. Each selection has been translated into readable, contemporary English. Extensive annotations, abundant biographical notes, maps, appendices, cross-references to related topics, and a newly updated bibliography provide readers with the historical and cultural background material necessary to appreciate the selections. Arranged thematically into chapters on family life, housing, education, entertainment, religion, and other important topics, the translations reveal the ambitions and aspirations not only of the upper class, but of the average Roman citizen as well. They tell of the success and failure of Rome's grandiose imperialist policies and also of the pleasures and hardships
of everyday life. Wide-ranging and lively, the third edition of As the Romans Did offers the most lucid account available of Roman life in all its diversity.

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

688 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 1988

Reviews

[Tee · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to know about Romans daily life with not a lot of depth to its info then I recommend this one.
It was a light read and entertaining at times.
I liked the translation of letters the most.

Overall, it was okay but not impressive.

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used this as a reference source for years when I was a docent in a museum with Roman art. It is indispensable.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vivid and fascinating insight into many aspects of Roman life and society. The book uses inscriptions, letters, graffiti, textbooks, etc. to let Romans describe their world in their own words. It conveys a better sense of Rome as a living, evolving, enduring society than any mere history.

The graffiti and wall painting are my favorite. Consider this rental ad from Pompeii:
The Arrius Pollio Apartment Complex
owned by Gnaeus Allius Nigidius Maius
FOR RENT from July 1
streetfront shops with counter space,
luxurious second-story apartments,
and a townhouse.
Prospective renters, please make arrangements
with Primus, slave of Gnaeus Allius Nigidius Maius

Or these political ads:
"The fruit sellers ask you to elect Marcus Holconius Priscus as aedile."
"Ballplayers, I urge you, make Aulus Vettius Firmus aedile: he is a worthy candidate for our government."
"Let anyone who opposes the election of Quintius go sit by an ass!"


I only wish it had more fully described the topics by combining the wealth of written sources with archaeological and artistic objects. Why not include a picture of the apartment complex mentioned above?

As another example, source documents in the book describe Romans writing on waxed tablets with a stylus. Why not include a photo of the fresco from Pompeii, "Young Woman Writing With a Stylus?" This would not only illustrate the instrument in question, but would also inform the section on the narrow role of women in Roman society, and help in descriptions of clothing, jewelry, hairstyles, etc. And this is only one painting! Imagine what a comprehensive combination of writing, artifacts, and artwork would create!

You can see the fresco in question at- http://picasaweb.google.com/jorjet63/...

I was also left a little unclear on elections and local governance in greater Italy, both generally after Roman citizenship was extended after the Social Wars and particularly once popular elections ceased in the Empire. What, then, are election ads doing in Pompeii? What did Roman rule look like between Rome's walls and the provinces? How much local autonomy was granted?

All that aside, this is a magnificent book.

[Liselotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jammer dat ik geen tijd heb om alles nu te lezen, maar damn dit is interessant

[Katya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intimate vignettes of the lives of both prominent and forgotten Romans through what they left behind.

Shelton will grab your hand and take you on sweeping tour of Roman life, peeking into the naughty little mind of Catullus, looking over the shoulder of mothers exposing their babies in the forest, and joining slaves in the sheer jubilation at the break of Saturnalia.

Just the right touch of academic and narrative. A truly masterful curation.

[Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want to learn about life, culture, and religion in the ancient Roman Empire? Why not learn it from those who lived in it? In this wonderful volume, editor Jo-Ann Shelton compiles a treasure trove of primary sources - from poems to personal letters to excerpts from literary works to tomb inscriptions to graffiti - topically arranged so as to give the reader a firsthand look into the world of ancient Rome. The introductions to each entry do a great job setting the scene, the footnotes provide constant clarification of terms and concepts, and the translations are incredibly easy to read. Every time I picked this book up and started reading, I had a hard time putting it down. Also, as a student of the New Testament, I found this book immensely helpful in understanding the wider Greco-Roman world in which much of the NT was written.

If you want to study a culture from the distant past, this is one of the best ways to go about doing so.

[Lauren Langford · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is certainly not a book you would select for some light reading. But if you happen to be studying Ancient Rome and you are in need of some primary source documents that shed light on Roman life (without making your eyes cross) then this is a really great book.

[Erika Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely not for light reading. Incredibly dense but is rich with information. It shines light to the daily lives of the Romans during this time period. A good source of information if you're taking a course on Ancient Rome.

[Kristen Fort · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rereading of the excellent book on various aspects of Roman life.

[Gillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun overview of Roman writings and parts of life. But I also love anything that quotes Cicero and Papyri so...

[Sammi Salyer]

🕺🕺🕺

[Stewart Lindstrom]

extremely useful. as a new Latin teacher, I've found it enriching to brush up on the history of Rome, and this book, organized by topic, makes things accessible.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Academic commentary on primary Roman sources with a sprinkle of accessible writing ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ what’s not to love?

[Ryan Land · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for class

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great overview of the Republican and early Imperial periods. It's a hefty 500-page volume of primary sources illustrating various aspects of military and civilian life interspersed with contextual commentary from the author. It provides a great reminder of just how simultaneously familiar and alien our Roman forebears were.

[Abbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

i used this book for 4 courses in college, making it one of the most useful texts i bought. i highly recomend it for anyone researching this period of history, because it has a good sampling of translated original sources on all sorts of Roman social history.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

"As The Romans Did" provides information about Roman society written by Romans themselves. The book is worth reading because it focuses on various aspects of Ancient Roman life. From slavery to women's roles and beyond this book covers it all.

[Ryan Boggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great asset for my bookshelf. The Roman world broken down by societies everyday components and sourced for easy in depth reading.

[Thomas Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magnificent one stop shop for primary sources.

[Heather Domin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent reference book and research fact-checker, full of primary sources and edited in an easy-to-read style.

[Roslyn Valentino · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great wasy to read about roman culture. One of my favorite books on Roman history.

[Benjamin Plume · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a valuable resource, with a lot of consolidated info.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was used for an Ancient Roman history class I took in college. It has some good information.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

read it for my Roman Civilization class, twas kind of boring

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read portions of this for a Roman Civilization class.

[Blaine Welgraven · Rating 3 out of 5]

A helpful topical study, if somewhat bland in its narrative.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you want to learn about Ancient Roman culture, this is the book to read.

[Tommyb]

History,Ancient history