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, this Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome features: 1.) Nine thematically arranged chapters with over 100 subtopics in all, 2.) An extensive bibliography included with each chapter, 3.) More than 125 site-specific photographs and line-drawings, 4.) Maps charting the expansion and contraction of Rome's territory. The 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. Combining both archaeological and historical evidence, this Handbook provides a unique look at the civilization whose art, literature, law, and engineering influenced the whole of Western Europe throughout the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and beyond.
