Life in Ancient Rome eBook Lionel Casson
Download As PDF : Life in Ancient Rome eBook Lionel Casson 
". . . gracefully written" - The New York Times
Award-winning historian Lionel Casson paints a vivid portrait of life in ancient Rome - for slaves and emperors, soldiers and commanders alike - during the empire's greatest period, the first and second centuries A.D.
Life in Ancient Rome eBook Lionel Casson
There was a time when all the roads led to Rome that lasted approximately 1,500 years ranging from the era of B.C. to that of A.D. It was from this Roman world where the art of politics was crafted and exemplified; it was also from this grandiose empire where Christianity gained ground and dispersed Christendom to Urbi et orbi. However, what piqued me most was the key phases of life in the Roman world; what life was like in the various spectrums of society, ranging from the slave to the aristocrat? How different was the life in the Roman world from our modern world? This book by the erudite historian Lionel Casson presents elegant sketches of such aspects of the Eternal City, particularly during the first and second A.D.Although Rome was the center of the Empire, its strength came from its provinces. For instance, the grain, wine and oil came from Egypt, France, and Spain. The businessmen who traded such goods were largely provincials, so were the army recruits. Moreover, even slaves could achieve upward social mobility once they became freed through manumission which granted them Roman citizenship. In fact, it was this practice of incorporating into the state the communities it claimed and the populace it governed by bestowing upon them citizenship on the whole. To illustrate, Horace, the famous Roman lyric poet, was a son of a freed slave who later became a wealthy farmer. Felix, who threw St. Paul in a jail, was himself a freed slave who rose above the planes of his melee. These nouveau citizens joined the citizen body and contributed their labour to the society.
Most girls married between the age of twelve and fifteen years, and they must possess a dowry. If her husband died, or the couple divorced, it was returned, except a portion for the raising the children by the husband and penalty in case of her misdemeanor. No dowry, no husband in this paterfamily society. Also, the common law marriage was accepted, such as in the case of Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-emperor ruling Rome from 161 A.D. to 180 A.D. After his wife died, he lived with the daughter of his wife's business agent as concubine. IAn upper-class woman could have a lover of humble status, even including a slave.
There are lots of other interesting facts that will surprise the reader with a feeling of closeness to these citizens of the Eternal City because they were not much different from the citizens of the modern world in many ways; the scenery changes, and the people change, but the human nature does not change as along as the humankind exists.
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Life in Ancient Rome eBook Lionel Casson Reviews
This is an excellent book. What makes it excellent is the absence of any main characters. It is an insight into the daily lives of ordinary people. It is almost an on the ground observer’s point of view. If you are interested in the daily ongoings of a society this is an excellent source, without the drama. I recommend this to the curious minded.
I'm no expert on the subject matter, nor do I want to be. So for me, this was a great book that presented various aspects of life in ancient Rome in an extremely entertaining manner. Others might call it superficial, but I wanted to read 10-20 pages on each of the subject areas, not a complete tome (TMI). You'll have some interesting tidbits to add to the next cocktail party discussion of the Roman Empire. Needless to say, the topic might not come up in your lifetime, but if it does, you'll be ready!
Very good introduction to life in Rome. Covers all aspects of life - Religion, Emperors, Soldiers, Slaves, Common People and Political system. Was surprised to hear how often slaves were freed and moved into powerful positions. Although slaves were covered in some detail, there was little comment on the actual taking of the slaves and the impact on the families who were enslaved.
Easy read and very informative.
This isn’t the first book I’ve read on daily life in ancient Rome, but so far it’s the best. The writing is clear and lively, and Mr. Casson often throws in fun facts and comparisons to modern-day life that enliven his general observations. For instance, after informing the reader that the Romans were fond of dice games, he goes on to say that dice games were as popular as card games are today and that Augustus, a keen player, distributed dice at his parties.
I have both the and the Audible versions. Clear writing and good narration make this an excellent listen.
Lionel Casson took me back, far back, to Ancient Rome where I walked the crowded narrow streets and peeked into the everyday lives of the slaves through the aristocrats. Casson's conversation tone made for an enlightening and enjoyable read. The book is well structured and the line editor in me didn't notice any errors. It was surprising to learn how advanced their society was and how slaves occupied "white collar" occupations and held high positions. Graffiti covering the walls of both businesses and residences was the advertising media of the day for centuries. Their advanced technologies such as widespread use of concrete and the engineering and construction feats without the use the use of heavy equipment we depend on today were amazing. For the most part, peace ruled for centuries which made me realize that in our war torn world today, maybe we haven't come that far in what really matters. I look forward to reading other works by this author.
Very interesting descriptions of every day life in ancient Rome - how the ordinary folks lived, as opposed to the lives of the noble upper classes with their indoor plumbing, banquets, slaves, chariots and golden robes. The housing, clothing, work, ideas, education, family life - all described in a most interesting manner. Any student, at any level - from middle school to university, will find something interesting and helpful to their understanding of events in ancient times. I would make this part of the required reading list for history classes, as it describes how people lived and thought in a clear, understandable manner.
This is a great, very accessible history of people from all levels of Roman society. I've gotten more out of reading this book than going to several museums. Casson does a wonderful service when he translates Roman figures into dollars - that gives you perspective on the information he's telling you.
There are only two possible criticisms I can conjure - he doesn't have a list of sources at the end and there are no pictures. I'm still giving it five stars, however. There's plenty of pictures in other books and online. The tone is non-academic and conversational.
There was a time when all the roads led to Rome that lasted approximately 1,500 years ranging from the era of B.C. to that of A.D. It was from this Roman world where the art of politics was crafted and exemplified; it was also from this grandiose empire where Christianity gained ground and dispersed Christendom to Urbi et orbi. However, what piqued me most was the key phases of life in the Roman world; what life was like in the various spectrums of society, ranging from the slave to the aristocrat? How different was the life in the Roman world from our modern world? This book by the erudite historian Lionel Casson presents elegant sketches of such aspects of the Eternal City, particularly during the first and second A.D.
Although Rome was the center of the Empire, its strength came from its provinces. For instance, the grain, wine and oil came from Egypt, France, and Spain. The businessmen who traded such goods were largely provincials, so were the army recruits. Moreover, even slaves could achieve upward social mobility once they became freed through manumission which granted them Roman citizenship. In fact, it was this practice of incorporating into the state the communities it claimed and the populace it governed by bestowing upon them citizenship on the whole. To illustrate, Horace, the famous Roman lyric poet, was a son of a freed slave who later became a wealthy farmer. Felix, who threw St. Paul in a jail, was himself a freed slave who rose above the planes of his melee. These nouveau citizens joined the citizen body and contributed their labour to the society.
Most girls married between the age of twelve and fifteen years, and they must possess a dowry. If her husband died, or the couple divorced, it was returned, except a portion for the raising the children by the husband and penalty in case of her misdemeanor. No dowry, no husband in this paterfamily society. Also, the common law marriage was accepted, such as in the case of Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-emperor ruling Rome from 161 A.D. to 180 A.D. After his wife died, he lived with the daughter of his wife's business agent as concubine. IAn upper-class woman could have a lover of humble status, even including a slave.
There are lots of other interesting facts that will surprise the reader with a feeling of closeness to these citizens of the Eternal City because they were not much different from the citizens of the modern world in many ways; the scenery changes, and the people change, but the human nature does not change as along as the humankind exists.
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