ROMAN HISTORY & CULTURE

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THE COMPLETE CHRONICLE OF THE EMPERORS OF ROME by Roger Michael Kean & Oliver Frey describes the lives of every man (and a few women) who aspired to the purple from Augustus in 23 BC to Justinian I, who died in AD 565. All 118 emperors and barbarian rulers of the classical period are brought vividly to life, illustrated by drawings of their busts and coinage. Includes 390 illustrations, over 70 colour maps, nine family trees, a glossary, list of Latin/English place names, and a table of rulers, popes and patriarchs.
DOMUS: Wall Painting in the Roman House by Mazzoleni, Pappalardo, & Romanor One of the most beautiful books you’ll ever own. From Publishers Weekly: “This guide to the frescoed walls of 28 early first-millennium Italian villas is hugely expensive, but worth it; turning its pages feels as intimate as standing in the rooms themselves. At 11 1/4" x 12 3/4", the gorgeous full-bleeds among the 350 color illustrations (with three foldouts) on choice textured stock feel like walls, and the colors, including the subtly shaded blues of the Villa of Livia’s long east wall, are superb.”
THE COMPLETE COLLECTION OF ANTIQUITIES from the Cabinet of Sir William Hamilton by Schutze & Gisler-Huwiler This spectacular compilation of plates represents a superb collection of ancient vases. As an envoy to the British Embassy in Naples, Sir William Hamilton (1730-1803) built the finest collection of ancient vases of his time, which he ultimately sold to the British Museum. The catalogues that resulted, published in four volumes, are today rare volumes that fetch astronomical prices. This massively oversized new volume reproduces the originals in exacting detail.
69 A.D. by Gwyn Morgan Steven’s favorite Roman History prof from his days at UT Austin takes a fresh look at the tumultuous “year of four emperors” that followed Nero. CAESAR’S LEGACY: CIVIL WAR & THE EMERGENCE OF THE EMPIRE by Josiah Osgood The triumph of Augustus marks the end of one era and the beginning of another.
CRETE by Barry Unsworth The Booker Prizewinning novelist travels to the ancient island of Crete, where, according to the Greeks, “everything began.” THE BEGINNINGS OF ROME by T.J. Cornell How archaeological discoveries revolutionised our thinking about the origins of Rome; a superb work of scholarship.
THE ASSASSINATION OF JULIUS CAESAR by Michael Parenti views Caesar as a reformer and friend of the people cut down by reactionary forces of oppression. MAMMOTH BOOK OF HOW IT HAPPENED IN ANCIENT ROME ed. by Jon Lewis 500 pages of memoirs, letters, inscriptions, reports and household accounts present the Roman way of life.

THE ANCIENT CITY: Life in Classical Athens & Rome by Connolly & Dodge A terrific visual reference, full of cut-away drawings, bird’s-eye views, maps, etc.

SPLENDOURS OF THE ROMAN WORLD by Liberati & Bourbon A truly sumptuous coffee-table tome with masses of visual detail. Makes a very special gift.

DECLINE & FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE by Edward Gibbon Affordable abridgment (almost 800 pages) of one of the world’s most famous histories, Gibbon’s sublimely written saga of the last centuries of the Roman Empire.

WHO’S WHO IN CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY by Grant & Hazel An indispensable reference for making sense of Classical references, especially if you can’t tell a naiad from a dryad.

CLEOPATRA OF EGYPT: FROM HISTORY TO MYTH by Walker & Higgs This catalogue for the British Museum exhibition represents the state of the art of Cleopatra studies.

CLEOPATRA by Michael Grant A straightforward biography carefully reviews the sources and renders a vivid picture of Cleopatra, her Egypt, and the tumultuous era she dominated.
 

DAILY LIFE IN ANCIENT ROME by Jerome Carcopino This classic account is still the standard, a guide from the first hour of the day to the last, vividly conveying sights, sounds and smells of the city.

HANDBOOK TO LIFE IN ANCIENT ROME by Lesley & Roy Adkins An extremely useful illustrated reference to a wide range of topics, including Roman history, religion, literature, family life, etc.

SPARTACUS AND THE SLAVE WARS by Brent D. Shaw To put Spartacus in context, Shaw collects 80 original documents regarding slaves and gladiators and the bloody revolts that preceded Spartacus.

THE LAST GENERATION OF THE ROMAN REPUBLIC by Erich S. Gruen A carefully argued political history of the age of Caesar and Cicero, executed with meticulous scholarship and insightful analysis.

OXFORD CLASSICAL DICTIONARY Hardly a day passes that Steven doesn’t consult this 1640-page reference work with 6200 entries from Abacus to Zosimus.

LOVE IN THE ANCIENT WORLD by Miles & Norwich How did the Ancients define love and sexual conduct and worship deities of desire? Sumptuously illustrated with scores of photos.

ATLAS OF THE ROMAN WORLD Many of Steven’s books feature maps, and this is one of his main sources. An essential reference work for finding your way around the Roman world.

PENGUIN HISTORICAL ATLAS OF ANCIENT ROME Illustrations, photos and maps focus on specific regions and events, such as Caesar’s conquest of Gaul, Claudius’s invasion of Britain, etc.

BOOKS ABOUT ROMAN BRITAIN by Guy de la Bedoyere Familiar from BBC 2 and Channel 4’s “Time Team,” de la Bedoyere’s books include The Golden Age of Roman Britain; the Companion to Roman Britain; the copiously illustrated The Buildings of Roman Britain; Eagles Over Britannia, a study of the Roman army; Hadrian’s Wall, a history and guidebook; Pottery in Roman Britain; Architecture in Roman Britain; and Gods with Thunderbolts.



Cookbook Corner:
Food of the Ancient World
AROUND THE ROMAN TABLE by Patrick C.P. Faas celebrates “the Roman appetite for foodstuffs we would scarcely feed our dogs” — but also includes over 150 more palatable recipes to sample! ROMAN COOKERY by Mark Grant While some Roman cookbooks detail banquet foods of the elite, this one provides easily made recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
A TASTE OF ANCIENT ROME by Ilaria Gozini Giacosa This is the cookbook Steven takes from the shelf when planning a meal for Gordianus. Exotic recipes bring ancient Rome to the tip of your tongue. THE CLASSICAL COOKBOOK by Dalby & Grainger Scholarly research and recipes include the cuisine of Ancient Greece as well as Rome.

MORE BOOKS: § Ancient Authors
   § Fiction for younger readers  § Novels


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