Life, Death, and Entertainment gives those with a general interest in Roman antiquity a starting point, informed by the latest developments in scholarship, for understanding the extraordinary range of Roman society. Family structure, slavery, gender identity, food supply, religion, and entertainment-all crucial parts of the Roman world-are discussed here, in a single volume that offers an approachable guide for readers of all backgrounds. The collection unites a series of general introductions on each of these topics, bringing readers in touch with a broad range of evidence, as well as with a wide variety of approaches to basic questions about the Roman world.

The newly expanded edition includes historian Keith Hopkins' pathbreaking article on Roman slaves. Volume editor David Potter has contributed two new translations of documents from emperors Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius. Hadrian's letters document a reorganization of the festival cycle in the Empire and reassert the importance of the Olympic Games; the letter to Marcus provides the most important surviving evidence for how gladiatorial games were actually organized.

About the Author

D.S. Potter is Professor of Classics and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, University of Michigan.

|p>D.J. Mattingly is Professor of Roman Archaeology, University of Leicester, and a Fellow of the British Academy.


Book Information
ISBN 9780472034284
Author David Stone Potter
Format Paperback
Page Count 424
Imprint The University of Michigan Press
Publisher The University of Michigan Press
Weight(grams) 572g