Florence Dupont examines the institutions, actions and rituals of day-to-day life in pre-imperial Rome. The society and culture of ancient Rome is illuminated by the character of the Roman citizen in various guises as soldier, land-owner, employer, father, priest, banqueter and elector. The book considers the divisions between the different groups in Roman society, revealing a highly divided society with legal status dependent upon wealth and honour. The freedom of the Roman citizen is contrasted with the inferiority of the slave, an inferiority which was physically and also psychologically vital to Roman society. The author also investigates Roman notions of space and time and shows that every sphere of life, be it the family, the army, politics or farm work, was imbued with religion. There was a time and place for everything, every activity having an attendant god to whom Romans would appeal for advice, backing or consent. Roman ideas about their own bodies, hygiene, clothing, food and sexuality are also considered, and, as throughout the whole book, Florence Dupont draws on a broad selection of vivid contemporary accounts to illustrate her argument.

Reviews

Dupont has written a fascinating study of Roman society during the Republic (509-27 B.C.). She examines the political, legal, and economic divisions in society and Roman ideas of space and time, religion, family relations, and philosophy of self. The Roman citizen's concept of honor and self depended totally on externals--how he carried out his civic duties and how others viewed him (not unlike the Japanese). While histories of Rome abound, nothing quite like Dupont's study exists in most public library systems. She has based her findings almost solely on primary sources and quotes liberally from them, especially Livy, Plutarch, Cato, Horace, and Cicero. The tone is scholarly, but this translation from the French is lively and enjoyable for a more general audience. Recommended for academic and large public libraries and wherever ancient history is still considered important.
-Katharine L. Kan, Aiea P.L., Hawaii
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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