Popular Culture in Ancient Rome

ThemassoftheRomanpeopleconstitutedwellover90%ofthepopulation.Muchancienthistory,however,hasfocusedonthelives,politicsandcultureoftheminorityelite.Thisbookhelpsredressthebalancebyfocusingonthenon–eliteintheRomanworld.Itbuildsavividaccountoftheeverydaylivesofthemasses,includingtheirsocialandfamilylife,health,leisureandreligiousbeliefs,andthewaysinwhichtheirpopularcultureresistedthedominationoftherulingelite.Thebookhighlightspreviouslyunder–consideredaspectsofpopularcultureoftheperiodtogiveafullerpicture.Itisthefirstbooktotakefullyintoaccountthelevelofmentalhealth:giventhephysicalandsocialenvironmentthatmostpeoplefaced,theiroverallmentalhealthmirroredtheirpoorphysicalhealth.Italsorevealsfascinatingdetailsaboutthewaysinwhichpeoplesolvedproblems,turningfrequentlytooraclesforadviceandguidancewhenconfrontedbydifficulties.Ourunderstandingofthenon–eliteworldisfurtherenrichedthroughthedepictionofsensorydimensions:Tonerillustrateshowattitudestosmell,touch,andnoiseallvariedwithsocialstatusandcreatedconflict,andhowtheemperorstriedtoresolvethesedisputesaspartoftheirregenerationofurbanlife.PopularCultureinAncientRomeoffersarichandaccessibleintroductiontotheusefulnessofthenotionofpopularcultureinstudyingtheancientworldandwillbeenjoyedbystudentsandgeneralreadersalike.