Beard, Mary, 1955-

Pompeii : the life of a Roman town / Mary Beard. - London : Profile, 2009. - 360 pages : illustrations, maps, plans ; 20 cm.

Originally published: 2008.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Living in an old city -- Street life -- House and home -- Painting and decorating -- Earning a living: baker, banker and Garum maker -- Who ran the city? -- The pleasures of the body: food, wine, sex, baths -- Fun and games -- A city full of gods.

"The ruins of Pompeii, buried by an explosion of Vesuvius in 79 CE, offer the best evidence we have of everyday life in the Roman empire. This remarkable book rises to the challenge of making sense of those remains as well as exploding many myths: the very date of the eruption, probably a few months later than usually thought; or the hygiene of the baths which must have been hotbeds of germs; or the legendary number of brothels, most likely only one, or the massive death count, maybe less than ten per cent of the population." -- Back cover.

9781861975966 paperback 1861975961 hardback


Pompeii (Extinct city)
Rome--History--Republic, 265-30 B.C.
Rome--Social life and customs.

937.7