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Pompeii explodes a number of myths - from the very date of the eruption, probably a few months later than usually thought; the hygiene of the baths which must have been hotbeds of germs; and the legendary number of brothels, most likely only one, to the massive death count which was probably less than ten per cent of the population.
Street Life, Earning a Living: Baker, Banker and Garum Maker (who ran the city), The Pleasure of the Body: Food, Wine, Sex and Baths, these chapter headings give a surprising insight into the workings of a Roman town. At the Suburban Baths we go from communal bathing to hygiene to erotica. A fast-food joint on the Via dell' Abbondanza introduces food and drink and diets and street life. These are just a few of the strands that make up an extraordinary and involving portrait of an ancient town, its life and its continuing re-discovery, by Britain's leading classicist.
Industry Reviews
Classicist Mary Beard has had a great time rooting about that ghostly place, and she has brought it quite splendidly back to life. -- Nicholas Bagnall * Sunday Telegraph *
To the vast field of Pompeiiana she brings the human touch... this absorbing, inquisitive and affectionate account of Pompeii is a model of its kind. Beard has caught the quick of what was and, in our lives today, remains the same. -- Ross Leckie * The Times *
Very readable and excellently researched... Beard's clear-sighted and accessible style makes this a compelling look into history. -- Alexander Larman * Observer *
If you want to know what really happened in the last days of the petrified city, Beard's meticulous reconstruction will fill you in, scraping away many of your preconceptions as it goes, while her evocative writing will transport you back. * Guardian *
The world's most controversial classicist debunks our movie-style myths about the Roman town with meticulous scholarship and propulsive energy ... scrutinising and animated in equal measure. -- Laura Silverman * Daily Mail *
A brilliant portrait ... this meticulous, vivid study of life in the town rightly and resolutely focuses on the living city. -- James McConnachie * Sunday Times *
ISBN: 9781846684715
ISBN-10: 1846684714
Published: 4th January 2010
Format: Paperback
Language: English
Number of Pages: 368
Audience: General Adult
For Ages: 0 years old
Publisher: Profile Books
Country of Publication: GB
Edition Number: 1
Dimensions (cm): 20.5 x 13.5 x 2.5
Weight (kg): 0.33
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This product is categorised by
- Non-FictionHistorySpecific Events & Topics in HistorySocial & Cultural History
- Non-FictionHistoryEarliest Times to Present DayAncient History to the Year 500
- Non-FictionHistoryRegional & National HistoryEuropean History
- Non-FictionHistoryGeneral & World History
- Text BooksHigher Education & Vocational TextbooksHistory Higher Education Textbooks