Summaries and Customer Reviews are supplied by Amazon.com
Summary:
"History buffs (or, indeed, anyone with a vivid imagination) will enjoy this witty and erudite—and most unusual—travel guide."—Chicago Tribune
This entertaining guide provides all the information a tourist needs for a journey back in time to ancient Rome in AD 200. You just have to pack your imagination and a toothbrush!
Here is advice on arranging the sea journey to Italy, how to negotiate the road to Rome, and what to see on each of the city's famous seven hills. You'll learn what to take to a fancy dinner party (dining robe, your own napkin, and indoor shoes) and where to find the best markets and public baths.
A series of walks takes in all the sights of the eternal city, from the opulence of the imperial palace on the Palatine hill through the bustle of the Forum to the grandeur of the Pantheon and the Temple of Jupiter. The largest and most populous city in the ancient world has over one hundred spectacles to offer, including chariot races and events at the Colosseum where gladiators fight to the death.
Philip Matyszak's ingenious book will appeal to anyone who has ever wondered what it would have been like to visit the greatest city of ancient times. 43 illustrations, 11 in color.
Customer Reviews:
Average Customer Rating:
Entertaining and informative
Customer Rating:
I enjoyed this tremendously -- it's surprising how much information about day-to-day life even the big scholarly books about day-to-day life in Ancient Rome fail to touch upon. Something about the travel guide format really brings those facts out! Plus, the writing style is witty and engaging. This is an invaluable resource for those interested in the Roman Empire. The only reason I didn't give this five stars is because I too noted a couple of things I found questionable, such as the assertion that women did the shopping in Ancient Rome. Most sources I've seen say the opposite, though the evidence for that is so skimpy that I would be willing to believe Matyszak is correct -- however, it would've been good to have a more thorough listing of sources in the back, to allow us to weigh the evidence for ourselves. But most of this seems right on target to me.
I'd walk the "fourth mile" for this one.
Customer Rating:
A very enjoyable book. Well worth purchasing. A real "you are there" experience. I had first checked out this book from our local library, but enjoyed it so much I wanted my own copy. It's increased my interest in "old Rome" and almost.... makes me want to time travel. (There are a few drawbacks.)
5 Denaris a Day
Customer Rating:
Haveing been to Rome several times, I am enjoying this book as I can be the 'period' traveler. There are several peices of informatin not available to the modern researcher, making this an informative travel guide while it is also an entertaining read.
Entertaining, but grossly inaccurate
Customer Rating:
While the entertainment value of this book was high, it was, sad to say, riddled with inaccuracies. These ranged from copy editing errors to outright factual nonsense. I was highly disappointed as I have been mightily impressed by Mr. Matyszak's "Chronicle of the Roman Republic" and expected this to be equally accurate. I had hoped to read excerpts to my classes as story/discussion starters. Alas, they can only be used as "what's wrong with this" discussion starters. Read at your own risk.
These Romans are crazy
Customer Rating:
A guide for Rome of 200 AD, it is full of history, advice to keep out of trouble, and lots of humor. It really gives you a sense of daily life during the height of the Roman Empire. The chapters really do their best to explain how to get around Rome, from places to eat to sites to see, from the games to the marketplaces, from the brothels to the temples. There is a section that even explains how to change your money. From the page numbers, to the list of useful phrases, you get the sense that this would be a great tour book for a time traveler. If only you knew how to speak Latin and had a Time Machine.
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