24 Hours in Ancient Rome: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There

Written by Philip Matyszak

Narrated by Michael Page

Walk a day in a Roman's sandals.



What was it like to live in one of the ancient world's most powerful and bustling cities—one that was eight times more densely populated than modern day New York?



In this entertaining and enlightening guide, bestselling historian Philip Matyszak introduces us to the people who lived and worked there. In each hour of the day we meet a new character—from emperor to slave girl, gladiator to astrologer, medicine woman to water-clock maker—and discover the fascinating details of their daily lives.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: May 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781705218228

Philip Matyszak

Dr Philip Matyszak has a doctorate in Roman history from St John's College, Oxford, and is the author of a number of acclaimed books on the ancient world, including 24 Hours in Ancient Athens and 24 Hours in Ancient Rome, published by Michael O'Mara Books, which have been translated into over fifteen languages. He currently works as a tutor for Madingley Hall Institute of Continuing Education at the University of Cambridge, teaching a course on Ancient Rome. He lives in British Columbia, Canada.

Reviews for 24 Hours in Ancient Rome

[Tacitus Lector · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Cleverly done. Although fictitious scenarios, they're all accompanied by historical explanations and quite a bit of primary source quotations.

[Jose Diaz-Nunez · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A well-executed, fun concept to touch on the fascinating history of ancient Rome

[eglinton_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating, expansive and well-written account of a great society, showing just how confident and structured and resourceful the Romans were, how they must have felt themselves to be at the apex of history, the dynamic centre of the world. The book adopts the framework of looking at and through the eyes of 24 individual characters as the 24 hours of a typical day go by. This works well, both because of the author’s imaginative writing and because of all the little details of particular activities it uncovers: the farmer with a pot of axle-grease and a whip to hand as he drives his cart through the night to bring his produce in to Roman food markets, the renowned gladiators with their bits of work on the side sparring to entertain dinner party guests or kneecapping debt defaulters. Matyszak weaves all this together engagingly, but also relies on or borrrows from the authors and sources of the time itself. Names like Martial, Petronius, etc may sound like dusty classsics, but the earthy translations or paraphrases here (see especially the wonderful Seneca letter on p158) tempt this reader to seek out much more from them.

[assaphmehr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I came across Matyszak's 24 Hours in Ancient Rome: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There via a recommendation by Alison Morton (of Nova Roma fame). It looked right up my alley, so I jumped straight into it. Very glad I did!

What to Expect
A witty, fictional non-fiction description of the lives of representatives of the Roman multitude, around the time of Hadrian. Matyszak takes a random day, and starting from midnight moves through the lives of the 'little people' who made up the million or so inhabitants of Rome at its prime. Each hour sees the 'story' shift to a new person, as they go about their business.

What I liked
I loved the mix of fiction and non-fiction. Using the stories of fictional(*) people to highlight the daily lives, and then digressing on to passages of explanations of what they are doing and why; their whole world - the whole city - through their eyes. The book is written with charming wit - it's not often that a non-fiction book leaves one in stitches.

(*) Fictional, but not entirely made up. Matyszak uses names as found in graffiti, burial inscriptions, surviving quips from contemporary writings, etc. He also provides us with a glimpse into these, by quoting the original references. Martial, Juvenal, Apuleius, Pliny (both elder and younger), Petronius, and many others - all contribute their words. Matyszak uses the windows they afford us into daily life in ancient Rome to breathe life to those characters.

What to be aware of
This is neither a history of grand events, nor an academic discourse about the sources and their interpretation, or comprehensive review of evidence. Matyszak uses a framework of fiction as an educational tool to teach us about the lives of ordinary Romans, hinting at the depth of evidence behind him. It also reflects life in early 2nd century CE - a thin slice out of the millennia long history of Roman culture.

Summary
I absolutely loved how Matyszak brings ancient Rome to life. Reading his stories, one walks, sees, smells, and is totally immersed in the great city. I find well-researched historical fiction a great learning tool, so this combination was perfect for me.

I would heartily recommend this to anyone interested in ancient Rome, whether reading or writing about it. This books does a tremendous job in educating the reader in a way that sticks.

Get your copy and start reading today, and be entertained while you learn.

(A small note to fans of Felix: this book is 'set' about three hundred years after the period I based Egretia on. It's mostly applicable, though some deviations are expected).

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Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: a story of Togas, Dagger, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Urban Fantasy, and Detective mysteries.