What's the last book you read?

[Centurion-Macro]

Aside from Roman Britain, I don't think English language scholarship really pays much attention to any province, does it?

Italia, maybe?

 

But you are correct. Roman Britain is done to death by English scholars...

[Ursus]

I just got Roman Passions. Not what I expected at all. I thought it was going to be an easy read on Roman vices, but it's actually a scholarly thesis. Still looks interesting, nonetheless.

[Centurion-Macro]

I am having to read 'Kite Runner' for school. Not my usual type of book, but I like it.

[jesuisavectoi]

Plato The Symposium. I'm in the process of reading it now and I love it! I read a bit to my boyfriend but he couldn't see past the boyfriends/lover thing and didn't care for it at all but if you can manage to see past that and read it completely objectively it's a great read. I think next I'll re-read my very weathered copy of the complete plays of Sophocles. Perfect way to spend a rainy day here in Sydney.

[Centurion-Macro]

Plato The Symposium. I'm in the process of reading it now and I love it! I read a bit to my boyfriend but he couldn't see past the boyfriends/lover thing and didn't care for it at all but if you can manage to see past that and read it completely objectively it's a great read. I think next I'll re-read my very weathered copy of the complete plays of Sophocles. Perfect way to spend a rainy day here in Sydney.

I have never read Plato nor Sophocles. What do they write about?

 

~I just finished reading 'The Kite Runner'. I disliked the main character a lot.

[jesuisavectoi]

Plato The Symposium. I'm in the process of reading it now and I love it! I read a bit to my boyfriend but he couldn't see past the boyfriends/lover thing and didn't care for it at all but if you can manage to see past that and read it completely objectively it's a great read. I think next I'll re-read my very weathered copy of the complete plays of Sophocles. Perfect way to spend a rainy day here in Sydney.

I have never read Plato nor Sophocles. What do they write about?

 

~I just finished reading 'The Kite Runner'. I disliked the main character a lot.

 

Sophocles was a playwright, one of his most famous plays Oedipus inspired the Shakespearean play of the same name. He was Greek so not the most relevant to this site but the way each sentence is crafted to me is so beautiful.

 

The Symposium is about a group of some of the best minds in Greece including Socrates talking about love; what it is, the types, love as a god etc; like I said if you can get past the societal differences it actually is pretty heartwarming to read. Socrates speech in it confuses me though, I've re-read it a couple times now but it didn't help. It's more the re-telling of the event so there's undoubtedly a lot of creative license going on.

[Ursus]

Plato The Symposium. I'm in the process of reading it now and I love it! I read a bit to my boyfriend but he couldn't see past the boyfriends/lover thing and didn't care for it at all but if you can manage to see past that and read it completely objectively it's a great read. I think next I'll re-read my very weathered copy of the complete plays of Sophocles. Perfect way to spend a rainy day here in Sydney.

 

Ah, a Hellenophile. I enjoyed the ancient tragedies immensely. I must part ways with Plato, however ...

[Ursus]

I just read "Roman Gaul and Germany" which is 20 years old, but a very interesting look at two provinces!

[Artimi]

I am waiting for a few books.. Got a real good deal on the John Man book about ?? places to see . also finally bought the book on the Varus's massacred legions and 2 murder mysteries.. Summer reading... these will have to do as a vacation 'journey'.

[Gromit]

Reading Working IX to V: Orgy Planners, Funeral Clowns, and Other Prized Professions of the Ancient World by Vicki Leon on my Kindle reader right now. I'm interested in writing something of my own in a first-century AD Roman setting, and I'm looking for details of everyday life for background. As its title implies, this book covers a whole range of professions, many of which would seem very odd from today's perspective. I like it so far; it presents enough information to at least acquaint you with these various professions, although the tone is very casual.

 

I also have Pagan Holidays: On the Trail of Ancient Roman Tourists by Tony Perrottet on Kindle for when I can get to it, and a whole host of other printed books I recently bought online and had sent to my home in the US - I work overseas and won't be back until next January to see those.

[Centurion-Macro]

I just read "Roman Gaul and Germany" which is 20 years old, but a very interesting look at two provinces!

Did it have detailed information on civilian settlements and lifestyle as well as military information?

 

~I just started 'Colditz, The German Story'. It is a grand book so far.

[jesuisavectoi]

Reading Working IX to V: Orgy Planners, Funeral Clowns, and Other Prized Professions of the Ancient World by Vicki Leon on my Kindle reader right now. I'm interested in writing something of my own in a first-century AD Roman setting, and I'm looking for details of everyday life for background. As its title implies, this book covers a whole range of professions, many of which would seem very odd from today's perspective. I like it so far; it presents enough information to at least acquaint you with these various professions, although the tone is very casual.

 

I also have Pagan Holidays: On the Trail of Ancient Roman Tourists by Tony Perrottet on Kindle for when I can get to it, and a whole host of other printed books I recently bought online and had sent to my home in the US - I work overseas and won't be back until next January to see those.

 

The books I'm reading now might be of some use to you then! It's "Life in Ancient Rome" by F.R Cowell, first published in 1961. I've only read the first 20 pages or so but so far it's covered housing, furniture, gardens, lighting etc; It cost me AUD$31 but I'd imagine it'd be much cheaper somewhere with a better dollar like the UK or US. It gets a bit dry if what's being discussed isn't that interesting to you and it does seem to make a couple of assumptions but when painting a picture of life back then I think that can be forgiven.

[Ursus]

Did it have detailed information on civilian settlements and lifestyle as well as military information?

 

The review is up, if you want to read it. I don't know how you define "detailed," but it did give a summary on the archaeological findings of town and country life, as well as military forts and defensive structures.

[Centurion Marcus Valerius]

I'm currently reading "Hadrian and the Triumph of Rome" by Anthony Everitt.

 

This is a good book for people with a more than passing interest. It covers the roughly 60 years years between the Flavian Emperors and Hadrian's death.

 

The author does a good job explaining the political and historical conditions that preceded Hadrian's rule. Everitt offers interesting and reasonable speculation where the historical record is thin, especially during Hadrian's youth.

 

Hadrian spent most of his adult life away from Rome. He traveled the width and breadth of the empire, commissioning architectural projects, founding towns, and making sure the legions didn't get too restless. His historical record isn't as rich in documents and secondary sources as for other emperors, so Everitt had to travel far to piece together details from the architectural records, taking pains to find relevant inscriptions and dedications etched in stone and metal.

 

Hadrian was an interesting and enigmatic emperor. He was a good administrator, a Hellenist, a solid military man with a curious and artistic personality. His one "big idea" was to stop expanding the empire, build walls around those who could be governed, and stomp on those who couldn't.

 

I'm halfway through the book and will provide a more detailed review when finished. So far, I'm finding it rich in detail and context and well written for casual history buffs. Classics scholars may enjoy the sweeping overview but will probably be left feeling hungry for more.

 

RSG

[Ursus]

I tried to read The Roman Empire and its Germanic Peoples by Herwig Wolfram. It's so dry, however, I couldn't actually read it. I merely skimmed it for sections that I found useful. Sorry to say I won't be submitting a review of it.