Themes in Roman Society and Culture: An Introduction to Ancient Rome by Matt Gibbs, Milorad Nikolic, and Pauline Ripat

Abstract

BOOK REVIEWS/COMPTES RENDUS 193 understand in which direction the book was going. The book itself, for some reason, does not have a real conclusion, but an Envoi, somewhat cryptically called “Away from the Future.” This section deals further with Augustus, his use of astrology, and his control of divination for his own purposes, a radical change from the days of the republic. A further note of caution has to do with the way Santangelo uses his sources, both ancient and modern. He is prone to elide or even misrepresent the statements and opinions of others, and it is therefore necessary to check the sources themselves. For example, he cites an article by G. A. Mansuelli quoting a passage in Vitruvius (1.7) as saying that the Etruscan disciplina had rules on orientation of temples (93, note 43). Neither Mansuelli nor Vitruvius, however, talks about orientation, but only general locations of temples. Another case in point is his footnote referencing the stance of Bruce MacBain regarding the earliest activities of haruspices at Rome (84, with bibliographical reference): “MacBain argues that the haruspices were active in Rome from the sixth century b.c. . . . and that their presence was fully stabilised” when treaties were made between Rome and the Etruscans, 280–278 b.c. In fact MacBain did not at all “argue” for the early activity in Rome, but rather cited a number of other scholars who supported the idea; he noted the lack of evidence, nevertheless tolerating the possibility that they may have been right, and then went on to cite the date of the treaties, which is quite in accord with Santangelo’s own position. An outright error occurs in a discussion of the famous oracle of the Trojans eating their tables (232; Aen. 7.107–119), when the author says that Aeneas and Ascanius “keep eating the tables at which they are sitting” rather than the “tables” of bread slices upon which they had placed their food. Apart from such reservations, the book is highly recommended for scholars and students of Roman history and religion. It is not possible in this brief review to do justice to the enormous amount of information and debate contained in the work, and the rich and impressive bibliography assembled by Santangelo. The studies of terminology are perhaps the most valuable feature, but the overall thoughtful examination of the numerous historical reports and problems will provide essential reading for anyone trying to evaluate the role of divination in Rome in this period. Florida State University Nancy T. de Grummond Themes in Roman Society and Culture: An Introduction to Ancient Rome. Edited by Matt Gibbs, Milorad Nikolic, and Pauline Ripat. Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press. 2014. Pp. xxxi, 464. The purpose of this ambitious book, composed of seventeen essays by sixteen scholars, is clearly stated in the first sentence of the Introduction. “This volume aims to introduce students to fundamental aspects of Roman society—its composition, institutions, structures, and cultural products—particularly in the period 200 bce to 200 ce” (xxiii). The editors have succeeded admirably in producing a book suitable for college level courses on Roman civilization. The volume provides readers unfamiliar with ancient Roman society a wealth of information about a wide range of topics: class and status (P. Ripat, Chapter Three), slavery (L. Shumka, Chapter Four), families and housing (A. Jeppesen-Wigelsworth, Chapter Five), education (F. Dolansky, Chapter Six), literature (L. Roman, Chapter Seven), sexuality (K. Olson, Chapter Eight), religion (A. Bendlin, Chapter Nine), government (J. Vanderspoel, Chapter Ten), crime and 194 PHOENIX law (B. Kelly, Chapter Eleven), entertainment (M. Carter, Chapter Twelve), army (C. Whately, Chapter Thirteen), foreign relations (G. Fisher, Chapter Fourteen), economy (M. Gibbs, Chapter Fifteen), technology and engineering (M. Nikolic, Chapter Sixteen), art and architecture (B. Munro, Chapter Seventeen). In addition, Ripat has produced in Chapter One an incisive essay on the development of Roman social history, and in Chapter Two, M. Gibbs, M. Nikolic, and A. Sherwood have assembled a synopsis of Roman history. For each topic in Chapters Three to Seventeen, the authors explore the development of the institution or cultural product and examine its significance to the lives of people residing within the territory...