The Common People of Ancient Rome

This book opens a vivid window onto ancient Rome by shifting attention away from emperors and senators to the ordinary people who fed, built, traded, served, wrote, and entertained the empire. It explores the language of the lower classes, Roman poetry and realistic fiction, common occupations, public benefaction, trade guilds, living costs, and the social pressures that shaped daily life, drawing sharp parallels between Roman problems and modern ones. Alongside this broad social portrait, it examines the literary roots of Petronius's Satyrica, arguing that its blend of prose and verse grew out of comedy, mime, Menippean satire, Milesian tale, and romance, making Petronius a pioneer of realistic fiction. The book also traces Roman paternalism, from moral regulation to grain doles, public works, and entertainments designed to win loyalty and dependence, culminating in Diocletian's attempt to halt inflation by decree. His maximum price list is presented in detail, revealing the regulated costs of food, produce, clothing, raw materials, labor, and skilled services, and offering a remarkable portrait of the empire's economy. A final section turns to the personal and political world of Cicero and Matius, where friendship, grief, liberty, and Caesar's legacy collide in a tense but humane exchange. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.