Overview

Walking served as an occasion for the display of power and status in ancient Rome, where great men paraded with their entourages through city streets and elite villa owners strolled with friends in private colonnades and gardens. In this book-length treatment of the culture of walking in ancient Rome, Timothy O'Sullivan explores the careful attention which Romans paid to the way they moved through their society. He employs a wide range of literary, artistic and architectural evidence to reveal the crucial role that walking played in the performance of social status, the discourse of the body and the representation of space. By examining how Roman authors depict walking, this book sheds new light on the Romans themselves - not only how they perceived themselves and their experience of the world, but also how they drew distinctions between work and play, mind and body, and Republic and Empire.

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9780511733239

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Reviews

'Walking in Roman Culture is one of those rare books that turns a spotlight on to some forgotten aspect of ancient culture, and ends up making you wonder how you could ever possibly have overlooked it.' Mary Beard, The Times Literary Supplement 'O'Sullivan's book is a door-opener into a novel topic and it is innovative in several of its analyses and conclusions. The integrated use of text and material culture is highly laudable, and the fluent style makes the book a pleasure to read. This is an important contribution to the study of ancient Rome.' Ida Ostenberg, Classical Review

'Walking in Roman Culture is one of those rare books that turns a spotlight on to some forgotten aspect of ancient culture, and ends up making you wonder how you could ever possibly have overlooked it.' Mary Beard, The Times Literary Supplement 'O'Sullivan's book is a door-opener into a novel topic and it is innovative in several of its analyses and conclusions. The integrated use of text and material culture is highly laudable, and the fluent style makes the book a pleasure to read. This is an important contribution to the study of ancient Rome.' Ida OEstenberg, Classical Review

Author Information

Timothy M. O'Sullivan is Associate Professor of Classical Studies at Trinity University, Texas.

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