How did the Romans handle risk, from uncertainty about food supply and dangerous travel to survival itself? Modern risk studies view the ancients as dominated by fate, but the reality was different. A range of techniques, from dream interpretation and oracles to logistics and law, all served to control risk.
The first ever travel guide to the Roman Empire.
A Treatise by Nobleman Marcus Sidonius Falx
"Marcus Sidonius Falx is just an average Roman citizen. Born of a relatively well-off noble family, he lives on a palatial estate in Campania, dines with senators and generals, and, like all of his ancestors before him, owns countless slaves"-- Provided by publisher
Roman Disasters looks at how the Romans coped with, thought about, and used disasters for their own ends. Rome has been famous throughout history for its great triumphs. Yet Rome also suffered colossal disasters.
Focusing on the non-elite in the Roman world, this book builds an account of the everyday lives of the masses, including their social and family life, health, leisure and religious beliefs, and the ways in which their popular culture resisted the domination of the ruling elite.