Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town

by Mary Beard

Pompeii is a great book that brings to life day-to-day ancient Roman life as we know it from what’s been uncovered from under the ashes of Mt. Vesuvius. The chapters cover different aspects of life like “Earning a Living” or “Who Ran the City?” There are also interesting photos eg. of a gladiator’s helmet found in the gladiators’ accommodation or a cartoon found on the outside of a tomb of gladiators fighting. The opening, “Life Interrupted,” is unforgettable, tracing the people who fled unsuccessfully from the volcanic eruption. As she writes in the opening lines, “In the early hours of 25 August CE, the rain of pumice falling on Pompeii was easing off. It seemed a good moment to leave the city and make a bid for safety.”