Best books about the Roman Empire

Diana E. E. Kleiner, Roman Sculpture
With an emphasis on major public and private monuments as well as lesser known sculptural artifacts, Kleiner places these works in their respective cultural, geographical, social, and political contexts. This book is a necessity for those interested in Roman art.
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Roger Ling, Roman Painting
This survey traces the origins, development, subjects, and techniques of Roman wall painting. A thorough examination of the wall paintings located in Pompeii and the Herculaneum provides the most up-to-date information in light of recent research.
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Eve D'Ambra, Roman Art
D’Ambra investigates Roman social identity through a careful analysis of the city’s artistic surroundings, uncovering the power of art patronage from Emperors to Popes. This book is highly recommended for those searching for a glimpse of Roman art beyond mere stylistic analysis.
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Fred S. Kleiner, A History of Roman Art
In this highly illustrated survey of Roman art from Romulus to the death of Constantine, Kleiner explores the art and architecture of Rome and its empire in terms of political, historical, and social contexts. All aspects of Roman art are examined, including domestic architecture, private art, art of the freedmen, and coinage.
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Martin Henig, ed., A Handbook of Roman Art
Ranging in scope from architecture to jewelry, this respected volume discusses Roman objects from early Rome through late antiquity.
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Donald Strong and David Brown, eds., Roman Crafts
This text is an accumulation of articles by specialists in various fields regarding the techniques and materials used in the production of Roman art, including marble, cement, glass, and paint pigments.
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Roger Ling, Making Classical Art: Process and Practice
Ling explains for the nontechnical reader how sculpture, pottery, and mosaics were made in the Classical world. The book includes ten case studies of various Roman monuments, including the Ara Pacis Augustae and the wall paintings at Dura-Europos.
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Paul Zanker, The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus
Zanker examines how Roman art and architecture reflected imperial mythology during the rule of Rome’s first emperor Augustus Caesar, who said, "I found Rome a city of bricks, and left it a city of marble."
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Jas Elsner, Art and the Roman Viewer: The Transformation of Art from the Pagan World to Christianity
How did the arts of late antiquity move away from classical naturalism towards spiritual abstraction? Elsner answers this and more as he examines the ancient viewing practices of art in the Roman world.
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Thomas F. Mathews, The Clash of the Gods
This book provides an up-to-date survey of the origins of early Christian art, while attacking the traditional idea of continuity of the cult of the Roman emperor and the early church.
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Jo-Ann Shelton, As the Romans Did
Drawing from an array of Greek and Latin documents, this book provides its reader with a peek into everyday Roman life. Through thematic chapters such as family life, education, and religion, Shelton uncovers the successes and failures of imperial policies and the pleasures and pains of everyday Roman life.
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Eve D'Ambra, Roman Women
This exploration of the daily lives of Roman women focuses on family, housework, leisure, social obligations, and worship. By referencing a variety of sources, D’Ambra approaches Roman art as objects of social culture.
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Diana E. E. Kleiner and Susan B. Matheson, I Claudia: Women in Ancient Rome
In this exhibition catalogue from the Yale University Art Gallery, Kleiner and Matheson compile the first comprehensive study of the lives of Roman women as told by the art of the time. Art, archeology, and ancient literary sources provide the material evidence for their view of women in Roman society.
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D. S. Potter and D. J. Mattingly, eds., Life, Death, and Entertainment in the Roman Empire
This collection of essays on the history of Rome offers a great starting point for those just becoming familiar with the legacy of Rome. Topics such as family structure, food supply, gender identity, and religion are all addressed in the hopes of bringing the reader closer to a fuller understanding of the cultural history of Rome.
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Paul Veyne, ed., A History of Private Life from Pagan Rome to Byzantium
This volume is an entrée into the private lives of ancient people, both average citizens and the imperial court.
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Jerome Carcopino, Daily Life in Ancient Rome
Imperial Rome is brought to life in this tome, which addresses the lavish display of wealth, the cultural diversity, and the beginnings of Christianity that took place at this time. Carcopino reconstructs the splendor and squalor of Rome throughout the second century AD.
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John R. Clarke, Looking at Lovemaking: Constructions of Sexuality in Roman Art, 100 B.C.— A.D. 250
What did sex mean to the ancient Romans? Find out in this study of the rich variety of Roman erotic art. Through recent gender and cultural studies, Clark investigates how this new information impacts the traditional understanding of Roman art and society.
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Judith Lynn Sebesta and Larissa Bonfante, The World of Roman Costume
This catalog surveys over a thousand years of Roman garments in a book accessible to a variety of readers and disciplines. Drawing from the expertise of archeologists, anthropologists, and historians, the editors have created an interdisciplinary study of topics ranging from hairstyle to jewelry.
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Paul Zanker, Pompeii: Public and Private Life
This book is a guide to life in Pompeii, the infamous Italian city that was destroyed and at the same time preserved by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Drawing on the tremendous archaeological opportunity at Pompeii, Zanker tells of its architecture’s development and use.
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J. M. C. Toynbee, Death and Burial in the Roman World
Toynbee explores funeral practices from a variety of perspectives, including beliefs in death and the afterlife, burial and mourning rituals, and the layout and finances of cemeteries.
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Susan Walker, Memorials to the Roman Dead
Walker’s text discusses aspects of Roman funerary ritual and the business of creating and marketing marble sarcophagi.
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Eckart Kohne and Cornelia Ewigleben, eds., Gladiators and Caesars: The Power of Spectacle in Ancient Rome
This book delves into the most important leisure activities in the Roman world. Occurring in amphitheatres, circuses, and theaters, these spectacular events satisfied that same need for excitement that exists in society today.
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Bettina Bergmann and Christine Kondoleon, eds., The Art of Ancient Spectacle
This collection of 19 essays considers live entertainment and performance in ancient society. Combat in the arena, festivals, theater, banquets, and processions are discussed in terms of their forms and the visual art created in their honor.
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