Life in ancient Rome

Mary Beard

“The Roman empire cannot have been governed by a series of psychopaths. It would not have survived” Mary Beard on Roman Emperors

Image of an atrium from ancient Rome. There are people milling around and a fountain.

What were houses like in ancient Rome?

An 18th-century artwork depicting the AD 79 eruption of Vesuvius from across the Bay of Naples (Photo by Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Pompeii A timeline of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius

The via dell’Abbondanza while it was first being excavated (left) and how it looks a century later. The project was
one of the first major archaeological digs to be photographed in painstaking, step-by-step detail.

What can the streets of Pompeii reveal about daily life in ancient Rome?

A 19th-century depiction of the market of Pompeii

Pompeii What was life like before the eruption of Vesuvius?

A 17th-century engraving of the Mount Vesuvius eruption of AD 79, by Athanasius Kircher (Photo by Shawshots/Alamy Stock Photo)

Your ultimate guide to Pompeii, plus 8 fascinating facts about the ancient Roman city

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Sophie Hay answers listener questions on the Roman city that was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in AD 79. (Image by Getty Images)

Pompeii: everything you wanted to know . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A mosaic that shows two Roman women exercising, one holds a flower and another holds a leaf

7 things you (probably) didn’t know about Roman women

'The last Day of Pompeii', 1833. Briullov, Karl Pavlovich (1799-1852). Found in the collection of the State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg. (Photo by Fine Art Images/Heritage Images/Getty Images)

Pompeii: a remarkable window into ancient Roman life

This second-century AD column shows Romans beheading German nobles. Armed with the lethal gladius (short sword), Roman soldiers were feared throughout the empire. (Image by Bridgeman)

A guide to the Roman army, plus 10 facts about life in the legions

Illustration showing Roman Saturnalia banquet. (Photo by Alamy)

Saturnalia: the origins of the debauched Roman ‘Christmas’

The tomb of Pharaoh Djoser, built at Saqqara

General ancient history

Timeline: the evolution of ancient empires

Roman republic

Your guide to the Roman Republic

Mosaic showing gladiators, Roman Civilization, 4th century

Bread and circuses: what happened in the amphitheatres of the Roman empire?

Pompeii,Italy

What was life like in ancient Pompeii? Mary Beard shares an A-Z guide