KellyHarris

ARHS20001
AmandaHerring
17November2014
AnnotatedBibliography

D'Ambra,Eve.ArtandIdentityintheRomanWorld.London:OrionPublishingGroup,1998.

Inherpiece,DAmbraexplorestheclasssystemsofRomanLifethroughartwork.She
usesvividimagesofartworkasthemeanstounderstandingRomansocialidentity.In
Romansociety,onemustdisplaywealthandcultureinordertomaintainsocialpower.
Theauthoralsotouchesonthedifferentsociallevelswithinthesociety,suchastheelites,
theworkingclass,women,andoutsiders.Thissourceisusefultomebecauseithelped
meunderstandtheclasssystemduringthistime.Onequotethatstoodouttomethemost
was,Thepublicdisplayofimageryinthecityanditstraditionalfunctionofhonoring
deservingcitizensindicatethatworksofartbestowedstatus,oratleast,indicatedsocial
aspirations.Thisparticularsectionofthebookimpliedthatthosewealthyandpowerful
weretoshowitthroughtheirluxuryitems,andthosewhomaspiretomoveupinsocial
hierarchyshouldaimtoacquiremoreitems.

Hadrill,Andrew."LuxuryandStatus."InHousesandSocietyinPompeiiandHerculaneum.
Princeton,N.J.:PrincetonUniversityPress,1994.

HadrillusesbotharcheologicalproofandRomantexttorevealthewaysoflifeinRome.
Specifically,heexaminesthepreservedhousesfromtheextinctcitytouncoversecretsof
Pompeianlife.Varioustopicsarecovered,suchasthepublicandprivatelife,families,
work,andleisure.Thissourceisvitaltomyworkbecausewithininspecificchapter,it
addressestheopinionsoftwoveryimportantfiguresinRome,PlinyandCicero.They
bothofferamodelofsocietydemonstratingthatthereisadividebetweentheupperand
lowerclasses.Ciceroperceivesthatthedesiresoftheleadingandwealthymencan
infectthesocietyasawhole.Thissourcegivesinsighttothenegativitythatiscreated
bytheupperclassandtheluxuriesofthewealthy.

Pliny.NaturalHistory.Trans.H.Rackham.Cambridge,MA:HarvardUP,1938.

Plinysbookservesasmyprimarysource.Plinywrotethesebookstoserveasan
encyclopediaofallofthecurrentknowledgeintheworld.Hecoversarangeoftopics
overaspanof37books,includingastronomy,geography,zoology,botany,mineralogy,
andcontemporarytechnology.Thissourceisoneofthelargestandmostvaluablepieces
tosurvivethroughouttheRomanEmpireuntilpresentday.Itservesanimportantrolein
myresearchbecauseIamabletodirectlyseePlinysideasthathehadwrittendown
duringhislifeandthespecifictimeperiod.Heservedasaneyewitnesstothecrashof
Pompeii,andhiswordsarecompletelynecessarytounderstandingRomanlifeinthecity.
WhatIfoundtobemostimportanttomyworkwashisopiniononluxury,specificallyin

bookthirtythree.Plinycriticizestheobsessionofluxuryitems,suchasgems,gold,
silver,etc.PlinybelievesthattheRomansneednotfocusonobsessingoverluxuryitems,
butmoreonmoralvalues;luxuryitemsinterferewithquestofunderstandingthenatural
world.

Zanker,Paul."TheDomesticArtsinPompeii."InPompeii:PublicandPrivateLife.Cambridge,
Mass.:HarvardUniversityPress,1998.

ZankersbookgivesinsighttohowthoseinPompeiilivedaswell.Hefocusesonmany
differentaspectsofRomanlifewhiledistinguishinghowthoseofsuperioritylived
apposedtothoseoflowerclass.HeexploresthepublicandprivatespacesofPompeian
society,focusingonthearchitectureofpublicbuildings,streets,gatheringplaces,
theatres,andmore.Thissourceisnecessaryformyworkbecauseitdiscussesthe
influenceofthewealthyfamiliesonthecitysappearance,basedonthewaysinwhich
theybuilttheirhomes.Forexample,hediscussesthetraditionoftheRomanvillaandthat
timespentatthevillawasassociatedwithpleasure,wealth,andleisure.ThoseinPompeii
wereveryconcernedwiththeirsocialimageandstatuesinsociety;avillawasasignof
superiority.Thissourcealsoincludesanumberofdrawings,photographs,andplansthat
canhelpthereaderbetterunderstandthewaysofRomanlife.