The great Roman monuments go a long way to providing an insight into this once powerful and highly developed culture. But while we may marvel at the ingenuity of their aqueducts and viaducts, the splendour of their amphitheatres and the beauty of their mosaics and ornamentation, what do we know about the daily lives of the people who designed and built them? How did they furnish and light their houses? What did they eat and wear? What actually went on in the amphitheatres, gymnasia and baths? The authors have used the architectural achievements of the Romans as a basis for unravelling the intricacies of this society. [Back cover].