Brings to life the ancient Romans whom modern scholarship has largely ignored: slaves, ex-slaves, foreigners, and the freeborn working poor. Written for a wide audience, this book illuminates the dynamics of a discerning and sophisticated population, overturning much accepted wisdom about them, and opening our eyes to their cultural diversity.

This splendidly illustrated book brings to life the ancient Romans whom modern scholarship has largely ignored: slaves, ex-slaves, foreigners, and the freeborn working poor. Though they had no access to the upper echelons of society, ordinary Romans enlivened their world with all manner of artworks. Discussing a wide range of art in the late republic and early empire - from familiar monuments to the obscure Caupona of Salvius and little-studied tomb reliefs - John R. Clarke provides a tantalizing glimpse into the lives of ordinary Roman people. Writing for a wide audience, he illuminates the dynamics of a discerning and sophisticated population, overturning much accepted wisdom about them, and opening our eyes to their astounding cultural diversity. In addition to providing perceptive readings of many works of Roman art, this original and entertaining book demonstrates why historians must recognize, rather than erase, complexity and contradiction and asks new questions about class, culture, and social regulation that are highly relevant in today's global culture.

Acknowledgments Introduction Part 1. Imperial Representation of Non-elites 1. Augustus's and Trajan's Messages to Commoners 2. The All-seeing Emperor and Ordinary Viewers: Marcus Aurelius and Constantine Part 2. Non-elites in the Public Sphere 3. Everyman, Everywoman, and the Gods 4. Everyman and Everywoman at Work 5. Spectacle: Entertainment, Social Control, Self-advertising, and Transgression 6. Laughter and Subversion in the Tavern: Image, Text, and Context 7. Commemoration of Life in the Domain of the Dead: Non-elite Tombs and Sarcophagi Part 3. Non-elites in the Domestic Sphere 8. Minding Your Manners: Banquets, Behavior, and Class 9. Putting Your Best Face Forward: Self-representation at Home Conclusions Notes Bibliography Illustration Credits Index