Stories of daily life from the Roman world : extracts from the ancient Colloquia / Eleanor Dickey ; with illustrations by the author.

"The ancient Colloquia, a set of elementary language-learning materials from the Roman empire, contain fascinating information on many aspects of daily life in the Roman world, but they have long been neglected because until recently they had neither a modern edition nor a translation into any modern language. Most Classicists have never heard of them, as indeed I had not until a few years ago. But as soon as I started working on these texts I fell in love with them; I felt they had tremendous potential and wanted everyone to be able to use them, a desire that led to production of a full scholarly edition of the Colloquia with translation and detailed commentary (Dickey 2012-15). That edition contains the arguments for the editorial and interpretive decisions underpinning the work presented here. This book, by contrast, aims simply to present the Colloquia to non-specialist readers, people who would like to know what these texts tell us about ordinary life in the Roman empire and who are prepared to take my restoration and translation of the text on trust. Readers should be aware that alternative interpretations are often possible; note in particular that all words in italics are editorial additions"--Preface.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The ancient preface: version 1 -- The ancient preface: version 2 -- Days in the lives of schoolchildren -- Further reading -- A well-off child -- A model child -- A student in the greek east? -- Winning a school competition -- An abbreviated version -- An expanded version -- Let's go to court -- Further reading -- Winning a lawsuit -- Two criminal trials in the forum -- The easy life of a lawyer -- Another way to resolve a dispute -- Financial transactions -- Further reading -- A trip to the bank -- Two attempts to recover loans -- A shopping trip -- Supporting friends -- Further reading -- Visiting the sick -- Responding to an appeal -- Making plans -- Rebukes for neglect -- What to say when things do not go so well -- Preface to phrasebook -- A selection of excuses -- A selection of insults and other phrases to use in arguments -- Lunch time -- Further reading -- Preparing for a guest -- A celebratory meal -- Afternoons at the baths -- Further reading -- A family outing -- Instructions to slaves -- A deluxe experience -- Dinners -- Further reading -- Preparations for a big dinner -- A dinner party -- Another dinner party -- A private dinner -- Bedtime -- The aftermath of an orgy -- Rebuking the servants -- Preparing for bed -- The conclusion -- Passages providing additional context for the colloquia -- Philogelos -- Graffiti from pompeii -- Vindolanda tablets -- Oxyrhynchus papyri -- The poems of martial -- Seneca, letter 56.1-2 -- Apicius' cookbook -- The edict of diocletian -- Further information about the Colloquia -- The Colloquia -- The hermeneumata pseudodositheana -- Language study in antiquity: who and why? -- Language study in antiquity: how? -- How the colloquia were used -- The translation system used in the colloquia -- History and transmission of the colloquia -- Other colloquia -- Appendix: a school whipping at pompeii?.