With so many recent studies addressing different aspects of late antiquity, it is remarkable that no work had so far been written on daily life in this period. S.’s captivating overview of the realities of daily life for late Romans in both the west and east of the empire is therefore a valuable addition to the field. S. does particularly well in setting the context for her study of late antiquity, both historically and historiographically; not only does she provide a clear and understandable time frame and historical overview, she also introduces the reader to the development of the field of ‘late antiquity’ and explains the challenges that a twenty-first-century reader might have studying ‘daily life’ in the ancient world. S. gives a balanced and accessible account and makes the reader aware of diverging viewpoints, without bogging down her narrative in unnecessary detail about historiographical debates. Both the ‘Further Reading’ sections and lists of primary sources in translation at the end of each chapter are excellent additions to S.’s discussion and provide ample scope for readers to delve deeper into issues that may have sparked their interest. Each chapter has endnotes which, though too sparse for an expert reader, provide the important information and starting points for further study, and would not overwhelm the general reader or student.
One of the major strengths of this book is S.’s timely use of primary sources. Each chapter begins with one or two case studies of contemporaries whose lives are related to the chapter's theme. These examples make S.’s discussion more vivid, relatable and understandable to the reader. S.’s many concrete examples, beyond the main ones at the beginning of each chapter, coupled with her direct, reasoned and engaging tone, allow the reader to imagine and get to grips with what a late Roman would have faced, felt and experienced in daily life. S. draws on a wide range of source material and types of primary sources, especially in Chapters 5 (‘Body and Mind’) and 6 (‘Religion in Daily Life’). Although at times, especially in Chapter 1 (‘Rural Life’), the primary evidence tends to be more focused on eastern sources, especially from Egypt, S. acknowledges this and explains that it is a consequence of how materials have survived in different climates and environments.
A minor drawback is that at times S. expects the reader to already have a basic understanding of earlier Roman history. She often uses norms from the early or high empire as a benchmark to compare late-antique customs and practices, for instance concerning the Roman army or taxation. Furthermore, though S. gives a concise historical overview at the beginning of the book, if the reader is not already aware of the broader political and military upheavals taking place in the background of late Romans’ daily lives, some things may be lost on them.
In the opening chapter, ‘Rural Life’, S. examines the experiences of a peasant farmer and a wealthy landowner from Egypt. Although these are both examples from one region, it is helpful that the reader can compare differences within the same region and see the diversity and similarities in rural life. S. acknowledges the tendency for primary evidence to come from the east, especially Egypt, but also gives examples from the west when possible (e.g. Symmachus and Sidonius). Her choice to focus on the production of four main food products – cereals, olives, grapes and pigs – is effective, especially as these are important in the discussion of later chapters.
In the second chapter, ‘Urban Life’, S. gives a balanced account of the fate of cities in the late empire – an unforgivingly problematic topic, especially when discussing trends in both the east and the west. At the same time, this chapter would have benefited from more concrete and more engaging ‘personal’ examples. Whereas the first chapter is vivid and easy to follow due to S.’s integration of her two main exemplars throughout, the discussion in the second chapter sometimes lags, perhaps because her main primary source examples focus on two different cities, rather than on individual people.
Chapter 3, ‘The Household’, examines the different roles and relationships in a typical late Roman household, household activities and the physical structures of houses themselves. S. sets out expectations of marriage, adultery, divorce and childhood, devoting sustained attention to the lives of women. The discussion of slavery is balanced and frank about the brutal realities of the period.
Chapter 4, ‘The State in Everyday Life’, will be a valued addition to the broader field of ‘daily life’ studies. S. departs from the typical topics of a study of daily life and devotes sustained attention to the idea of the intervention, presence and role of the state in the daily lives of late Romans. This is especially important in a society such as the late empire, as the Roman government was ever-present in the lives of its people, both elite and non-elite, and the three categories of intervention that S. chooses – the army, law and taxation – demonstrates this well to the reader. S.’s discussion of taxation clearly shows how all Romans, regardless of background or wealth, had to deal with the larger state in their everyday lives. The section on the military, especially on the recruiting and billeting of soldiers, also broadens our understanding of the way in which we should consider and think about ‘daily life’.
S.’s approach to the topics of the fifth chapter, ‘Body and Mind’, is inventive and helps the reader to imagine vividly the personal concerns and realities of late Romans. In this chapter S. unites the physical body (health, disease and disability) with the ‘social body’ (sex, education and personal adornment). The choice of a female physician, Valeria Verecunda, as the exemplar of this chapter and S.’s discussion of questions of women's reproductive health, such as what women did when menstruating, are especially interesting, and will surely interest many modern readers and might change some of our preconceptions.
The final chapter, ‘Religion in Daily Life’, benefits from S.’s inclusion of Manicheanism, Neoplatonism and a thorough discussion of Judaism, which is often lacking in studies of religion in late antiquity, which tend to focus on the transition from the pagan state religion to widespread Christianity. S.’s emphasis on the fluidity of practices and beliefs and on the non-standardisation of much religious practice at this time are important notes, not only for the general reader, uninitiated student or established historian.
This volume is an ideal textbook for an Honours undergraduate course or a postgraduate seminar as S.’s engaging and balanced narrative style, use of a wide variety of primary sources and detailed ‘further reading’ sections are sure to spark interest in the late antique world.
