- Rome: An Oxford Archaeological Guide (2nd ed.) by Amanda Clardige (2010; ISBN 9780199546831) Entry-Level Cultural – As the title suggests, this is a guidebook, intended primarily for those planning a visit to Rome. It is also, however, an excellent introduction to the city’s ancient monuments, and a nice complement to Platner & Ashby’s dated but still useful Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome (available online). Those with a serious scholarly interest in Rome’s buildings are advised to seek out the awesome (but expensive and multilingual)Lexicon topographicum urbis Romae.
- Mosaics of the Greek and Roman World by Katherine Dunabin (1999; ISBN 9780521002301) Intermediate Cultural – Despite its title, this book is almost exclusively concerned with Roman mosaics, and provides a geographically-organized overview of the classical world’s most dazzling artistic technique.
- The Colosseum by Keith Hopkins and Mary Beard (2005; ISBN 9781861974075) Entry-Level Cultural – A fast-paced introduction to the most famous Roman building, and one of the first volumes in Harvard University Press’ excellent “Wonders of the World” series. The book’s only shortcoming (from an architectural point of view) is that it focuses more on what took place in the Colosseum than on the building itself. Readers intrigued by the actual construction of the Colosseum should turn to Rabun Taylor’s Roman Builders* or Ada Gabucci’s **The Colosseum.
- A History of Roman Art (2nd ed.) by Fred S. Kleiner (2007; ISBN 9781305885127) Entry-Level Cultural – Probably the most-frequently used textbook on Roman art. Comprehensive and lavishly illustrated.
- Roman Painting by Roger Ling (1991; ISBN 9780521306140) Intermediate Cultural – A comprehensive survey of Roman painting, focused on examples from Pompeii and Herculaneum. Clearly written, but a little dry for non-specialists.
- The Pantheon: Design, Meaning, and Progeny by William L. MacDonald (1976; ISBN 9780674653467) Intermediate Cultural – The Pantheon, arguably the greatest achievement of Roman architecture, has been the subject of several books. This one is a little dated in some of its assumptions (we now think, for example, that the Pantheon was begun in the reign of Trajan, not Hadrian), but provides the most accessible introduction to this fascinating building.
- Roman Imperial Architecture by J. B. Ward-Perkins (1981; ISBN 9780300052923) Intermediate Cultural – The definitive survey of Roman architecture in the period of its greatest achievements and creativity. Ward-Perkins outlines the revolutionary implications of concrete, which made possible the Pantheon, the great imperial imperial baths of Rome, the artificial harbors at Portus and Caesarea, and much else. He also explores the dazzling variety of Roman architecture in the provinces. The counterpart to this book, Axel Boethius’ *Etruscan and Early Roman Architecture (2nd ed. 1978) is also very much worth reading.
- The Material Life of Roman Slaves by Sandra Joshel and Lauren Hackworth Petersen (2014; ISBN 9781139030922) – Explores how scholars can read enslaved people in material remains, particularly using Pompeii’s domestic architecture.
Culture, Art, and Architecture (27 BC – AD 284)
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