During the building of an apartment house on the Via Latina in Rome in 1955 a small Christian catacomb was brought to light, a chance archaeological discovery that turned out to be a startling revelation. The architectural form and painted decoration of the catacomb were much remarked--not only were they exceptionally lavish, they also proved exceedingly difficult to fit into the traditional picture of the development of Christian art in late antique Rome. The Via Latina Catacomb: Imitation and Discontinuity in Fourth-Century Roman Painting is the first in-depth study of the monument in terms of its structure and function. A single question that arises from the monument itself serves to focus the discussion: Why was the last chamber in the catacomb made as a copy of one of the first? But the question is also one that demands a comprehensive approach. Thus the catacomb is examined with regard to its construction, plan, and architectural form, as well as its style of painting and imagery.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1877.

Rome was the largest city in the ancient world. As the capital of the Roman Empire, it was clearly an exceptional city in terms of size, diversity and complexity. While the Colosseum, imperial palaces and Pantheon are among its most famous features, this volume explores Rome primarily as a city in which many thousands of men and women were born, lived and died. The thirty-one chapters by leading historians, classicists and archaeologists discuss issues ranging from the monuments and the games to the food and water supply, from policing and riots to domestic housing, from death and disease to pagan cults and the impact of Christianity. Richly illustrated, the volume introduces groundbreaking new research against the background of current debates and is designed as a readable survey accessible in particular to undergraduates and non-specialists.

Even though relations between the Jewish people and the Roman state were sometimes strained to the point of warfare and bloodshed, Jewish military service between the 1st century BCE to the 6th century CE is attested by multiple sources.