The Ancient Middle Classes

“[A] remarkable volume… Mayer provides an indispensable and well-argued refutation of the conventional top-down readings of Roman art.”—G. S. Gessert, Choice

“This is a splendid book written in an engaging style. Mayer illuminates the distinctive social identity and cultural tastes of the the Roman middle classes through a perceptive study of art and literature. His readings of texts and images are subtle and persuasive. Highly recommended for all those interested in Roman Art and Roman Social History.”—Edward M. Harris, Durham University

“Moving beyond crude stereotypes of a Roman society riven between a gilded 1 percent and a downtrodden 99 percent, Mayer breaks new ground by marshaling a wide range of archaeological evidence to reconstruct the forgotten world of the comfortable middling households who left their mark on the urban landscapes of the ancient Mediterranean.”—Walter Scheidel, Stanford University

“Mayer has written a bold and striking book that sets the houses and tombs of the Roman middle class under the Empire against a carefully researched backdrop of the contemporary urban economy. He pulls together the art, archaeology, and social history of a new monument-buying class into an elegant and highly readable narrative.”—R. R. R. Smith, University of Oxford