The Countryside »

Describes the social and economic structure of country life during the Renaissance, from about 1400-1600, and the role of the peasants, villagers, and landowners in the ...

Children's Literature

The countryside of the ancient Romans comes to life in this detailed nonfiction text about the culture of the Roman empire. Using a variety of cultural documents and artifacts, including poetry, art, tombstone inscriptions, and letters, Hinds reconstructs a thorough cultural account of life in its many forms and for the many peoples of the Roman empire. The book presents a wide-ranging view of the social structure of life in the Roman countryside, from the lives of soldiers to the lives of conquered peoples, from life in the village to life in the great estate, from the lives of landowners to the lives of slaves, and from life in times of hardship to life in times of celebration. A large portion of the book is devoted to the distinct differences in the lives of men, women, and children. By the end of the book, the young reader will have a clear view not just of the cultural microcosm of the Roman countryside, but also of the way in which the Roman empire was structured along lines of gender, age, class, and power. Boxed text highlights more detailed discussions of issues presented in the main text of the book, artwork and quotations are well documented, and the book contains a glossary, recommendations for further reading and online exploration, a bibliography, and index. Part of the "Life in the Roman Empire" series.