Submitted by Bija Knowles on Fri, 03/19/2010 - 13:36
Like many people, the offer of food is always enough to tempt me to visit somewhere new – and I suspect that the publicity machine of Pompeii's archaeological site are fully aware of this, as they promise an authentic Roman snack to the 300 randomly selected individuals who will take part in a one-off tour of the site this Sunday.
The event marks the restoration and re-opening of one of the Roman town's thermopolia (cafés), after having undergone an excavation and preservation process.
Submitted by Ray Laurence on Mon, 01/18/2010 - 16:14
By the time of the emperors, the Romans had created the world’s first global empire stretching from Morocco in the west to Iraq in the east, and from Scotland in the north to Egypt in the south. Around this empire flowed a treasure trove of goods from far flung lands: slaves, spices, precious stones, and coloured marble, as well as an exotic array of foods and wine. From this bounty, the Romans created a culture of pleasure and a passion for sensations that stimulated all the human senses: vision, hearing, smell, touch and so on. A global world of pleasure had arrived.
Ray Laurence studied Ancient History and Archaeology at the University of Wales and then studied for a PhD at the University of Newcastle. He was a lecturer at the University of Reading until 2005 and then a Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham. In April 2010, he takes up the post of Professor in Roman History and Archaeology at the University of Kent.
His main interests lie in finding new approaches and new ways to understand Roman society; whilst at the same time he can offer new ways of presenting the more familiar areas – such as the site of Pompeii. His work is characterised by innovation that looks to see things differently, and to ensure that the study of Roman society remains in step with developments in other academic disciplines. He is intolerant of academics that reproduce the ideas of others in books with virtually no explanations of their own.
By the time of the emperors, the Romans had created the world’s first global empire stretching from Morocco in the west to Iraq in the east, and from Scotland in the north to Egypt in the south. Around this empire flowed a treasure trove of goods from far flung lands: slaves, spices, precious stones, and coloured marble, as well as an exotic array of foods and wine. From this bounty, the Romans created a culture of pleasure and a passion for sensations that stimulated all the human senses: vision, hearing, smell, touch and so on. A global world of pleasure had arrived.
