Roman Places

School Library Journal

Gr 4-6Both of these titles treat some aspects of Roman civilization not easily found in other sources. Each one has 13 short chapters that deal with people or places, e.g., the forum, the baths, the emperor, the centurion. But also found here are the hospital, the colony, the vineyard, the hostage, the tax collector, the mother, and the surveyor. The clear, concise text and numerous full-color and black-and-white photos and illustrations make these books a good introduction to this culture. Unfortunately, neither one has even a single map of the Roman Empire. This is a serious drawback, for there is no way to put into context the many places mentioned. Mike Corbishley's What Do We Know About the Romans? (Peter Bedrick, 1992) and Simon James's Ancient Rome (Knopf, 1990; o.p.) offer general introductions to this topic.David N. Pauli, Missoula Public Library, MT