Even Briefer

Death-Ritual and Social Structure in Classical Antiquity

Ian Morris (Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1992) 284 pp., $54.95.

Enlightening readers to the relevance of burial remains in the study of Greco-Roman social history, this volume explores such issues as cremation, grave goods and inscribed tombstones. For instance, it addresses the question of whether Nero refrained from cremating his wife because she was interested in Judaism, which forbids it on a broader scale, differences between inscribed tombstones of imperial senators and of the lower classes (which had more commemorations by spouses) point to class differences in family structure. There are 48 figures, including maps, 12 tables, of bibliographical essay divided by theme, a bibliography and an index.

Roman Pottery