The catacombs - the long underground galleries into which the early Christian community of Rome buried its dead - have always fascinated visitors to Rome. Containing the graves of hundreds of thousands of early Christian believers, as well as the tombs of famous martyrs and no less famous popes, the catacombs are truly awe-inspiring places. It is here, in the dark and winding galleries of these enormous subterranean "cities of the dead", that one encounters the earliest physical evidence of a community that changed the course of Western civilization once and for all. In this long-awaited book - the first general study on the catacombs to appear in English in a long time - readers are taken on an underground tour by one of the world's foremost specialists in catacomb archaeology. In addition to providing practical information for those wishing to enter the catacombs as visitors or pilgrims, this book explains how recent archaeological discoveries in the catacombs of Rome have changed (and continue to change) our understanding of how Rome's early Christian community expressed its faith while coping with the realities of everyday life. This book is essential reading for all those wishing to possess an up-to-date manual on why the early Christian and the Jewish catacombs occupy a place of such central importance in the celebrations surrounding the year 2000.

""Beneath the pavements of monumental Rome, the Rome of the imperial Fora and the great basilicas, lies another Rome, secret and less flamboyant, where everyday buildings open up to reveal unsuspected treasures of art and history. This is subterranean Rome. Though perhaps somewhat less magnificent or picturesque than the city above ground, it is equally - or even more - evocative and fascinating. Like a kind of Atlantis, buried beneath its centuries-old covering, its gardens, temples, baths and nympheums tell us a story of ancient times, made up of light and life, but also of shadows, persecution and death. Here we find the mysterious temples dedicated to the cult of the god Mithras that seem to bring alive the magical atmosphere of initiation and sacrifice. Here too are nympheums, places of pleasure and physical and spiritual refreshment; columbaria with their astonishing funerary architecture; hypogeums and underground passages that still preserve precious works of art beneath churches, palaces, and even in the basements of unpromising-looking houses. However, subterranean Rome does not consist only of mysterious and sacred places, for we also find urban and secular structures like the quarters of the Seventh Cohort of Guards, or the famous Golden House, the Domus Aurea. With evocative photographs - several published here for the first time - this book reveals the hidden world of subterranean Rome, guides us through the most fascinating sites, in many cases previously unvisited, and frequently difficult of access. It represents a journey in time that explores the most ancient roots of western culture."--Jacket.

From humble beginnings, Rome became perhaps the greatest intercontinental power in the world. Why did this historic city become so much more influential than its neighbor, nearby Latium, which was peopled by more or less the same stock? Over the years, historians, political analysts, and sociologists have discussed this question ad infinitum, without considering one underlying factor that led to the rise of Rome--the geology now hidden by the modern city. This book demonstrates the important link between the history of Rome and its geologic setting in a lively, fact-filled narrative sure to interest geology and history buffs and travelers alike. The authors point out that Rome possessed many geographic advantages over surrounding areas: proximity to a major river with access to the sea, plateaus for protection, nearby sources of building materials, and most significantly, clean drinking water from springs in the Apennines. Even the resiliency of Rome's architecture and the stability of life on its hills are underscored by the city's geologic framework. If carried along with a good city map, this book will expand the understanding of travelers who explore the eternal city's streets. Chapters are arranged geographically, based on each of the seven hills, the Tiber floodplain, ancient creeks that dissected the plateau, and ridges that rise above the right bank. As an added bonus, the last chapter consists of three field trips around the center of Rome, which can be enjoyed on foot or by using public transportation.

This is an incredible history presenting some critical aspects of Rome. The writer delivers valuable information about Rome's architecture, politics, and lifestyle through the ages in the simplest way possible. Contents include: Rome Roman Building and Decoration The Roman Catacombs Roman Regions and Guilds The Roman Campagna The Roman Ménage The Roman People Roman Princely Families Roman Religion The Roman Cardinal Rome Before 1870 The Roman Question

The city of Rome is the largest archaeological site in the world, capital and showcase of the Roman Empire and the centre of Christian Europe. This guide provides: · Coverage of all the important sites in the city from 800 BC to AD 600 and the start of the early middle ages, drawing on the latest discoveries and the best of recent scholarship · Over 220 high-quality maps, site plans, diagrams and photographs · Sites divided into fourteen main areas, with star ratings to help you plan and prioritize your visit: Roman Forum; Upper Via Sacra; Palatine; Imperial Forums; Campus Martius; Capitoline Hill; Circus Flaminius to Circus Maximus; Colosseum and Esquiline hill; Caelian hill and the inner via Appia; Lateran to Porta Maggiore; Viminal hill; Pyramid to Testaccio; the outer via Appia; other outlying sites; Museums and Catacombs. · Introduction offering essential background to the history and culture of ancient Rome, placing the city in the context of the development of the empire, highlighting the nature of Roman achievement, and explaining how Rome came to be the largest city in the ancient world. · Comprehensive glossaries of Rome's building materials, techniques and building types, a chronological table of kings, emperors, and the early popes, information about opening times, references and suggestions for further reading and a detailed user-friendly index. For this new edition the original text has been extensively revised, adding over 20 more sites and illustrations, the itineraries have been re-organized and expanded to suit the many changes that have taken place in the past decade, and the practical information and references have been fully updated.