This attractively illustrated book surveys Roman domestic architecture from the time of the Etruscans to the late Roman Empire.

In Houses, Villas, and Palaces in the Roman World, Alexander G. McKay examines simple houses, mansions, estates, and palatial buildings, and he pays particular attention to accounts of ancient writers that deal with such topics as house design, interiors, furnishings, and gardens. Describing innovative high-rise apartments, her compact civic squares, large public buildings, temples, shopping centers, and commercial areas, he shows that Roman civilization was astonishingly similar to our own. He also discusses the conditions of life in the Roman provinces, where recent discoveries have shed fresh light on private and communal living. McKay has enhanced the text by the inclusion of over 150 illustrations of plans, sites, and reconstructions.

Alexander G. McKay is professor emeritus of classics at McMaster University.

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"Striking a judicious balance between the archaeological and the literary evidence, McKay has compressed a surprising amount of material into a limited space... [This] volume is eminently useful both to the scholar and to the beginning student."

"A well-documented, scholarly book on a subject of great interest—a resume of the domestic architecture of all periods and levels of the Roman world."