Tiberius Claudius Secundus, a Roman nobleman of the 1st century, had a simple but admirable philosophy on life. “Baths, wine and sex destroy our bodies,” reads the inscription on his tombstone. “But only baths, wine and sex make life worth living.” He died at the age of 52, one hopes with a smile on his face.
Life in Rome could certainly be fun, especially if you had money and were male. But it was also a dangerous and violent place, “both glamorous and ghastly”, writes Guy de la Bédoyère in this guide to the sights and smells of the greatest city in the ancient world. You could encounter obscene extravagance, or at least the desperate desire to convey such (“We all live in pretentious poverty,”
