Roman Frugality
Modes of Moderation from the Archaic Age to the Early Empire and Beyond

Explores frugal thought and practice in Roman history, from the archaic period to the early empire and beyond.

Ingo Gildenhard (Edited by), Cristiano Viglietti (Edited by)

9781108840163, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 9 July 2020

428 pages, 1 b/w illus.
22.2 x 2.5 x 2.8 cm, 0.62 kg

Roman Frugality offers the first-ever systematic analysis of the variants of individual and collective self-restraint that shaped ancient Rome throughout its history and had significant repercussions in post-classical times. In particular, it tries to do the complexity of a phenomenon justice that is situated at the interface of ethics and economics, self and society, the real and the imaginary, and touches upon thrift and sobriety in the material sphere, but also modes of moderation more generally, not least in the spheres of food and drink, sex and power. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach drawing on ancient history, philology, archaeology and the history of thought, the volume traces the role of frugal thought and practice within the evolving political culture and political economy of ancient Rome from the archaic age to the imperial period and concludes with a chapter that explores the reception of ancient ideas of self-restraint in early modern times.

1. 'Frugality', economy and society in archaic Rome (late seventh to early fourth century BCE) Cristiano Viglietti
2. From Licinius Stolo to Tiberius Gracchus: Roman frugality and the limitation of landholding John Rich
3. Frugality as a political language in the second century BCE: the strategies of Cato the Elder and Scipio Aemilianus Laure Passet
4. Smallholding, frugality and market economy in the Gracchan age Mattia Balbo
5:. Frugalitas, or: the invention of a Roman virtue Ingo Gildenhard
6. Frugality, building, and heirlooms in an age of social mobility John R. Patterson
7. From poverty to prosperity: the recalibration of frugality Christopher J. Berry.

Subject Areas: Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA], European history [HBJD]