Admire this perfectly preserved bedroom from this villa near Pompeii, which has now been moved to the Metropolitan Museum in New York.
You'll see that the "bed" is no longer displayed in the bedroom as shown in the CLC book. In fact, the highly ornate couch - for sitting or reclining on (rather than sleeping on) - is thought to have come from an imperial villa near Rome.

Simple, introductory site about many aspects of Roman daily life. Further links take you to other sites, all of which are aimed at younger surfers...
To back this up, this site lists some quotes by Roman authors on their day.

Follow Caius, an 8-year-old Pompeian "street-urchin" and discover how a Roman boy lived, ate, played, and studied. Then, follow him to the theater to produce a comedy.
A great animated site designed for younger surfers about everyday life in Roman times with topics on school, religion, food, toys and Vesuvius.

One of the best sets of Roman tableware ever found! Discovered in the 1960's at the Roman town of Augusta Raurica near Basel in Switzerland.
Its discovery was a bit bizarre... among others, a schoolboy had found an ornate rectangular dish, and presented it to his teacher, who ridiculed his claims that it was Roman and ordered him to throw it away. The priceless platter was recovered from the school bin! Here's the full story.

Very good illustrated webpage on the clothes the Romans wore, why they wore them, and how they made and cleaned them.

Splendid sculpture of a Roman man wearing a toga over his tunic.

Female statue wearing a fringed shawl (palla) over a full-length tunic.

Long, detailed article on the fabrics worn by the Greeks and the Romans, as well as some of the manufacturing processes involved.

Preserved at in the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD; now in the Antiqaurium at Boscoreale, near Pompeii.

A child's leather shoe from Roman London; now in the British Museum.

Modern replicas.

Now make your own pair...

Visual overview, based on Roman coins, of the changing fashions in the hairstyles of Roman aristocratic ladies.

PDF file. Another survey on hairstyles using Roman coins as illustrations.

Scroll down to the section on female hairdos for illustrated info on changing fashions.

Stylish - even today...

but then again... This style was popular with aristocratic ladies c.90-100 AD.

OK - a bit of fun...
A 1950's black & white film that's a tongue-in-cheek survey of the evolution of hair design. Ummmm...

Perfume bottles preserved in the eruption of Vesuvius; now in the anitquarium at Boscoreale near Pompeii.

Roman wall-painting from the so-called Villa Julia (also known as the Villa of the Farnesina) in Rome, discovered in 1879, partly excavated, and then covered over again! Now in the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme branch of the National Museum, Rome.

Roman fresco depicting cupids making,and Psyche smelling, perfume. Provenance unknown, but undoubtedly Pompeii and its region; now in the Getty Museum, Malibu, USA.

A similar fresco depicting cupids making perfume; still in situ in the House of the Vettii in Pompeii.

Gold necklace of 94 ivy leaves of gold foil; one of the most beautiful pieces of Roman jewellery. It was found on the remains of a woman who had been trying to flee from the centre of the Pompeii when she was overcome by the eruption and died in an alley now known as the Vicolo di Tesmo.

Now in the National Archaeological Museum, Naples.

Spiral bracelets in the form of snakes were popular in both ancient Greece and Rome, since snakes were thought to bring good luck.

Exact find-spot in Pompeii unknown; now in the National Archaeological Museum, Naples.

Popular style of gold earrings from Villa B at Oplontis, near Pompeii.

Gold ring set with a cornelian (red type of quartz). The stone has a picture of a winged horse - probably Pegasus. Found on a woman in the House of Menander in Pompeii, who died during the volcanic eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD.

19 gold bracelets found in 1992 at Hoxne in Suffolk; they, along with money and other treasures had been deliberately buried for safekeeping. Now in the British Museum.

Gold body-chain found at Hoxne in Suffolk; now in the British Museum.

Scroll down the page for a short and rather dense account of the various types of jewellery; well illustrated.

"It is difficult to imagine a more fashion-conscious society than that of ancient Greece or Rome". Interesting article for older surfers on "power-dressing" in Greece and Rome (from History Today magazine) by Jeri Blair DeBrohun, Associate Professor of Classics at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, USA.

Excellent webpage packed with good stuff... a bit like a nutrition bar!

Good account of the typical daily meals Romans had; with pictures and links to various establishments in Pompeii where locals could go for food.

The types of food, and how it was cooked, boiled or baked and the various cooking implements used.

This loaf got preserved whilst being baked in the oven at Pompeii. In the Antiquarium at Boscoreale near Pompeii.

Bowl of eggs, some still intact, preserved by the volcanic eruption that engulfed the region around Pompeii in 79 AD.
In the Antiquarium at Boscoreale near Pompeii.

This is a plaster cast of the cavity left after the unfortunate swine rotted away having been buried under piles of volcanic ash. The porker was destined for the food table in any case.
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In the Antiquarium at Boscoreale near Pompeii.

Wonderful mosaic from Roman Tunisia; in the Bardo Museum, Tunis.

From area round Vesuvius; now in the National Archaeological Museum in Naples .

Wall-painting from the villa at Oplontis, near Pompeii.

It is thought that the inhabitants of Pompeii bought their daily bread from bakeries or stalls in town rather than baked it themselves at home, since ovens rarely are found in the houses of the town. In addition, bakeries - identified by the presence of stone mills to grind grain, and large wood-burning ovens - are plentiful; 33 have have so far been excavated in Pompeii.

However, this scene may depict a handout ("dole") of free bread to the needy by someone (a politician?) hoping for some favors in return!

The fresco, now in the Archaeological Museum in Naples originally came from the tablinum of the "House of the Baker" (House VII.3.30) which adjoins the "Bakery of Sotericus". Perhaps the owner of the house was also the baker.

Wall-painting of a basket of figs from the villa at Oplontis, near Pompeii. And here is a modern copy.

Fresco of a basket of pomegranates from the villa at Oplontis, near Pompeii.

2000-year-old eggs from Pompeii.

Wall-painting from the House of Julia Felix in Pompeii.

The Romans enjoyed seafood, and this famous mosaic from Pompeii depicts many of their favorite delicacies including octopus, lobster, eel, squid, prawn, bass, skate and red mullet. In the Archaeological Museum, Naples; a detail appears on p.25.

Wall-painting from the House of the Vettii in Pompeii.

This fresco fragment from a villa near Pompeii shows two kitchen slaves gut a small deer.
From a villa near Pompeii; now on display in the Getty Villa, Malibu, USA.

Proof of the Romans' taste for exotic foods - an oven-ready pink flamingo from Roman Tunisia!

The Roman senator and famous letter-writer Pliny the Younger complains about snobbish behaviour at some Roman dinners where the host serves different quality food to his guests depending on their status.

The Roman poet Martial promises his friend a good meal...

The original Roman cooking range and pots from the House of the Vettii in Pompeii. Food was cooked on the top surface which would have had hot charcoal on it; the hole beneath was not an oven but for storing wood. Not all houses in Pompeii have masonry ranges or even separate kitchens - indeed, distinct kitchen areas generally are found only in the larger houses of the town. It is likely that in many houses cooking took place on portable braziers.

Modern replica of a Roman kitchen with stove, tables and cooking pots.

Great drawing recreating a working Roman kitchen.

Reconstruction of the dining-room (triclinium) in the House of the Fruit Orchard in Pompeii.

Reconstruction drawing of a Roman dinner with guests reclining on three couches.

Roman wall-painting depicting guests at a banquet.

From the House of Chaste Lovers in Pompeii.

A diagram of how the tables and guests were arranged in the dining-room.

The most prestigious tableware was made from silver, not gold; Vestorius Priscus wanted everyone to know that he had been rich enough to afford silver dinner utensils - so they were painted on his tomb in Pompeii.

A very rare find... and it's from Britain!
Pepper was first imported into the Roman world from India in the first century AD. Now in the British Museum.

Select typical Roman menus, look at typical dishes for each course - and then get cooking!

Practical recipes for Roman dishes to spice up your next dinner party.

Use dry ice or jelly (jello in the US) to create your own Pompeian masterpiece!