When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, the city of Pompeii, located at the foot of the mountain, was first covered by a shower of volcanic rock and ash, then buried under a pyroclastic flow. Buried underground and frozen in time by this catastrophe, the city has turned into a priceless treasure of information for researchers. Archaeologists delved too greedily and too deep. The carefully analyzed finds have provided and continue to provide us with incredible insights into Ancient Rome.

I wasn’t expecting much from this book, which is written mostly for the general reader. In fact, I read it partly because I was curious to see what a classicist specializing in ancient texts might have to say on an archaeology-oriented subject. However, when you read the book, you realize that Beard has not only written a book on Pompeii, but also shed light on daily life in the Roman Empire by using Pompeii as a tool.

One of Beard’s greatest achievements is her sharp criticism of various existing views of Pompeii, such as how the traffic flowed, what the buildings were used for. Her critical approach is a lesson for scholars of antiquity on how to analyze the material. Beard’s proposed solutions to these questions are based on her experience and insight into Rome however, these should not be taken as the definitive truths of well-researched research, but rather as the insights of a competent classicist.

To give an example; Beard suggests that the doors of the large and ostentatious houses in Pompeii were never closed, but were left open so that the atrium, the ostentatious large room at the entrance of the house, could be seen. Based on this, she says that the Roman house was not a place of privacy. However, we have anecdotes suggesting opposite such as Vellius Paterculus 2.14.3: An engineer promises his client to build a house where no one can see in from the outside. Another example might be that some high-ranking officials are forbidden to close the door to their homes.

My biggest criticism of Beard is that she never shares her stage with other academics. The author carefully avoids naming the people who put forward a good theory, made a discovery, shed light on the mysteries of Pompeii with brilliant ideas. We often encounter phrases like: as an archaeologist discovered, as a brilliant historian observed, as a philologist brilliantly realized. I found it a bit rude of her not to devote two words to these hard-working experts on antiquity and not to mention their names. Since there are no footnotes or endnotes in the book, we never learn who these people are. There is a selective bibliography, but I don’t think anyone would go on a scholar-hunt.