Fanny Dolansky – författare

Fanny Dolansky’s Roman Family Festivals explores the vital role religious ritual played in domestic life for Roman families from 200 BCE to 200 CE. Seven festivals, from the Parentalia in February to the Saturnalia in December, are reconstructed and analyzed from varied perspectives, including those of men, women, and children who were free, enslaved, or formerly enslaved. The festivals addressed key concerns for families such as relations between freeborn and enslaved members of the household, spouses, adults and children, and the living and the dead, and played an important role in the ongoing processes of socialization and enculturation of Roman identity. Integrating literary, epigraphic, papyrological, archaeological, and art historical sources, the study pays careful attention to the critical categories of age, gender, and juridical status to understand better who celebrated the festivals and how, and what their participation meant to them individually and to the collective. Roman Family Festivals demonstrates the longevity of family festivals and their continued relevance in late antiquity, despite a rapidly changing religious and cultural landscape.

The ancient city of Rome was the site of daily activities as well as famous historical events. It was not merely a backdrop, but rather an active part of the experiences of its inhabitants, shaping their actions and infusing them with meaning. During each period in Rome's imperial history, her emperors also used the city as a canvas to be painted on, transforming it according to their own ideals or ambitions. Rather than being organized by sites or monuments, Rome: A Sourcebook on the Ancient City is divided into thematic chapters. At the intersection of topography and socio-cultural history, this volume examines the cultural and social significance of the sites of ancient Rome from the end of the Republic in the age of Cicero and Julius Caesar, to the end of the fourth century. Drawing on literary and historical sources, this is not simply a tour of the baths and taverns, the amphitheatres and temples of ancient Rome, but rather a journey through the city that is fully integrated with Roman society.