Roman Letters: History from a Personal Point of View

In this selection of letters notable Romans write about themselves and their times as well as about personal and public matters. Seneca provides indignant remarks about the behavior of women in Neros Rome. From his monastic cell in Bethlehem St. Jerome berates St. Augustine for gossip he may have spread. Some letters give a different perspective to history while other talk of harvests marriages and day-to-day events. For historical continuity Hooper and Schwartz include a running commentary and brief biographical sketches on the writers.