The struggle against luxury in ancient Rome

The book presents an original concept of the emergence of sumptuary legislation (luxury laws) in ancient Rome. The genesis of the laws against luxury is considered in a comprehensive way in the totality of their economic social political and ideological prerequisites. The author goes beyond ancient Roman history showing a broad historical background to the application of sumptuary legislation which allows us to identify the reasons for the emergence of such laws in pre-industrial societies. On the basis of a thorough analysis of the sources the social preconditions of the struggle in ancient Rome against the phenomenon of luxury are shown. The author uses various methods of social analysis examining the biographies of prominent statesmen the trends of large social groups and the evolution of the power elite of Rome. For the first time in Russian literature the ideological background for the formation of sumptuary laws is explored with particular attention paid to the influence of Greek ideological models and attitudes on the social thought of Rome. The author paints a complex picture of Rome''s cultural contacts with the Greek world in which the Samnites played a special role.The book presents an original concept of the emergence of sumptuary legislation (luxury laws) in ancient Rome. The genesis of the laws against luxury is considered in a comprehensive way in the totality of their economic social political and ideological prerequisites. The author goes beyond ancient Roman history showing a broad historical background to the application of sumptuary legislation which allows us to identify the reasons for the emergence of such laws in pre-industrial societies. On the basis of a thorough analysis of the sources the social preconditions of the struggle in ancient Rome against the phenomenon of luxury are shown. The author uses various methods of social analysis examining the biographies of prominent statesmen the trends of large social groups and the evolution of the power elite of Rome. For the first time in Russian literature the ideological background for the formation of sumptuary laws is explored with particular attention paid to the influence of Greek ideological models and attitudes on the social thought of Rome. The author paints a complex picture of Rome''s cultural contacts with the Greek world in which the Samnites played a special role.