Although most Romans lived outside urban centers, the core of Roman civilization lay in its cities. Throughout the empire these cities-modeled as they were after Rome-were strikingly alike. In Gregory Aldrete's exhaustive account, readers can peer into the inner workings of daily life in ancient Rome and examine the history, infrastructure, government, and economy of Rome, and life and death, dangers and pleasures, entertainment, and religion as experienced by its emperors and its emperors and its commoners.