The temples and theatres of the ancient Greek world are widely known, but there is less familiarity with the houses in which people lived. In this book, Lisa Nevett provides an accessible introduction to the varied forms of housing found across the Greek world between c. 1000 and 200 BCE. Many houses adopted a courtyard structure which she sets within a broader chronological, geographical and socio-economic context. The book explores how housing shaped - and was shaped by – patterns of domestic life, at Athens and in other urban communities. It also points to a rapid change in the scale, elaboration and layout of the largest houses. This is associated with a shift away from expressing solidarity with peers in the local urban community towards advertising personal status and participation in a network of elite households which stretched across the Mediterranean. Instructors, students and general readers will welcome this stimulating volume.

The temples and theatres of the ancient Greek world are widely known, but there is less familiarity with the houses in which people lived. In this book, Lisa Nevett provides an accessible introduction to the varied forms of housing found across the Greek world between c. 1000 and 200 BCE. Many houses adopted a courtyard structure which she sets within a broader chronological, geographical and socio-economic context. The book explores how housing shaped - and was shaped by – patterns of domestic life, at Athens and in other urban communities. It also points to a rapid change in the scale, elaboration and layout of the largest houses. This is associated with a shift away from expressing solidarity with peers in the local urban community towards advertising personal status and participation in a network of elite households which stretched across the Mediterranean. Instructors, students and general readers will welcome this stimulating volume.

Housing is shaped by culturally-specific expectations about the kinds of architecture and furnishings that are appropriate; about how and where different activities should be carried out; and by and with whom. It is those expectations, and the wider social and cultural systems of which they are a part, that are explored in this volume. At the same time, the book as a whole argues two larger points: first, that while houses, households and families have in recent years become increasingly important as objects of inquiry in Greek and Roman contexts, their potential as sources of information about broader social-historical issues has yet to be fully realised; and second, that greater weight and independence should be given to material culture as a source for studying ancient history. The book will be invaluable for upper-level undergraduates, graduate students and scholars.

This book considers traditional assumptions about the nature of social relationships in Greek households during the Classical and Hellenistic periods, which draws on archaeological evidence from individual houses rather than textual sources. The focus of the study is the domestic organization of households, particularly the relationships between men and women within the households, between household members and outsiders, and with the wider social structures of the polis or city state, and how these changed with time.

Ancient Greek Houses and Households Chronological, Regional, and Social Diversity Edited by Bradley A. Ault and Lisa C. Nevett "The volume represents a significant step towards a deeper and more nuanced understanding of Greek houses and households."--"BMCR" "An excellent update on new finds in the domestic sphere in Greece and a cautious start to the development of new theories and methods for addressing the archaeological and textual evidence."--"Classical Outlook" Seeking to expand both the geographical range and the diversity of sites considered in the study of ancient Greek housing, "Ancient Greek Houses and Households" takes readers beyond well-established studies of the ideal classical house and now-famous structures of Athens and Olynthos. Bradley A. Ault and Lisa C. Nevett have brought together an international team of scholars who draw upon recent approaches to the study of households developed in the fields of classical archaeology, ancient history, and anthropology. The essays cover a broad range of chronological, geographical, and social contexts and address such topics as the structure and variety of households in ancient Greece, facets of domestic industry, regional diversity in domestic organization, and status distinctions as manifested within households. "Ancient Greek Houses and Households" views both Greek houses and the archeological debris found within them as a means of investigating the basic unit of Greek society: the household. Through this approach, the essays successfully point the way toward a real integration between material and textual data, between archeology and history. Contributors include William Aylward (University of Wisconsin, Madison), Nicholas Cahill (University of Wisconsin, Madison), Manuel Fiedler (Freie Universitat, Berlin), Franziska Lang (Humboldt Universitat, Berlin), Monike Trumper (Universitat Heidelberg), and Barbara Tsakirgis (Vanderbilt University, Nashville). Bradley A. Ault is Associate Professor of Classics at the University at Buffalo, of the State University of New York. He is the author of "The Houses: The Organization and Use of Domestic Space, Excavations at Ancient Halieis," Vol. 2. Lisa C. Nevett teaches in the Departments of Classical Studies and the History of Art at the University of Michigan. She is the author of "House and Society in the Ancient Greek World" and "Domestic Space in Classical Antiquity." 2005 200 pages 6 x 9 45 illus. ISBN 978-0-8122-3875-4 Cloth $59.95s 39.00 World Rights Archaeology, Classics, Architecture Short copy: Expanding both the geographical range and the diversity of sites considered in the study of ancient Greek housing, "Ancient Greek Houses and Households" views Greek houses and the archaeological artifacts found within them as a means of investigating the basic unit of Greek society: the household.

Housing is shaped by culturally-specific expectations about the kinds of architecture and furnishings that are appropriate; about how and where different activities should be carried out; and by and with whom. It is those expectations, and the wider social and cultural systems of which they are a part, that are explored in this volume. At the same time, the book as a whole argues two larger points: first, that while houses, households and families have in recent years become increasingly important as objects of inquiry in Greek and Roman contexts, their potential as sources of information about broader social-historical issues has yet to be fully realised; and second, that greater weight and independence should be given to material culture as a source for studying ancient history. The book will be invaluable for upper-level undergraduates, graduate students and scholars.