A comprehensive look at ancient sculptures, wall paintings, vases, and more depicting the elderly in Greek and Roman society Some of the most vivid portraits in ancient art depict older members of society. In marble and bronze sculptures, on coins and painted vases, and in wall paintings and mosaics, elderly men and women are shown with the telltale signs of old age: wrinkles, white hair, sagging jowls, and stooped postures. This publication examines more than 300 of these vivid images to reveal perceptions—both positive and negative—about aging and the aged in Greek and Roman society. Seven chapters explore medium and form—including Greek grave reliefs, marble grave monuments in Roman Africa, and Roman sarcophagi—as well as subjects, from priests and priestesses to ancient kings of Athens, old gods, and satyrs. Grounded in the analysis of art, contemporary literature, and the archaeological record, this comprehensive volume is the first in English to explore how old age was presented in art from antiquity. Distributed for the Yale University Art Gallery

"As might be expected from the caliber of the contributors, this is a first-rate collection of essays.... Like I, Claudia, this book will appeal to many others besides classicists. The two volumes will be a must for anyone interested in social history or women's history; the treatment, style, and illustrations make this volume accessible to general readers." -- Karl Galinsky, Floyd A. Cailloux Centennial Professor of Classics, University of Texas at Austin

I, Claudia: Women in Ancient Rome-- an exhibition and catalog produced by the Yale University Art Gallery-- provided the first comprehensive study of the lives of Roman women as revealed in Roman art. Responding to the popular success of the exhibit and catalog, Diana E. E. Kleiner and Susan B. Matheson here gather ten additional essays by specialists in art history, history, and papyrology to offer further reflections on women in Roman society based on the material evidence provided by art, archaeology, and ancient literary sources.

In addition to the editors, the contributors are Cornelius C. Vermeule, Rolf Winkes, Mary T. Boatwright, Susan Wood, Eve D'Ambra, Andrew Oliver, Diana Delia, and Ann Ellis Hanson. Their essays, illustrated with black-and-white photos of the art under discussion, treat such themes as mothers and sons, marriage and widowhood, aging, adornment, imperial portraiture, and patronage.