Mosaics of the Greek and Roman World

Mosaics reached their fullest development under the Romans who used them to decorate the floors of their houses and public buildings. This book gives a comprehensive and fully illustrated history of mosaics in the Greek and Roman world, and studies their development over a thousand years throughout the Roman Empire. Chapters are devoted to technique, to the role of mosaics in architecture, and to their social implications and the role of patrons. This book is the only complete study in depth of this rich material.
The first major study in English of the art of mosaics in antiquity.
Katherine M. D. Dunbabin is Professor of Classics at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario. She is author of The Mosaics of Roman North Africa and has published widely in journals.
'There has been a need for a reliable, up-to-date general book on ancient mosaics ... The lack of proper synthesis has prevented mosaics from receiving the attention they deserve and it is to be hoped that this excellent book will succeed in making a neglected art form more accessible to a wider audience, whether of academics, students, or general readers.' Journal of Roman Studies
'... prints no less than 318 pictures of mosaics that make fascinating viewing and are worth the cost of the book.' Archaeological Diggings
'... this is an exceptionally thorough analysis that will surely establish itself as the starting point for the study of mosaics for scholar and general reader alike.' The Art Newspaper
'This book is a masterpiece of visual, historical, technical and social analysis.' Peter Jones, The Sunday Telegraph