Nothing ordinary here

the long version

"Through a combined methodology of philology, social theory and archaeology, this book offers a reinterpretation of Statius's Silvae. A special feature is the book's catalogue of material wealth, an examination that for the first time itemizes valuable material objects that appear in the Silvae (eg., furniture, mosaics, aromatics) and evaluates their literary and cultural significance. By mapping the social landscape of various individuals and illuminating the cultural values associated with different types of material and non-material wealth through which widely disparate Romans sought personal distinction and status, the book makes a significant contribution not only to Silvae scholarship, but also to studies on Domitianic culture as a whole." --From the publisher.