Cosmetics & perfumes in the Roman world cover

Cosmetics & perfumes in the Roman world

by Susan Stewart

[Publisher-supplied data] How widely did women use make-up in ancient Rome and what evidence exists? In this pioneering study, the author draws on literary, non-literary, visual, and archaeological evidence to show the importance of cosmetics and perfumes for health, ideas of beauty, social status, as a demonstration of wealth and luxury, and as an expression of gender within the Roman Empire. Covering the 300 years from the writings of Ovid to the Price Edict of Diocletian in AD 301, the study acts as a survey of the perception and reality behind the use of cosmetics and perfumes under the Roman Empire.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

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  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
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  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?