Grief and Sorrow in the Roman World

This book explores how grief was experienced and expressed in Ancient Rome to offer a nuanced understanding of emotional culture in Roman society and contribute new perspectives in the history of emotions.

Engaging with the long history of emotions, this book provides a new narrative of how grief was defined, experienced and used in Ancient Rome. From studies of tears and weeping, to Roman funerary monuments and inscriptions, the role of female grief in navigating political conflict, and letters of consolation, Grief and Sorrow in the Roman World explores the language of grief and individuality of sorrow in Rome, and asks how and why they shaped their emotions in this way.

Revisiting familiar sources such as Livy and Plutarch it offers new interpretations to place the Roman emotional framework against our own. Can we recognise our own notions of grief in the Ancient World? Do we feel pain in the same way as our Roman ancestors did? Exploring these questions and more, Anthony Smart challenges existing perceptions of grief and sorrow in the Roman world and places emotions at the centre of this rich culture.