A comprehensive treatment of Roman rural domestic architecture in a Mediterranean-wide context from early origins in Italy to the collapse of the Roman Empire. The book examines the technology and economic history of villas as venues for pleasure and leisure, work, intellectual pursuits, hospitality, decoration (mosaics, wall painting, sculpture), collecting, bathing, and Christian identity.

Examines the history, architecture, and impact of Roman villas across the Mediterranean, from their origins to the collapse of the Roman Empire.