Phoenix - January Salon
Roman Arts, Eats, and Entertainment – After Hours Lecture Series
Wednesday, January 24 at the Arizona Science Center (6-10pm; lecture at 7:15pm)
Come and see the popular Pompeii exhibit at the Arizona Science Center and learn more about their daily like in this after-hours event!
Daily life in Pompeii was completely dependent on wealth. The wealthy lived luxurious, extravagant lives where nothing was out of reach, while the urban poor, the vast majority of the Roman population, lived in squalor barely scraping by. This talk explores how each class lived and will showcase the vast difference in the quality of life for the elite and the poor. For the wealthy in ancient Rome, there were seemingly unlimited entertainment options, but the poor’s choices were extremely restricted. After paying for rent, food, clothing, and taxes, there was typically little left over. What does one do for enjoyment when on a tight budget two millennia ago? Mike Zajac explores some of the entertainment opportunities for a Pompeian of limited means and shows that then, as now, fun can be had for little or no money at all.
Like entertainment, dining etiquette and menu specifics varied across the spectrum of class and social standing. For Romans, the quote “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are” rings true. Nancy Serwint will focus on what archaeologists have learned from Pompeii about the range of food and drink consumed by the Romans. They literally ate everything from “soup to nuts.” Find out what was enjoyed – and tolerated – on the Roman table.
Join Mike Zajac, independent scholar and professor at Arizona State University and the Maricopa Community College system with a B.I.S. degree in Art History and Psychology, and an M.A. in Art History; and Dr. Nancy Serwint, ancient art and archaeology professor at Arizona State University with a Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology.
Pompeii AFTER HOURS - Cost and Details
A Night of Cocktails & Culture
Doors open 6:00 p.m. | Open to all ages (Cash Bar available)
Time-Entry Available from 6–10 p.m.
Non-Member Prices
$14 Adult and Children (3–17)
Member Prices
$9.95 Adults | $7.95 Children (3–17)
You must purchase your ticket for this event by visiting the Science Center website.
Your seat will be held only once your ticket is purchased.
