Pictorial Dictionary of Ancient Rome, 2 vols. (Deutsches Archaeologisches Institut)

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Ernest Nash, Pictorial Dictionary of Ancient Rome, 2 vols. (Deutsches Archaeologisches Institut). Tübingen: Verlag Ernst Wasmuth; London: A. Zwemmer, Ltd.; New York: Frederick A. Praeger, Inc., 1961–62. Pp. 544; 532, with 1,338 figs.When it came to the knowledge of the German Archaeological Institute in Rome that Ernest Nash was preparing this Pictorial Dictionary, the originality of the plan and the scholarly thoroughness of the work made it appear eminently suitable for inclusion in the Institute’s special publications. We are happy to say that the Institute’s governing body in Berlin was quick to realize the importance of this monumental study and unhesitatingly approved the proposal to publish it. Anyone acquainted with the rapid and never-ceasing transformation of the ancient monuments of Rome and who knows or sees how changes in the city’s aspect inevitably lead to changes in the Roman remains will welcome this systematic visual documentation, which covers all periods from ancient days down to the present time, and the extensive bibliography for every monument. All trough the ebbs and flows of the city’s existence, the Roman monuments have been subject to a unique range of vicissitudes running the whole gamut from alterations through resiting to complete destruction. Some of these remains survive more or less as museum pieces, while others still serve a useful purpose in the life of the modern metropolis. But all of them, whatever their present state, provide indispensable and original testimony to the architectural history of ancient Rome, and clearly illustrate the city’s town-planning in its historical setting. This “instrumentum eruditionis” placed at our disposal by Ernest Nash is an invaluable tool for scholarly research and a handy compendium of basic information for all who are interested in ancient Rome. While adding to the sum of existing knowledge, it greatly facilitates archaeological studies.