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

Preface; Introduction; 1. The Roman villa in the Mediterranean: an overview Annalisa Marzano and Guy P.R. Métraux; 2. The Roman villa. Definitions and variations Ursula Rothe; Part I. Roman Villas in or Near the Bay of Naples and Maritime Villas: Current Research: 3. The 'Villa of the Mysteries' at Pompeii and the ideals of Hellenistic hospitality Andrew Wallace-Hadrill; 4. The building history and aesthetics of the 'Villa of Poppaea' at Torre Annunziata: results from the Oplontis Project 2005¿14 John R. Clarke; 5. Landscape at the 'Villa of Poppaea' (Villa A) at Torre Annunziata Mantha Zarmakoupi; 6. The villas of Stabiae Thomas Noble Howe; 7. The Roman villa of Positano Adele Campanelli, Giovanni Di Maio, Riccardo Iaccarino, Maria Antonietta Iannelli, Luciana Jacobelli; 8. Maritime villas and the resources of the sea Annalisa Marzano; 9 The 'Villa of Augustus' at Somma Vesuviana Masanori Aoyagi, Antonio De Simone and Girolamo F. De Simone; Part II. Roman Villas in the Mediterranean: Current Research: 10. Villas in Southern Italy Maurizio Gualtieri; 11. Villas in Northern Italy Gian Pietro Brogiolo and Alexandra Chavarría Arnau; 12. Roman villas in Sicily Roger J. A. Wilson; 13. Villas in south and southwestern Gaul Loïc Buffat; 14. Villas in Hispania and Lusitania Felix Teichner; 15. Roman villas in the Maltese archipelago Anthony Bonanno; 16. Villas in North Africa Roger J. A. Wilson; 17. The Roman villa at Apollonia Oren Tal and Israel Roll; 18. Houses of the wealthy in Roman Galilee Zeev Weiss; 19. Villas in Greece and the Islands Maria Papaioannou; 20. Villas of the eastern Adriatic and Ionian coastlands William Bowden; Part III. Roman Villas: Late Antique Manifestations: 21. Late antique villas: themes Guy P. R. Métraux; 22. Aristocratic residences in late antique Hispania Gisela Ripoll; 23. Christianization of villas Kimberly Bowes; Part IV. Roman Villas: Later Manifestations: 24. Conviviality versus seclusion in Pliny's Tuscan and Laurentine villas Pierre de la Ruffinière du Prey; 25. The 'Villa dei Papiri': Herculaneum and Malibu Kenneth Lapatin; Conclusion Annalisa Marzano and Guy P. R. Métraux.