Through texts from Roman literature, Christoff Neumeister introduces the reader to the vibrant life of the ancient metropolis. As he navigates through the city, the reader gains an understanding of the spatial relationships, visits squares, buildings, and monuments, witnesses everyday events, and encounters the people of Rome. This literary city guide presents not only the magnificent and impressive aspects of Roman reality but also, without any embellishment, its banal, ridiculous, frivolous, and repulsive sides.