From the second century BC onwards, prominent Romans retreated to their villas around the Bay of Naples, a popular holiday spot for relaxation and relief from the pressures of business. The magnificent contents of these sumptuously appointed villas and townhouses are the subject of this book, and with them the breadth and richness of cultural and artistic life in the region. An international team of experts is brought together here to examine this rich corpus of ancient Roman sculpture, paintings, mosaics and luxury arts. Two related themes are interwoven through their essays: the influence of classical Greece upon Roman art and culture and the much later resurgence of this `taste for the antique' in the modern world.