Focusing primarily on Rome and other cities of central Italy, James C. Anderson, Jr, describes the training, career path and social status of both architects and builders. He explains how the construction industry was organized - from marble and timber suppliers to bricklayers and carpenters. He examines the political, legal, and economic factors that determined what would be built and where, and he shows how the various types of public and private Roman buildings relate to the urban space as a whole. Drawing on ancient literary sources as well as on contemporary scholarship, the book examines the origins of the architectural achievements, construction techniques and discoveries that have had an incalculable influence on the postclassical Western world. This detailed and concise account should appeal not only to students and scholars of Roman history, but to all with an interest in ancient architecture and urban society.