Today we’re joined by Marden Fitzpatrick Nichols, who selected, translated, and introduced a collection of ancient Roman writings about home design and decoration in How to Make a Home: An Ancient Guide to Style and Comfort (Princeton, 2025).

Nichols is particularly interested in how debates about the significance of art and architecture shaped ancient Roman cultural and intellectual history. She has also written about the reception of classical art in the 19th and 20th centuries.