The daily life of Ancient Rome during the decline of the Republic and the rise of the Empire (2nd century BC - 1st century AD) is presented by the author of the book in a very unique way - through the prism of pleasures cultivated in Roman society. Moreover, the author understands pleasure extremely broadly - as a kind of “ability to live” in the Roman way, investing in this concept not only material, but also spiritual content. How did it happen that Roman civilization, based on strict morality, on asceticism and self-restraint, traditional concepts about duty, in such a short time plunged into the abyss of the most unbridled pleasures and the most immoderate luxury? The author offers his answer to this question, which unexpectedly turns out to be relevant for our time, which is experiencing an equally sharp change in moral and value guidelines.