I think you have to keep her main mission in mind - which is, I take it, aside from rekindling general interest in the wonderful histories of ancient Rome, to rebuke myths about Rome and the Romans: to criticise the way Western history tries to glorify the antiquity and explain away the cruelty and filthiness of the ancient society. Beard is also adept at highlighting recent evidence, showing that there is still much to be discovered about the ancient world. Who would have known that Julius Caesar might have invented the concept of life imprisonment (usual methods of punishment were otherwise death, fines or exile)?

She's a gem.

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome.

But as I am primarily interested in military history, it seemed kind of necessary to learn more cultural history of Rome, which is her specialty (as /u/cjhreddit explains as well).

Fourteen emperors, from Tiberius to Commodus, ruled over a stable and largely similar structure of imperial power. The woman narrating does an excellent job. bookshop link! The gains of warfare had made Rome the richest nation of any in the known world. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. If you have read it then share your views. And to call SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome anything less than superb would be doing it a severe injustice. Feel free to post about Roman architecture, military history, art, archaeological finds and anything else that has links to ancient Rome.

Holy Roman Empire. Honestly if you read or watch anything by Mary Beard you'll get the feeling that you're having a chat with a friend while in actuality substantial scholastic discourse is taking place.

Occasionally, a little more detail would be welcome. Read more reviews by Marion Koob. With SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, the renowned Cambridge classicist Mary Beard presents a new history of ‘the Senate and People of Rome’, covering over 1,000 years and a diverse array of themes. I found her feminism creeping into her interpretation of some aspects of what was an overtly patriarchal society. Put simply, this is an essential read.

Mary Beard, Professor of Classics at Newham College, Cambridge, as well as author of numerous books on the ancient world, is the next to step into the fray. And if so, were their family and friends, if they declared them to be? An address would speak of the achievements of the deceased, and then of the family’s. Cookies help us deliver our Services.

Real-life characters prove excellent narrative threads, and the author uses many to guide her readers through her history. The emperors, however, also inherited Augustus’s problems: namely, an unclear method of succession, which generated family intrigues as well as military coups and was sometimes overcome by strategic adoptions; an uneasy relationship with the Senate; and a confusion in how their power might be represented and defined. Which is true, but these things might just come across as 'biased' because the popular ancient history and academic ancient history are still a world apart. For example, her co-authored books Religions of Rome (vol. Note: This review gives the views of the author, and not the position of the LSE Review of Books blog, or of the London School of Economics. Have listened to the entire thing twice all the way through!

‘The most important upshot of this’, Polybius concluded, ‘is that the younger generation is inspired to endure all suffering for the common good, in the hope of winning the glory that belongs to the brave’. In her conclusion, Beard is clear that there is perhaps not much we can learn from the Romans, but that it is dangerous not to engage with their history. SPQR is a popular history book I recently finished and thoroughly enjoyed.

Could have had better editing, but it's a great book overall.

(The poor couldn’t afford kitchens, and higher floors were at greater risk of collapse or fires). Military victories were built on a culture which encouraged young Romans to imitate their ancestors. Every couple of decades or so, someone undertakes the endeavour, in the process both reflecting new discoveries and the prejudices and anxieties of their epoch.

It depends entirely on what you want to get out of the book - Beard's is academic, Baker's is just a brilliant, brilliant read. Praise For SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome … This book tracks the rise of Rome from backwater village to imperial city, spreading its power from Syria to Spain by 63 BCE, staring down resisters, and originating the idea of nation and citizenship. The first book I'd recommend someone pick up if they want to read about the Republic and Principate.

Marion Koob has a BSc in Government and Economics at the LSE and MPhil in International Relations at the University of Cambridge. The Portal for Public History This moment is set right at the heart of the Roman Republic as a political conflict epitomising what fascinates most about the Romans. Gonna explore the bookshop this afternoon for it thanks!

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