Review: SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard
Ever since my Latin coursework in high school, the history of the entire Roman empire (or even the definition of the beginning and end of the empire) has intrigued me: an abundance of confusing first or last or family names for all of the men in power, neverending stretches of land and waters, and a contradiction between war and the arts.
This version by Mary Beard was a tough but very pleasant read. I enjoyed that besides the nitty-gritty of the official documents, she showed me the everyday impact of living in this time on random but normal people.
Next time I pick up another detective or romance novel taking place in this era, I will keep what I have read in SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome as a reference in my mind to get a better understanding of what actually was going on!
If you are but a smidgen interested in Rome and its people, I can recommend this book to you!
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