SPQR: O Istorie A Romei Antice

Mary Beard traces Rome from its origins as a village in central Italy to 212 CE, when the emperor Caracalla extended citizenship to nearly all free inhabitants of the empire. She is skeptical about the founding legends of Romulus and Remus and asks what evidence supports each one. She covers the overthrow of the kings, the Republic's conflicts, Cicero's fight against Catiline, the rise of Augustus, and the lives of slaves, women, and ordinary people, always showing how we know what we know.

For general readers who want a thorough, skeptical history of ancient Rome rather than a list of battles and emperors. It gives you a clearer view of the sources and of how Romans argued about their own past.

Deep, outward-looking and contemplative; a moderate read.

Best for readers like The Evidence Seeker. Which reader are you?