By 63 BCE the city of Rome was a sprawling, imperial metropolis of more than a million inhabitants. But how did this massive city—the seat of power for an empire that spanned from Spain to Syria—emerge from what was once an insignificant village in central Italy?
In S.P.Q.R., Beard changes our historical perspective, exploring how the Romans themselves challenged the idea of imperial rule, how they responded to terrorism and revolution, and how they invented a new idea of citizenship and nation, while also keeping her eye open for those overlooked in traditional histories: women, slaves and ex-slaves, conspirators, and losers.
Like the best detectives, Beard separates fact from fiction, myth and propaganda from historical record. She introduces the familiar characters of Julius Caesar, Cicero, and Nero as well as the untold, the loud women, the shrewd bakers, and the brave
jokers.
I really enjoyed SPQR. Even though it took me a while to read (there was a lot of information to absorb) I couldn't put it down.
Mary Beard tells the story of ancient Rome in a way that even a novice like myself can follow along. However, at the beginning it was a bit difficult to follow along. I wasn't sure if she was skipping time and places too much. It did get much easier to follow a consistent story once you get more into the book.
I did borrow this book from my local library which in hindsight was probably a mistake. There were so many times I wanted to post-it and maybe even annotate it. I'll definitely have to buy SPQR now and mark out all the spots that interested me.
After reading SPQR I am interested in reading Mary Beard's other works.
I have the bug to learn more of ancient Rome.
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