by Emma Southon
First published 2021
Emma Southon takes readers into the blood-soaked streets of ancient Rome, where violence shaped every aspect of society. She examines how Romans understood murder, from the legendary killing of Remus by his brother Romulus to the systematic assassination of emperors. In one brutal half-century, twenty-six rulers met violent ends. Caligula died in a theater, Claudius succumbed to poison at his dinner table, and Galba lost his head in the forum. Southon analyzes actual homicide cases from Roman records to reveal how citizens, perpetrators, and victims navigated this deadly world. She shows how a culture that celebrated gladiatorial combat to the death developed its own moral framework around killing. Through these real-life crimes, readers discover Roman attitudes toward existence, mortality, and human nature itself.
Genres: history, crime, non-fiction, ancient-history
Vibes: dark, thought-provoking
Tropes: true-crime
Setting: Forum, Rome
Period: Ancient
1 pages · Audio CD · Blackstone Publishing
Content warnings: violence