by Mary Beard
First published 2015
Rome began as an unremarkable settlement in central Italy. Mary Beard shows how this village became a sprawling metropolis of over one million people, ruling territories from Spain to Syria. The acclaimed classicist examines nearly a thousand years of history, from the legendary founding by Romulus and Remus through 212 CE when Emperor Caracalla granted citizenship to all free inhabitants. Beard opens with the 63 BCE confrontation between populist aristocrat Catiline and orator Cicero, a terrorist plot that foreshadowed Rome's struggle between democratic and autocratic rule. She brings fresh perspective to familiar figures like Hannibal, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Augustus, and Nero while highlighting forgotten voices: women, slaves, former slaves, and those defeated by Roman conquest. Rather than offering simple praise or condemnation, Beard separates historical fact from myth and propaganda. She demonstrates how Rome invented new concepts of citizenship and nationhood that continue shaping our world two millennia later.
Genres: biography, history, ancient-history, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: historical-fiction
Setting: Rome, Spain, Syria, Italy, Central Italy
Period: 63 BCE, 212 CE
606 pages · Hardcover · Liveright