First published 2015
SPQR delivers a fascinating collection of facts and stories from ancient Rome and its vast Empire. Anthony Everitt assembles over 500 entries that reveal the strange and surprising details of Roman daily life. Readers discover the practical uses Romans found for kingfisher droppings and learn why women in the Empire carried distinctive odors. The book explores dinner party etiquette under terrifying emperors, Empress Livia's medical remedies for throat ailments, and the contraceptive methods Romans trusted most. Everitt ranges across all aspects of Roman society, from imperial palaces to ordinary households. This compendium transforms abstract historical knowledge into concrete, memorable anecdotes that bring the ancient world to vivid life. SPQR offers readers an entertaining gateway into the peculiar, practical, and often bizarre realities of how Romans actually lived, worked, and survived in their remarkable civilization.
Genres: history, reference, non-fiction, ancient-history
Vibes: educational, informative, thought-provoking
Tropes: educational, informative
Setting: Rome, Roman Empire
Period: Ancient
352 pages · Paperback · Head of Zeus