A sweeping, history of the Roman Empire from one of our foremost classicists shows why Rome remains relevant to people many centuries later.
In SPQR, an instant classic, Mary Beard narrates the history of Rome and demonstrates how a slightly shabby Iron Age village rose to become the undisputed hegemon of the Mediterranean. Spanning nearly a thousand years of history, this work examines not just how we think of ancient Rome but challenges the comfortable historical perspectives that have existed for centuries. With its nuanced attention to class, democratic struggles, and the lives of entire groups of people omitted from the historical narrative for centuries, SPQR will to shape our view of Roman history for decades to come.
100 illustrations; 16 pages of color; 5 maps