SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome

by Mary Beard

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Book cover for SPQR

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The Sunday Times Top 10 Bestseller

Shortlisted for a British Book Industry Book of the Year Award 2016


Ancient Rome matters.

Its history of empire, conquest, cruelty and excess is something against which we still judge ourselves. Its myths and stories - from Romulus and Remus to the Rape of Lucretia - still strike a chord with us. And its debates about citizenship, security and the rights of the individual still influence our own debates on civil liberty today.

SPQR is a new look at Roman history from one of the world's foremost classicists. It explores not only how Rome grew from an insignificant village in central Italy to a power that controlled territory from Spain to Syria, but also how the Romans thought about themselves and their achievements, and why they are still important to us. Covering 1,000 years of history, and casting fresh light on the basics of Roman culture from slavery to running water, as well as exploring democracy, migration, religious controversy, social mobility and exploitation in the larger context of the empire, this is a definitive history of ancient Rome.

SPQR is the Romans' own abbreviation for their state: Senatus Populusque Romanus, 'the Senate and People of Rome'.
  • ISBN10 184765441X
  • ISBN13 9781847654410
  • Publish Date 20 October 2015
  • Publish Status Active
  • Publish Country GB
  • Imprint Profile Books Ltd
  • Format eBook
  • Language English