SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome

As she explains how "a slightly shabby Iron Age village" became the "undisputed hegemon of the Mediterranean" in SPQR, an immediate classic, Mary Beard tells the narrative of Rome "with passion and without technical jargon" (Wall Street Journal). Admired by critics for bringing to life nearly a millennium of history, "the grand sweep and the intimate details that bring the distant past vividly to life" (Economist) in a way that makes "your hair stand on end" (Christian Science Monitor). This "highly informative, highly readable" (Dallas Morning News) work challenges the conventional historical perspectives that have been in place for centuries, as well as how we think about ancient Rome. Our understanding of Roman history will be shaped for many years to come by SPQR's nuanced attention to class, democratic battles, and the experiences of whole groups of individuals who were left out of the historical narrative for ages.