SPQR ─ A History of Ancient Rome

In SPQR, an instant classic upon its publication, Mary Beard narrates the history of Rome “with passion and without jargon” and demonstrates how “a slightly shabby Iron Age village . . . rose to become the undisputed hegemon of the Mediterranean” (Wall Street Journal ). SPQR has been hailed by critics as animating, with “the grand sweep and the intimate details that bring the distant past vividly to life” (The Economist) and in a way that makes “your hair stand on end” (Christian Science Monitor). “Beard’s enthusiasm for her subject is infectious,” says Kirkus Reviews. Spanning nearly a thousand years of history, this “highly informative, highly readable” (Dallas Morning News) work not only examines how we think of ancient Rome but also 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 that were omitted from the historical narrative for centuries, SPQR will shape our view of Roman history for decades to come.