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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
A really thrilling retelling of what we know (and what we still have to learn) about the Roman Republic and Empire. Mary Beard does a really great job laying out the evidence and getting the reader caught up on the extent and limitations of what we know about this larger-than-life ancient civilization. She opens with the Cataline Conspiracy as a microcosm of what was to come later - how the Roman Republic shifted its weight and headed on a collision course towards one-man rule. It's a story that stands out as worryingly timely even two thousand years later. Yet the book isn't just about the political landscape of Rome, but also offers intimate glimpses into the lives of everyday Romans (Just how much did the average citizen really think about who was Emperor? To what extent did their religion play a part in their every day lives? What did they eat, and who did they share their dinner tables with?). With wry and cutting humor, Mary lays out the details like a detective on the case - and I was personally thrilled with the adventure that ensued.
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
fucking masterful. it boggles my mind that someone w/ as much knowledge on the topic as mary beard is still so conscious of what a lay reader will need explained to them (versus what they can be trusted to figure out) and how best to lay it out.
she constructs an incredibly tight & coherent narrative without reveling in the gaudy details, but equally without sanitizing curse words and scatological humor the way so many insufferable translators and historians did until fairly recently (catullus 16 i'm looking at you).
tone is solid throughout. unsentimental, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, brisk where required and thoughtful where appropriate. fantastic.
she constructs an incredibly tight & coherent narrative without reveling in the gaudy details, but equally without sanitizing curse words and scatological humor the way so many insufferable translators and historians did until fairly recently (catullus 16 i'm looking at you).
tone is solid throughout. unsentimental, sometimes tongue-in-cheek, brisk where required and thoughtful where appropriate. fantastic.
dark
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Some historians like to tell a compelling story, or to share a good piece of gossip, others are more like detectives, intelligence analysts, or scientists, and try to discern what we really know about the past. Mary Beard is the latter sort, though she does have some interesting stories to tell, and some good gossip to share.
This book seemed most outstanding to me when it explored the rise of the Roman republic, and when it examined mechanisms of power in the Roman empire. It covers about a thousand years of history in 500 pages, starting with the various myths of the founding of the city of Rome and continuing through the end of the kings, the rise and fall of the Republic, and officially ending at 212 CE when all inhabitants of the Empire are granted citizenship. I enjoyed the whole journey thoroughly, though I think I would have gotten more out of it if I knew more Roman history going into it. Most of my knowledge comes from Shakespeare, readings in medieval history, and a couple of courses I took decades ago. There are topics, such as Hannibal and Carthage, or the civil wars during the 1st century BCE, seem to want the reader to fill in some of the details. Wikipedia is a help in this regard.
One thing I still am curious about and that was not answered for me was how, within the city of Rome, the Emperor maintained a monopoly on violence. Was it the praetorian guard? How the other loci of power in the republic lose power to the emperor? I understood that
This book seemed most outstanding to me when it explored the rise of the Roman republic, and when it examined mechanisms of power in the Roman empire. It covers about a thousand years of history in 500 pages, starting with the various myths of the founding of the city of Rome and continuing through the end of the kings, the rise and fall of the Republic, and officially ending at 212 CE when all inhabitants of the Empire are granted citizenship. I enjoyed the whole journey thoroughly, though I think I would have gotten more out of it if I knew more Roman history going into it. Most of my knowledge comes from Shakespeare, readings in medieval history, and a couple of courses I took decades ago. There are topics, such as Hannibal and Carthage, or the civil wars during the 1st century BCE, seem to want the reader to fill in some of the details. Wikipedia is a help in this regard.
One thing I still am curious about and that was not answered for me was how, within the city of Rome, the Emperor maintained a monopoly on violence. Was it the praetorian guard? How the other loci of power in the republic lose power to the emperor? I understood that
informative
medium-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Mary beard I have been waiting to read this book and it did not disappoint me. I love anything feel with Roman time’s. She really takes you on a journey from each emperor and the betrayal that happened. She deep dove into the different politics that made Rome what it was in that day. Many of the Roman ways of leadership are still driven in our ranks these days.
The betrayal of the woman to the men really did blow my mind. She brought up a few I did not remember or know. So I will not spoil that for anyone. This was beautiful from start to finish.
I did have times when I did catch myself at some dry spots because it started to repeat some scenarios again with that it was a great read and I will be reading more books by this author. ✍️
The betrayal of the woman to the men really did blow my mind. She brought up a few I did not remember or know. So I will not spoil that for anyone. This was beautiful from start to finish.
I did have times when I did catch myself at some dry spots because it started to repeat some scenarios again with that it was a great read and I will be reading more books by this author. ✍️
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced