The following 200 odd years, detailing the period of the ‘Principate’ emperors, feels much more rushed and thematic. The first part of SPQR, covering the foundation and growth of the Republic through to its subsequent transformation under Augustus in the latter part of the 1st century BC, is episodic but essentially follows a linear narrative. However, I was gifted this book and so once I started, I needed to finish! That applies here (Marius and the Cimbrian War hardly get a mention for instance). I get frustrated that the author is, necessarily, constrained and so has to arbitrarily choose what to include and what to leave out. If you want that, then specialist books are what you need and that’s what I usually prefer. There’s no in depth analysis of each event. The problem with any book spanning a thousand years of history is that - no matter how large - it can only give a surface presentation of the narrative as it moves along. As we all know, the Western Roman Empire continued for another 250 years whereas the Eastern Roman Empire - popularly now known as the Byzantium Empire - lasted for a further 1200 years until its eventual fall in 1453.

Or, as Mary Beard writes, Rome’s first millennium.

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.SPQR ( Senatus PopulusQue Romanus meaning, for the Senate and People of Rome, the indelible banner stamped below the eagle standards of the Roman legions) is a chunky book that traces Rome from its beginnings as a bandit village in the 750’s BC through to the grant of universal citizenship across the empire by Caracalla in 212 AD. Hailed by critics as animating '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) and spanning nearly a thousand years of history, this 'highly informative, highly readable' (Dallas Morning News) work examines not just how we think of ancient Rome but challenges the comfortable historical perspectives that have existed for centuries. In SPQR, an instant classic, Mary Beard narrates the history of Rome 'with passion and without technical jargon' and demonstrates how 'a slightly shabby Iron Age village' rose to become the 'undisputed hegemon of the Mediterranean' (Wall Street Journal).

New York Times Bestseller - National Book Critics Circle Finalist - Wall Street Journal Best Books of 2015 - Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2015 - Economist Books of the Year 2015 - New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books of 2015 A sweeping, 'magisterial' history of the Roman Empire from one of our foremost classicists shows why Rome remains 'relevant to people many centuries later' (Atlantic).

Spqr book review