The Roman Triumph

De: Mary Beard

Narrado por: Lucy Rayner

It followed every major military victory in ancient Rome: the successful general drove through the streets to the temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill; behind him streamed his raucous soldiers; in front were his prisoners, as well as the booty he'd captured, from enemy ships and precious statues to plants and animals from the conquered territory. Occasionally there was so much on display that the show lasted two or three days.

A radical reexamination of this most extraordinary of ancient ceremonies, this book explores the magnificence of the Roman triumph, but also its darker side. What did it mean when the axle broke under Julius Caesar's chariot? And what are the implications of the Roman triumph, as a celebration of imperialism and military might, for questions about military power and "victory" in our own day? The triumph, Mary Beard contends, prompted the Romans to question as well as celebrate military glory.

Her work is a testament to the profound importance of the triumph in Roman culture—and for monarchs, dynasts, and generals ever since. But how can we recreate the ceremony as it was celebrated in Rome? How can we piece together its elusive traces in art and literature? Beard addresses these questions, opening a window on the intriguing process of sifting through and making sense of what constitutes "history."

©2007 The President and Fellows of Harvard College (P)2023 Tantor

Well explained.

Would recommend reading this for a comparison of how modern parades after major wars, almost mirror, the Roman triumph. Example the New York tickertape parade after a Second World War. And the military parade in Washington DC with Norman Schwarzkopf after the first Iraq war.

The narrator

she pauses at the end of each sentence. it's so long and awkward. after ready the sentence so fast.

Interesting book, but poorly narrated

Let’s get one thing out of the way first: the narrator was terrible, but don’t let that stop you from buying the book if you’re interested in the topic. The narrator had this extremely annoying vocal tick, where her tone starts out low, then goes extremely high, then comes back down again. This happens repeatedly and I found it grating. That having been said, the book was still worth listening to. This was an interesting book. Mary Beard is obviously very learned, and she does a great job of bringing together many strands of evidence to talk about the Roman Triumph. I do find that sometimes she seems to meander in her argumentation. I also think that she’s too skeptical for her own good at times. That haven’t been said, her perspective is always worth listening to, and this was a spectacular spectacle of a book, bringing out all the exotic glory of the Roman triumph, and asking many interesting, and worthwhile questions about it.

Did Mary Beard really write this book?

It reads like research notes cobbled together into a book. It is all over the place - jumping from one reference to another. Some of the sentences are so long the narrator is left gasping for breath. I have enjoyed watching Mary Beard hosting TV documentaries on ancient Rome and she comes across as very knowledgeable and witty. She has a great personality but none of that personality is in this book. The narration was very monotonal. If the author(s) was trying to inject some interest or entertainment, then you would never pick it in the narration.