SPQR

A History of Ancient Rome

De: Mary Beard

Narrado por: Phyllida Nash

A sweeping, revisionist history of the Roman Empire from one of our foremost classicists.

Ancient Rome was an imposing city even by modern standards, a sprawling imperial metropolis of more than a million inhabitants, a "mixture of luxury and filth, liberty and exploitation, civic pride and murderous civil war" that served as the seat of power for an empire that spanned from Spain to Syria. Yet how did all this emerge from what was once an insignificant village in central Italy?

In SPQR, world-renowned classicist Mary Beard narrates the unprecedented rise of a civilization that even 2,000 years later still shapes many of our most fundamental assumptions about power, citizenship, responsibility, political violence, empire, luxury, and beauty. From the foundational myth of Romulus and Remus to 212 CE, nearly a thousand years later, when the emperor Caracalla gave Roman citizenship to every free inhabitant of the empire, SPQR (the abbreviation of "The Senate and People of Rome") not just examines how we think of ancient Rome but challenges the comfortable historical perspectives that have existed for centuries by exploring how the Romans thought of themselves: how they challenged the idea of imperial rule, how they responded to terrorism and revolution, and how they invented a new idea of citizenship and nation.

Opening the audiobook in 63 BCE with the famous clash between the populist aristocrat Catiline and Cicero, the renowned politician and orator, Beard animates this "terrorist conspiracy", which was aimed at the very heart of the republic, demonstrating how this singular event would presage the struggle between democracy and autocracy that would come to define much of Rome's subsequent history. Illustrating how a classical democracy yielded to a self-confident and self-critical empire, SPQR reintroduces us, though in a wholly different way, to famous and familiar characters.

©2015 Mary Beard (P)2015 Recorded Books

Quite a unique perspective

What did you love best about SPQR?

Mary Beard in her SPQR does not customarily re-tells common myth, yet her work is not poisoned with skepticism.

What did you like best about this story?

New perspectives on the old events and characters. New archaeological discoveries to help to make a point.

Which character – as performed by Phyllida Nash – was your favorite?

Ms Nash performed lovely. Very polished POSH.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Reflect.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed the book. However, the SPQR might prove to be quite confusing for the ones who had not been firstly acquainted with Livy, Tacitus and Gibbon.

Mary Beard always informative and entertaining

The history of Rome and the empire is so sweeping that it tends to be either a series of greatest hits vignettes or offers an overly idiosyncratic choice of focus. Mary Beard walks this fine line quite nicely, offering a nice cross-section of points of focus and a combination of wise summaries and interesting and illustrative pieces of modern research to support her claims concerning current trends in thinking about Roman history. All in all an excellent addition to a large literature.

A fresh perspective

Mary Beard's takes a step back from the usual subjects and instead treats us to an in-depth analysis of Rome, how she came to be, the changing politics, the people, their income and livelihoods, their foods, customs, and way of life.

Great info but boring

The information contained is certainly interesting, and even as someone with an intense interest in ancient Rome, I learned quite a few new things. My problem with this, specifically, was the narration. The tone never changed and nearly put me to sleep at times.

Not for Beginners

This book is not a chronological history of Ancient Rome. It covers several topics and jumps around discussing events. If you are familiar with Ancient Rome, then this book is relatively easy to follow. If you’re a first timer, look elsewhere.

A brilliant exploration of ancient Roman culture

This is a brilliant exploration of ancient Roman culture by a highly respected scholar. Mary Beard adeptly lays out the driving forces behind Roman ideology, politics, and daily life. She cites both literary and archaeological evidence in a conscientious and unbiased manner. The only critique I have is that the title is a bit misleading. This is not a textbook "history" of ancient Rome detailing important events in chronological order. However, it is a wonderful companion to such textbooks. I would highly recommend this book to anyone attempting to get a deeper understanding of why events in Roman history unfolded the way they did.

Historical and archeological analysis blend perfectly

This book is great for anybody wanting to know more about the not very often discussed historical portions of the Roman Empire, starting with the founding of the city of Rome itself. The story is stellar and combines archeological and historical analysis seamlessly. The only drawback is that the performer is sometimes not easy to understand, her accent is tough.

Excellent book but requires some familiarity with ancient history

Enjoyed the book but it assumes a lot of knowledge of Classical Roman history. The narrator is very good

Full of detail

This an academic work. It drags in some places, but the amount of information is incredible. It briefly covers the ancient history of Rome to give a solid base of knowledge. The next emphasis is on the governmental working of the senate. Now comes the best part - the individuals that make the Roman Empire. I loved the narration, there isn't any way I could have pronounced most of the names of people or places. This is a true work of love.

The History of Rome in its most boring Form

One of the greatest historical tales of all time, read by the most monotone reader imaginable. Good content, cannot stay awake to the reader...