Rome’s emperors in all their egotistic and eccentric glory
Mary Beard gives readers a view of what they ate, how they dressed and how they dealt with slaves and senators
“I don’t like the Romans much,” says the renowned classics historian Mary Beard to surprised laughter from the audience at the Cape Town launch of her new book, Emperor of Rome. A few minutes later, of the emperors, she adds, “I hate them. But I think they are absolutely so interesting, enough to keep me going for a lifetime.”
This is the 20th book by the Cambridge University professor emerita, most of which have investigated and interpreted the ancient world, Rome in particular. She has also written and presented a number of BBC TV series, notably Meet the Romans and Civilisations, which have contributed to ensuring ancient history remains accessible...
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