Best Easy Read on the History of Rome
The best books on ancient Roman history
Who are we?
Rob is an Assistant Professor of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University and a former congressional speechwriter. His forthcoming book, Word on Fire: Eloquence and Its Conditions is under contract with Cambridge University Press. He's published research in journals including the American Political Science Review, the Review of Politics, and History of Political Thought. He has also written for publications including Slate, The Atlantic, and Aeon. Jimmy is an award-winning author and ghostwriter. With Rob, he published a Mind at Play: How Claude Shannon Invented the Information Age. The book won the 2017 Neumann Prize, awarded by the British Society for the History of Mathematics for the best book on the history of mathematics for a general audience. Jimmy's writing and commentary have appeared in the Washington Examiner, the New York Observer, Forbes, and The Atlantic, among many other outlets.
The books we picked & why
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S.P.Q.R: A History of Ancient Rome
Why this book?
Mary Beard is one of the most respected classics scholars working today, but she's also shown that she's able to write accessible and timely books for the general public. SPQR is one of the best introductions to Beard's work, and to life and politics in ancient Rome. It's a magisterial history, telling the story of Rome from its mythical founding to the end of the empire--full of fascinating facts, but never dry.
Cicero: The Life and Times of Rome's Greatest Politician
Why this book?
When we were first figuring out how to write our biography of Cato, Everitt's work on Cicero was our go-to guide. It doesn't simply cover in fascinating detail the key events from the end of the Roman Republic--it's a model of how to bring an ancient figure to life, situating Cicero in the midst of the all-too-modern political controversies that shaped his life.
The Roman Way
Why this book?
An oldie (first published in 1932) but a goodie. Hamilton's short essays on the classic Latin writers--from the first writers of Latin comedy through to the epic poets and historians who did so much to shape the language--aren't just a crash course on the Roman literary canon. They're an accessible introduction to Roman culture from the ground up.
Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic
Why this book?
Just about the best one-volume history of the Roman Republic out there. Holland doesn't just bring you dry facts; he pulls you into the gripping drama of that era and brings each character--Pompey, Caesar, Cato, and Cicero, among others--to life. A must-read.
Cleopatra: A Life
Why this book?
Here's a useful maxim for all readers of history: Read anything that Stacy Schiff writes, period. Schiff brings her elegant pen and careful eye to Cleopatra's story, and what's powerful is how much she managed to wring out a figure shrouded in rumor, myth, and fragments of stories tucked here and there. As Cato's biographers, we had to do similar sleuthing--Cato didn't leave behind much written work--so we impressed.
5 book lists we think you will like!
Interested in Rome, Cicero, and ancient Rome?
5,471 authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about Rome, Cicero, and ancient Rome.
Rome Explore 185 books about Rome
Cicero Explore 14 books about Cicero
And, 3 books we think you will enjoy!
We think you will like The Cicero Trilogy, Imperium, and Latin for All Occasions if you like this list.
The Cicero Trilogy
Imperium, Lustrum, and Dictator chart the disintegration of Rome's republic and the inexorable rise, then sudden fall, of Julius Caesar. Told from the vantage point of Cicero, the most persuasive speaker of the age, it's thrilling from the outset, an epic political thriller that seems to foreshadow the beginning of the modern world. The events are so incredible, so momentous, you have to keep reminding yourself they're true.
Imperium
My favorite novel set in Ancient Rome, and perhaps my favorite novel period. This series follows the personal slave of the famous Roman Statesman Cicero. The first-person perspective allows us to see directly into the inner workings of the Roman Republic. The details are visceral, the emotions are real. Despite his vanity and arrogant tendencies, you find yourself constantly cheering for Cicero in his struggle to achieve respect in the cutthroat world of Roman politics. This book was a major inspiration for me as I began writing my own series, and I continue to return to it to this day.
Latin for All Occasions
Here it is! Everything from a simple 'I'll have a bucket of fried chicken' ('Da mihi sis hamam carnis gallinaceae frictae') to a crafted curse like 'May conspirators assassinate you in the mall!' ('Utinam coniurati te in foro interficiant!'), via such gems as 'Do you want to dance? I know the Funky Broadway' ('Visne saltare? Viam Latam Fungosam scio') and 'Eat my shorts!' ('Vescere bracis meis!'). Need to know how to impress your native-speaker co-diner in a pretentious restaurant? Try 'Vinum bellum iucundumque est, sed animo corporeque caret' ('It's a nice little wine, but it lacks character and depth.'). Or maybe you just need a few pejorative terms to hurl at the driver who has cut in on your hired chariot; if so then 'Airhead!' ('Caput vanis!'), 'Dork!' ('Caudex!') or 'Space cadet!' ('Tiro astromachus!') might, inter alia, fit the bill. A constant source of delight; Cicero wouldn't have approved, let alone Marcus Cato, but Juvenal would have loved it.
Source: https://shepherd.com/best-books/ancient-roman-history
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