A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Murder in Ancient Rome
Ratings16
Average rating4
An entertaining and informative look at the unique culture of crime, punishment, and killing in Ancient Rome In Ancient Rome, all the best stories have one thing in common--murder. Romulus killed Remus to found the city, Caesar was assassinated to save the Republic. Caligula was butchered in the theater, Claudius was poisoned at dinner, and Galba was beheaded in the Forum. In one 50-year period, 26 emperors were murdered. But what did killing mean in a city where gladiators fought to the death to sate a crowd? In A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Emma Southon examines a trove of real-life homicides from Roman history to explore Roman culture, including how perpetrator, victim, and the act itself were regarded by ordinary people. Inside Ancient Rome's darkly fascinating history, we see how the Romans viewed life, death, and what it means to be human.
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I'm not really a big Roman history person overall, but every so often something gets me. I loved the I, Claudius miniseries (have yet to read the books), I love the Totalus Rankium podcast, and I really enjoyed Emma Southon's episode on Agrippina on Rex Factor and now listen to her podcast.
This was such a fun and fascinating book! Parts made me laugh out loud, parts made me groan in horror (and made my husband ask what was wrong). The concept of what makes a murder in Ancient Rome and all the different avenues explored were really interesting.
I have Emma Southon's book on Agrippina to read, and I want to bump it up my pile. She's such a fun historian and makes it all so enjoyable to read about.
Southon is a fantastic writer blending ancient history with wicked humour. A fascinating read, uncomfortable at times, but overall a brilliant book. Southons wit and tone are what make it. Highly recommend.
