SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome

i don't know what possessed me to think that i'm a girl who can read a full non-fiction book about history and not??? lose my mind????? needless to say, won't be trying this again, so sorry. <3 <3 <3

Mary Beard blows up the idea of the Rome you thought you knew versus what a detailed accounting tells us. The drama of Rome is an unending list of tabloid worthy scandals. As Mary Beard points out, the turmoil that plagued Rome to its end may lie in the roots of its fratricidal founding. And now the themes from our daily headlines are just repeated stories from ages ago. Indeed, when contrasted against the current state of affairs we are reminded how history echoes itself if not wholesale repeats. As always, what we learn from history could save us today. In one example, the way in which Rome had a more inclusive citizenry that pulled from its collective territories could be held up against the machinations of the far right today. At every turn Mary Beard reminds us that history is written by the victor and therefore we must examine Rome’s story with some incredulity and a healthy level of curiosity to seek out supporting or competing narratives. It’s in the gaps of the known stories that Mary Beard’s work shines. The experiences of the Everyman of Rome matters as much as those of the Emperor for her. Even if we don’t have a lot of written down.