Reviews - SPQR : Istorija starog Rima

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SPQR : Istorija starog Rima

Mary Beard

4.02 AVERAGE

acg233's review against another edition

2.0

After reading a number of historical books lately, I was disappointed by how difficult this was to follow.

jben74's review against another edition

4.0

informative slow-paced

A very well-written look at the first ~800-1000 years of the city of Rome. Interesting and in-depth but still broad enough for me to follow.

huskey's review against another edition

4.0

Characterized by its compassionate approached to its subject. Beard brings a kind of clarity that makes the subject very approachable; she is willing to add qualifiers on subjects where the verdict may still be out. I love that she leans into the ambiguity of the historical record as a source of fascination rather than an impediment to it.

academicaries's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous informative reflective slow-paced

Mary Beard's work is spectacularly accessible, insightful, and thoughtfully researched. She masterfully presents a wide range of topics discussing the Roman empire, from internal customs and conflicts to external "enemies" and challenges. However, I found myself eyeing some passages with suspicion. To start, her discussion between Cicero and Catiline was interesting, though I failed to recognize why it had to be the hinge that opened the book; I found it irrelevant to the book's overall purpose. At times, she adopts a perspective that's blindingly neutral, often in omission of the political imbalances Rome had with its neighbors; such as presenting foreign tribes and societies as "aggressive" and "violent" for resisting colonialism and the harsh life imposed unto them. Additionally, the sequences of events are more nonlinear than I would've liked; she often refers to connections between events happening before and after, though it's structured in a way that confuses more than it clarifies. Lastly, I think I would've appreciated a more academic, chronological, and exhaustive timeline; here, the story ends when all peoples in occupied territories — from the Northernmost to the Southernmost parts of the empire — are granted citizenship.

In spite of this, there are times when the political commentary is poignant, commonly drawing parallels between their and our time. In this way, it confirmed and provided examples to an earlier theory of mine; that many of the political conflicts and strife we face today is part of a cyclical phenomena, and one that we likely inherited from the Romans. She makes real effort to paint the most detailed picture possible of the common people — the ones at the bottom, from slaves, women, merchants, and the like, which also echo our present modes of organization and lifestyle.

Overall, this was an enlightening read, and I do not regret reading it, in spite of my critiques and mild disappointments. It'll be a cherished part of my library, and now I possess more knowledge on this part of the ancient world.

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