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bufally47 's review for:
The Classical World: An Epic History from Homer to Hadrian
by Robin Lane Fox
Well, I suppose I got what I asked for: a sprawling history of nearly 1000 years. I’m sure taking 14 pages of notes had something to do with it, but tackling this beast felt like a chore, especially when I was away from it. I relished the wild stories of depraved emperors, but lumbered through the subtle shifts of power and alterations of the legal system. Ultimately, I did get what I wanted: a better understanding of when and where famous Greek and Roman figures existed, how they related to one another, and what the political climate was like in their day. I now feel better equipped to read St. Augustine’s essays, Shakespeare’s historical plays, or even (eventually) Gibbons’ behemoth Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. However, Fox’s prose stumbled over itself pretty frequently. The flow of writing and the layout of the information left something to be desired. (The chapters themselves worked ok, but the chaos within each chapter was irritating.) Deficiencies are inevitable in such a Herculean task (pun intended) but I wish it could have been executed with clear and organized prose peppered with illuminating observations and clever turns of phrase.