A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder 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 theatre, Claudius was poisoned at dinner and Galba was beheaded in the forum. In one fifty-year period, twenty-six emperors were murdered. But what did killing mean in a city where gladiators fought to the death to sate a crowd? Emma Southon examines real-life homicides from Roman history to explore how perpetrator, victim and the act itself were regarded by ordinary people. Inside Ancient Rome s unique culture of crime and punishment, we see how the Romans viewed life, death, and what it means to be human.
Praise for the author: “Her lively and intermittently potty-mouthed biography of Nero s remarkable mother contains fascinating vignettes of Roman life (what to expect on your wedding day) and explores why Roman authors wrote about women in the way that they did. ” NEW STATESMAN
