A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
by Emma Southon · first published 2020
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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 cultu
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I’m going to name several, as I have odd tastes. I hope there is at least one here that someone will enjoy. “A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome”, Emma Southon “How Dante Can Save Your Life: The Life-Changing Wisdom of History's Greatest Poem”, Rod Dreher “The Club: Johnson, Boswell, and the Friends Who Shaped an Age”,…
on “Ask HN: What is your favorite book that you've read this year?” ↗…but there isn't "none" and I think I have bought at least three books recently purely on the strength of in-depth reviews I read online (they were Ross King: the Bookseller of Florence, Emma Southon: A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Geraldine Brooks: Year of Wonders And, the first two which I have read, had merits and issues, and the review highlighted both as I recall)
on “What we lose when literary criticism ends” ↗