SPQR
by Mary Beard, Silvia Furió · first published 2015
73% recommend27% neutral
Why HN recommends it
One-volume history of Rome from its foundation myths through the Republic to the early Empire, grounded in scholarship that weighs literary sources against archaeology; a good entry point for general readers.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"Ancient Rome matters. Its history of empire, conquest, cruelty and excess is something against which we still judge ourselves. Its myths and stories - from Romulus and Remus to the Rape of Lucretia - still strike a chord with us. And its debates about citizenship, security and the rights of the individual still influence our own debates on civil liberty today. SPQR is a new look at Roman history from one of the world's foremost classicists. It explores not only how Rome grew from an insignificant village in central Italy to a power that controlled territory from Spain to Syria, but also how t
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I love Mary Beard and highly recommend her SPQR, which is a Roman history more or less with the midpoint as the fall of the Republic and transition to Empire... a very apt piece of history in the current political climate. I would be happy to hear…
on “How to be a Roman emperor” ↗I wasn't aware there was a cult of Mary Beard: perhaps you have to be in Great Britain to be aware of it. The author certainly seems to be a paid-up member. I did recently read and enjoy SPQR.
on “The Cult of Mary Beard (2018)” ↗I'd also recommend Mary Beard's book SPQR [1]. [1]https://www.amazon.com/SPQR-History-Ancient-Mary-Beard/dp/16...
on “Rome: Decline and Fall? Part II: Institutions” ↗…HN for the Roman Kingdom, Republic and Empire. For a very interesting history of Rome, from the 2 foundation myths (Romulus vs Aeneas) until the end of the "Pax Romana", I strongly suggest the book "SPQR", by Mary Beard. She is a very respected scholar on Ancient Rome and she has a lot of documentaries on Youtube. I just started the famous "Decline and fall of the Roman Empire", by Edward Gibbons, covering…
on “How to Roman Republic 101, Part IIIa: Starting Down the Path of Honors” ↗The author, Mary Beard, is a classicist and the UK's top Roman scholar. She's also the author of the critically acclaimed SPQR: https://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/18/books/review-in-spqr-a-hi...
on “Roman Britain in Black and White” ↗Some good ones I read this year: - _SPQR_, by Mary Beard. Engaging book surveying the history of ancient Rome, mostly Republic and early Empire if I recall correctly. - _To Explain The World_, by Steven Weinberg. History of physics from the…
on “Ask HN: Books you read in 2018?” ↗Great books to start: - Rubicon by Tom Holland - SPQR by Mary Beard - Dynasty by Tom Holland - Caesar by Adrian Goldsworthy (more of a bio on Julius C, a bit drier than the above, has section on Alesia)
on “Battle of Alesia” ↗For those interested in historical topics, I would recommend Mary Beard's recent "SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome" (https://www.amazon.com/SPQR-History-Ancient-Mary-Beard/dp/08...) and Barbara Tuchman's classic on WWI, "The Guns of August" (https://www.amazon.com/Guns-August-Pulitzer-Prize-Winning-Ou...).
…a disturbing level.”) The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan Paris 1919 and The War that Ended Peace - Margaret McMillan Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 by Tony Judt SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard Origins of Political Order: Francis Fukuyama - how politics + the state developed. Interesting contrast of Asia/China vs Europe/UK. How Asia Works: Success and…
on “Ask HN: What are your favourite history books?” ↗* Snow Crash - Neal Stephenson * Royal Tars: The Lower Deck of the Royal Navy - Brian Lavery * SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome - Mary Beard
on “Ask HN: What book(s) did you love reading this year?” ↗I already read SPQR, by Mary Beard, on the history of Rome's kingdom, Republic and early empire. I liked it so much that now I am in the middle of Emperor of Rome. Does anyone here have any good recommendations on Rome's…
on “In the Ruins of Edward Gibbon's Masterpiece” ↗…but I believe that whilst a seminal work that modern scholars draw a great deal from, it is neither the entry point for the casual reader, nor is it the latest thinking on many parts. Can I recommend 'SPQR' by the wonderful Mary Beard as a better entry point.
on “Secessio plebis” ↗It should be clear to anyone who has read this article by Dr. Beard (or her phenomenal book SPQR) that it isn't really up for debate whether there were Roman soldiers and civilians in Britain who came from the far reaches of the Empire and beyond. Yes, including from Africa. Whether we would have…
on “Roman Britain in Black and White” ↗She also wrote some quite accessible books: https://www.amazon.com/SPQR-History-Ancient-Mary-Beard-ebook...
on “Athens, Sparta and Rome: The Ancient Election” ↗Seeing Like a State, James C. Scott Grit, Angela Duckworth SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, Mary Beard Deep Work, Cal Newport
on “Ask HN: What are you reading?” ↗