SPQR: A History of Ancient RomeSPQR: A History of Ancient Rome
Score Modern
What it's about
Mary Beard, the Cambridge classicist, tells the history of ancient Rome over its first thousand years, from a small village on the Tiber to the ruler of the Mediterranean, ending in 212 AD when every free man in the empire was made a citizen. She looks at how the Romans told their own story, and what life was like for ordinary people as well as emperors.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and is the best modern one-volume history of Rome. Beard is lively, skeptical and funny.
You'll love it if you liked
Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic
I, Claudius
Memoirs of HadrianGood to know
It ends before the empire's famous decline. Beard questions many legends rather than retelling them.
By the numbers
- Readers52 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics24 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller55 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz3 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #143 of the 198 history books we rank
- #592 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1126 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
More by Mary Beard
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Quick answers
Is SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and is the best modern one-volume history of Rome. It ranks #1,126 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 71.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome about?
Mary Beard, the Cambridge classicist, tells the history of ancient Rome over its first thousand years, from a small village on the Tiber to the ruler of the Mediterranean, ending in 212 AD when every free man in the empire was made a citizen. She looks at how the Romans told their own story, and what life was like for ordinary people as well as emperors.
How long does it take to read SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome?
About 15 hours (607 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome?
If you liked it, try Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland, I, Claudius by Robert Graves or Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar.