A SCANDALOUS HISTORY OF THE ROMAN EMPERORS
By Anthony Blond

Robinson - 2000
ISBN: 1841191736 - Paperback
Nonfiction / History

Reviewed by: Rachel Hyde, MyShelf.Com
Buy a Copy

If you are a fan of writers like Stephen Saylor and Lindsey Davis or perhaps are writing a book set in Ancient Rome then you will need this racy feast of Roman mores and scandals.  This is no dry history book but a highly readable and amusing trawl through the private lives of the Caesars (Julius to Nero) and social, cultural and political topics.  Discover how a typical Roman citizen spent his days and where he lived, find out what people really ate at those Lucullan banquets (forget orgies - they seem to owe more to fiction than to fact) and how slaves were regarded.  Find out which of the 1st century AD emperors covered in the book wasn't bisexual, who the most dangerous really was (not who you think) and who was and wasn't mad.  This book will also tell you - something the novels often get wrong - Roman attitudes to things like homosexuality, religion, how a slave was regarded and the Games.  But once you have this book on your shelves you will know better!

Whether you got put off Rome at school in Latin class and now think it is boring or have been fascinated by it for years you will still find this book entertaining and informative.

© MyShelf.Com. All Rights Reserved.