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A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

Murder in Ancient Rome

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A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

By: Emma Southon
Narrated by: Sophie Ward
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About this listen

An entertaining and informative look at the unique culture of crime, punishment, and killing 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 theater; Claudius was poisoned at dinner; and Galba was beheaded in the Forum. In one 50-year period, 26 emperors were murdered.

But what did killing mean in a city where gladiators fought to the death to sate a crowd? In A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Emma Southon examines a trove of real-life homicides from Roman history to explore Roman culture, including how perpetrator, victim, and the act itself were regarded by ordinary people. Inside ancient Rome’s darkly fascinating history, we see how the Romans viewed life and death and what it means to be human.

©2021 Emma Southon. Published in 2021 by Abrams Press, an imprint of ABRAMS, New York. All rights reserved (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing Ancient Crime Murder Rome True Crime Ancient History
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This book is very enjoyable. What could have been a trite rendition of the greatest hits of Roman murders, as the author sort-of puts it, is instead a truly engrossing exploration of the romans as a culture fundamentally different to our own. On the way the author entertains, educates and ultimately reverses the focus of so much of scholarly writing on Ancient Rome. In the end, the author leaves you feeling a little more empathy for the victims in ancient Roman society and a little less for our own cultural conceits.

Also, it’s funny.

I cannot recommend this book enough.

Great read - well written, well researched and funny!

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This book provides a unique and thought provoking recount of roman history in such a way that it’s changed how i personally think about the roman empire.

Never thought about it like that

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An informarive, engaging and amusing history designed for the modern audience, bloody togas included. I sniggered my way through it in two days. If you are too delicate to handle occasional f-bombs, you should move along to a more staid tome.

A raucous ride

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Loved it. If you love ancient history this is just the thing, well researched and easy to follow. Entertaining!

Great fun

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The author is very engaging, funny, and deeply researched - it's a brilliant book. The narrator delivers a deadpan performance that highlights the humour in the book. It's a must listen!

Hilarious and interesting

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