Read by Sophie Ward

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 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? 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. "Her writing gives the impression that she's having the time of her life and wants to bring us, her besties, along for the ride." "Southon brings some great and little-known murder stories to light, reveling in the bizarre and the macabre." "Southon's highly entertaining saga of murder and mayhem in ancient Rome is a guide to a society with a completely different concept of killing than our own." "Provides not only humor but a sense of relevance to today's world…Brutal, graphic, amusing, and enthralling, this work is a must-read for true crime fans as well as history lovers." "A brilliant idea, brilliantly executed." "Blood, guts, murder, emperors, and a sprinkling of uplifting Latin. A wonderful book on the Roman way of death. Mirabile dictu!" "I love this funny, scholarly, erudite, irreverent book…Reading it is like seeing a classical statue not remote and austere on a pedestal, but painted in all its original bright colors."

Mode of access: World Wide Web