1
of
1
SPQR
A History of Ancient Rome
Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.
Check link for latest rating. ( 78,225 ratings, 5,485 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still
learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Summary
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2999
$3299
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
OVERNIGHT NZ-WIDE DELIVERY
Found a better price? Request a price match
SPQR
$2999
$3299
Elsewhere:
Unit price
/
Unavailable
Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
Latest News
New Hero Alert! Meet Theresa – our new Warehouse Sidekick
We’re thrilled to welcome Theresa to the Book Hero team! Whenever we bring a new...
Our Rolife Range Is Getting Even Bigger!
Our Rolife range is getting even bigger! We’ve got a huge new shipment on the...
How to Make 1000 Piece Puzzles Easier
1000 piece puzzles can seem a little intimidating, but a few simple tricks can make...
Pick up a Microhistory (and become a very niche expert)
If you've seen people talking about a book about Salt and wondered what was happening...
Lizzy's August Reading
Book Hero team member Lizzy is rounding up her reads for August! Check out what...
See moreMary Beard on Ancient Rome: Britain's favourite classicist lifts the lid on the Roman Empire.
Mary Beard on Ancient Rome: Britain's favourite classicist lifts the lid on the Roman Empire. A major new BBC TV series presented by the author starts in May 2016.
Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and
still learning, it may not be perfect - your
feedback is welcome!
Description
Ancient Rome continues to captivate modern readers, and its history is crucial for understanding the foundations of Western civilisation. In SPQR by Professor Mary Beard, one of the world's foremost classicists delves deep into the history of Rome, offering a comprehensive and captivating exploration of this extraordinary empire.
This authoritative work traces the evolution of Rome from its humble beginnings as a small village in central Italy to its emergence as a dominant empire stretching from Spain to Syria. Through meticulous research and engaging narrative, Beard examines how the Romans themselves perceived their accomplishments and legacy, providing insight into their worldviews and values that still resonate today.
SPQR covers a span of 1,000 years, presenting a fresh perspective on Roman culture. This book illuminates essential aspects of ancient life, including the complex institution of slavery, the development and impact of running water infrastructure, and discussions surrounding democracy, migration, religious disputes, social mobility, and exploitation. These topics are placed within the broader context of the Roman Empire, shedding light on the intricate social and political frameworks that drove its expansion and sustained its power.
Moreover, Beard skillfully connects the past with the present, illustrating how many of the debates and issues faced by the Romans—such as citizenship, security, and civil rights—continue to influence contemporary discourse on liberty and governance. The myths and legendary figures from Rome's storied past, from Romulus and Remus to the tragic tale of Lucretia, still evoke a profound response and offer timeless lessons.
The title SPQR stands for "Senatus Populusque Romanus," or "the Senate and People of Rome," a term that embodies the collective identity and governance of the Roman state. Beard's work brings to life the essence of this motto, exploring how it shaped the empire's operations and cultural imprint.
By combining rigorous historical analysis with vivid storytelling, SPQR is more than just a history book; it is a reflection on the enduring legacy of Rome and its relevance in our modern age. This definitive history is essential reading for anyone intrigued by ancient Rome and its lasting impact on the world.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
SPQR by Professor Mary Beard is celebrated for its fast-paced and engaging narrative, combining scholarly depth with a lively presentation. Reviews praise Beard's ability to sustain energy over the book's extensive length, providing both broad historical overviews and intimate, humorous details. It's recognised as a masterful piece of popular history that challenges conventional views and brings ancient Rome vividly to life.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781846683817
Publisher: Profile Books Ltd
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 01 April 2016
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: Profile Books Ltd
Edition: Main
Illustration: 16 page pcolour plate section and embedded black and white pictures
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 38.0mm
Width: 128.0mm
Height: 190.0mm
Weight: 510g
Pages: 608
About the Author
Mary Beard is a professor of classics at Newnham College, Cambridge, and the classics editor of the TLS. She has world-wide academic acclaim. Her previous books include the bestselling, Wolfson Prize-winning Pompeii, The Roman Triumph, The Parthenon and Confronting the Classics. Her blog has been collected in the books It's a Don's Life and All in a Don's Day. She is in the 2014 top 10 Prospect list of the most influential thinkers in the world.
Also by Professor Mary Beard
View all-
Emperor of Rome
The Sunday Times Top Ten & New York Times Bestseller Blackwell's Non-Fiction Book of the Year Shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year 2023 Extraordinary ... a deliciously varied tapestry of detail drawn from across nearly three centuries – Telegraph What was it really like to rule and be ruled in the Ancient Roman world? In her international best-seller...Paperback$2999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Pompeii
Pompeii by Professor Mary Beard offers a fascinating exploration into the life and catastrophic death of an ancient Roman town. Drawing on a wealth of archaeological evidence and classical sources, Beard breathes new life into the ruins, revealing the day-to-day experiences of its residents, the vibrancy of its streets, and the mechanisms of its sudden obliteration. In this groundbreaking work,...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$2999Unit price /UnavailableBackorderShips mid September -
Emperor of Rome
Cruel control freaks, diligent workaholics or extravagant teenagers? What were the emperors of Rome really like? In her international best-seller SPQR, Mary Beard told the thousand-year story of ancient Rome. Now, she shines her spotlight on the emperors who ruled the Roman empire, from Julius Caesar (assassinated 44 BCE) to Alexander Severus (assassinated 235 CE). Emperor of Rome is not...Hardback$6800Elsewhere:$7500Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 4-6 weeks -
Talking Classics
From the bestselling author of Emperor of Rome and SPQR "The rock star scholar of Ancient Rome" – Financial Times "The reigning Queen of Classics" – Spectator What's exciting about a piece of bread 4,000 years old? Or some pots of paint abandoned in the eruption at Pompeii? Why should we be bothered with the distant past anyway? What's the...Hardback$3199Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Democracy
This is an exceptional moment for democracy. In the year of elections, read Margaret Atwood, Mary Beard, Lea Ypi, Elif Shafak and more on what democracy means - and why it matters. In 2024, nearly half the world will take part in a national election, with billions heading to the polls. It's a thrilling, unprecedented opportunity for change - yet...Paperback$2299Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Pompeii
Pompeii explodes a number of myths – from the very date of the eruption, probably a few months later than usually thought; the hygiene of the baths, which must have been hotbeds of germs; and the legendary number of brothels, most likely only one, to the massive death count, which was probably less than ten per cent of the population....PaperbackSold Out -
Confronting the Classics
Mary Beard is one of the world's best-known classicists — a brilliant academic, with a rare gift for communicating with a wide audience both through her books and TV presenting. In a series of sparkling essays, she explores our rich classical heritage — from Greek drama to Roman jokes, introducing some larger-than-life characters of classical history, such as Alexander the...PaperbackSold Out -
The Colosseum
The Colosseum was Imperial Rome's monument to warfare. Like a cathedral of death, it towered over the city and invited its citizens, 50,000 at a time, to watch murderous gladiatorial games. It is now visited by two million visitors a year (Hitler was among them). Award-winning classicist Mary Beard, together with Keith Hopkins, tells the story of Rome's greatest arena:...PaperbackSold Out -
It's a Don's Life
Mary Beard's by now famous blog It's a Don's Life has been running on the Times Literary Supplement website for nearly three years. In it, she has made her name as a wickedly subversive commentator on the world in which we live. Her central themes are the classics, universities, and teaching - and much else besides. What are academics for?...PaperbackSold Out -
The Parthenon
The ruined silhouette of the Parthenon on its hill above Athens is one of the world's most famous images. Its 'looted' Elgin Marbles are a global cause celebre. But what actually are they? In a revised and updated edition, Mary Beard, award-winning writer, reviewer, and leading Cambridge classicist, tells the history and explains the significance of the Parthenon, the temple...PaperbackSold Out -
All in a Don's Day
Her central themes are the classics, universities and teaching - and much else besides. In this second collection following on from the success of It's a Don's Life, Beard ponders whether Gaddafi's home is Roman or not. We share her 'terror of humiliation' as she enters 'hairdresser country' and follow her dilemma as she wanders through the quandary of illegible...PaperbackSold Out -
Civilisations: How Do We Look / The Eye of Faith
Focusing on the arrival of the human figure as a subject of art, Mary Beard examines the history of beauty in civilisation. Beginning with the Jericho painted skulls from 10,000 years ago, and the extraordinary figures of Ain Ghazal, it examines in depth the creativity that gave identity to ancient Egypt, where colossi of powerful rulers were also matched by...HardbackSold Out
More from History & Military
View all-
21% offSaving Elli
One child. Two years in hiding. Three lives in mortal danger. In Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's house, another Jewish girl is hidden. Her name is Elli. Her father has been executed at Mauthausen concentration camp. Her mother is fleeing for her life. Elli is next. To save her, resistance couple Frits and Jo Hakkens must risk everything, concealing her...Paperback$2600Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
The Spy and the Traitor
The Spy and the Traitor by Ben Macintyre is a spellbinding Cold War thriller that unravels the true story of Oleg Gordievsky, a KGB double agent who risked everything to aid the British in the battle against Soviet oppression. In meticulously researched detail, Macintyre paints a vivid portrait of espionage, double-crossing, and unparalleled bravery, giving readers a riveting glimpse into...Paperback$2100Elsewhere:$2600Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
New ReleaseSuicidal Empathy
The bestselling author of The Parasitic Mind shows why empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. What happens when a society elevates victimhood to a virtue and decides that punishment is cruel? You get the disease Dr. Gad Saad calls suicidal empathy. And the West may be terminally infected. In his new book, Suicidal Empathy, Saad unleashes a blistering critique...Paperback$3099Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
20% off
Betrayal
‘Tom Bower is the Inspector Morse of investigative biographers, a fluent, phlegmatic storyteller and a master of intricacies.’ Sunday Times The British Crown is in crisis, with constitutional threats at home and abroad. At a landmark moment in royal history, can King Charles overcome the scandals that blight the Royal family? Can the broken bonds between the Houses of Sussex...Paperback$2800Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Man's Search For Meaning
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is a profound, thought-provoking memoir and psychological exploration that delves into the harrowing experiences of life in Nazi concentration camps, intertwined with the author’s groundbreaking theories on existential psychology. The book is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, offering a beacon of hope and a roadmap for finding purpose...Paperback$1800Elsewhere:$2100Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
20% offDiscipline
Silence is complicity, but how do we confront the cost of speaking up? Sydney, May 2021. Ashraf is an academic whose career and personal life are in freefall. Hannah is a young journalist struggling to honour the voices of her community. When a Year 12 Al-Bayinnah College student is arrested for protesting a university's ties to an Israeli weapons manufacturer,...Paperback$3200Usually:$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Pre-orderDad, I Want to Hear Your Story (Deluxe Edition)
Capture His Story, Honor His Legacy The Official Hear Your Story Collection Your dad's story is more than just memories-it's a journey filled with wisdom, experiences, and defining moments that shaped his life. Dad, I Want to Hear Your Story is a guided journal that gives him the chance to share those stories in his own words, creating a legacy...Hardback$4999Elsewhere:$5500Unit price /UnavailableOut 20 Nov 2026Pre-order -
Shattered Lands
'A sparkling debut by an outstanding young historian' – PETER FRANKOPAN 'This book is a revelation … both original and important' – MISHAL HUSAIN A history of modern South Asia told through five partitions that reshaped it. As recently as 1928, a vast swathe of Asia – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, Bhutan, Yemen, Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and...Paperback$3699Elsewhere:$4500Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
SignedThe Chief and the Empire
The Chief and the Empire uncovers the extraordinary true tale of Te Tai Tokerau rangatira Te Pahi - the first influential Māori leader to cross the Tasman - whose curiosity about the Pākehā world forged alliances, saved lives, and ultimately cost him his own. On a visit to Sydney in 1805, Te Pahi was feted as a celebrity, building close...Paperback$3200Elsewhere:$3999Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Goliath’s Curse
Goliath’s Curse by Luke Kemp offers a radical retelling of human history through the lens of collapse, delving into what this means for our uncertain future. This narrative spans from the dawn of our species to the urgent existential threats of the twenty-first century and beyond. It's grounded in the latest research and a comprehensive database of more than 440...Paperback$2999Elsewhere:$4000Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Stolen Revolution
A moving, riveting and immersive story of six Iranians who, together, lived the entire arc of modern Iranian history—the promise of the 1979 revolution, its betrayal by the Islamic mafia state and a people's undying spirit of resistance. Fuelled by Iranians' dreams of social justice and political freedom, the 1979 revolution swept aside the shah's ailing, repressive monarchy. But in...Paperback$3999Elsewhere:$4800Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow -
Banjara
A powerful literary debut from an astonishing new Kiwi voice, focusing on the Indo-Fijian indenture system and how it affected generations across the Pacific.Rajasthan 1888: Avani Rathod, a nomad of the Banjara community, is summoned to teach a blue-eyed colonial officer the trees of her region, but instead is misled into indenture to the sugarcane plantations of Fiji. While on...Paperback$3099Elsewhere:$3799Unit price /UnavailableIn StockShips tomorrow
Why buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
History & Military lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!
