# Recommend a Good History of Ancient Rome **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 26, 2008, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051 "2008-01-26T03:08:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051/1 "2008-01-26T03:08:19Z")
As mentioned in another thread, I am currently greatly enjoying the HBO series **Rome** through Netflix. I realized quite soon in my viewing that my historical knowledge of ancient Rome is spotty at best. Can anyone recommend a good book for me to read that really tells the story of ancient Rome, at least from Julius Caesar through the reign of Augustus? Thanks in advance. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051/2 "2008-01-26T04:23:24Z")
It’s by no means comprehensive, but as an introduction to the period, “The Twelve Caesars” by [Suetonius](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lives_of_the_Twelve_Caesars) can’t be beat. As the wiki article mentions, > [@](#): > > critics say the book is founded on gossip and citations of historians who had lived in the time of the early emperors, rather than on primary sources of that time. The book can be described as very racy, packed with gossip, dramatic and sometimes amusing. There are times the author subjectively expresses his opinion and knowledge. Like racy , gossiping, dramatic and amusing is a bad thing in history! Available as a Penguin ---
**Author:** ![vison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e47774/32.png) [@vison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vison)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051/3 "2008-01-26T04:49:33Z")
[QUOTE=Frostillicus] As mentioned in another thread, I am currently greatly enjoying the HBO series **Rome** through Netflix. I realized quite soon in my viewing that my historical knowledge of ancient Rome is spotty at best. Can anyone recommend a good book for me to read that really tells the story of ancient Rome, at least from Julius Caesar through the reign of Augustus? Thanks in advance. [/QUOTE] The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbons. An oldie but goody. ---
**Author:** ![Septima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Septima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Septima)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051/4 "2008-01-26T05:20:25Z")
Gah. I keep wanting to reply to this thread, but all my best books are in norwegian. Lets see… “The History and Conquests of Ancient Rome” by Nigel Rodgers and “History of Ancient Rome” by Nathaniel Harris are both quick and easy books, with plenty of beautifull illustrations, timelines and other good stuff. My go-to works for when I need to know "Who was that again? or “When did that happen?”. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051/5 "2008-01-26T05:25:15Z")
If want the roughly the time period of the series you can go with Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland. [http://www.amazon.com/Rubicon-Last-Years-Roman-Republic/dp/1400078970/ref=pd\_bbs\_sr\_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201324924&sr=8-1](http://www.amazon.com/Rubicon-Last-Years-Roman-Republic/dp/1400078970/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201324924&sr=8-1) ---
**Author:** ![Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051/6 "2008-01-26T05:29:28Z")
[QUOTE=vison] The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbons. An oldie but goody. [/QUOTE] That book does not cover the time period the OP is asking about. Gibbon starts just after Aurelius. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051/7 "2008-01-26T05:29:58Z")
[QUOTE=vison] The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbons. An oldie but goody. [/QUOTE] I assumed this book deals with the time period much later than the Julius and Augustus Caesar time frame. Am I incorrect? ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051/8 "2008-01-26T05:33:44Z")
[QUOTE=Two and a Half Inches of Fun] If want the roughly the time period of the series you can go with Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland. > **[Rubicon: Tom Holland: 9781400078974: Amazon.com: Books](https://www.amazon.com/Rubicon-Tom-Holland/dp/1400078970)** > > Rubicon \[Tom Holland\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Rubicon [/QUOTE] The Amazon description sounds exactly like what I am looking for. Although I am disappointed that there seems to be no mention of Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051/9 "2008-01-26T05:37:16Z")
[QUOTE=Frostillicus] The Amazon description sounds exactly like what I am looking for. Although I am disappointed that there seems to be no mention of Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo. 😃 [/QUOTE] They are real people. Pullo is mentioned in De Bello Gallico and Commentarii de Bello Civili by Julius Caesar. Vorenus in only mentioned in De Bello Gallico. ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051/10 "2008-01-26T05:40:19Z")
I just ordered Rubicon by Tom Holland. I’ll let you know how it goes. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea666f/32.png) [@Two\_and\_a\_Half\_Inches\_of\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_and_a_Half_Inches_of_Fun)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051/11 "2008-01-26T05:40:56Z")
[QUOTE=Two and a Half Inches of Fun] They are real people. Pullo is mentioned in De Bello Gallico and Commentarii de Bello Civili by Julius Caesar. Vorenus in only mentioned in De Bello Gallico. [/QUOTE] Please note the characters not really based on the real individuals. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051/12 "2008-01-26T09:00:41Z")
For good historical _fiction_, there’s the SPQR series by John Maddox Roberts and the Ceasar series by McCullogh. (sp?) Both have extensive reference sections. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051/13 "2008-01-26T14:21:54Z")
[QUOTE=DrDeth] For good historical _fiction_, there’s the SPQR series by John Maddox Roberts and the Ceasar series by McCullogh. (sp?) Both have extensive reference sections. [/QUOTE] I am currently rereading the [Masters of Rome](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/002-6893262-2879269?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=masters+of+rome&x=14&y=25) series by Colleen McCullough. She did 13 _years_ of research before she started writing, and where she takes some artistic license, she explains in the afterword her logic and why she did it. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051/14 "2008-01-26T14:38:51Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] I am currently rereading the [Masters of Rome](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/002-6893262-2879269?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=masters+of+rome&x=14&y=25) series by Colleen McCullough. She did 13 _years_ of research before she started writing, and where she takes some artistic license, she explains in the afterword her logic and why she did it. [/QUOTE] +1 - you’ll find a lot of Doper fans of this series, including me. Great history lessons, hidden within a well-told story and fascinating characters. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051/15 "2008-01-26T15:06:08Z")
I picked up the books several years ago because I was such a huge fan of _The Thorn Birds_. I figured it was just an epic fiction series set in Ancient Rome. I’d heard of Caesar, of course, but Sulla, Marius, Scaurus, Metellus? Nope. Then, for fun, I started Googling the names…and you could have knocked me over with a feather when I realized _they were real people_! It was like meeting a celebrity in person! The only thing is, you can’t stop reading them, or else all the Roman names start running together…especially since boys took their fathers’ names and the girls were all named the same, with nicknames to differentiate one from the other (Julia Major, Julia Minor, Julia Tertia, etc, might be known as Julia, Jullila, and Tertulla.) ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051/16 "2008-01-26T15:19:13Z")
[QUOTE=Two and a Half Inches of Fun] Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland [/quote] This was a scrumptious read even if you’re not trying to educate yourself about Rome. And when you’re done, go read [_Persian Fire_](http://www.amazon.com/Persian-Fire-First-Empire-Battle/dp/0385513119), which is even better. I happened upon it at the library the week before I went to see _300_, and it lent the movie a marvelous resonance. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051/17 "2008-01-26T17:32:27Z")
Decent little survey history of the early Empire: [http://www.amazon.com/Roman-Empire-Second-Colin-Wells/dp/0674777700/ref=pd\_bbs\_sr\_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201368514&sr=1-2](http://www.amazon.com/Roman-Empire-Second-Colin-Wells/dp/0674777700/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201368514&sr=1-2) ---
**Author:** ![Reloy3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c68b51/32.png) [@Reloy3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reloy3)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-good-history-of-ancient-rome/435051/18 "2008-01-26T23:14:47Z")
ALso, for fun while you are watching 'Rome" and Reading “The Masters of Rome”, pick up some of the books by Stephen Saylor - great murder mysteries set at the same time period. Also, I must recommend “I, Claudius”. Oh, and if someone tries to get you to watch “Caligula”, run.