The Roman Senate and the People

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome

◎ Editor's Recommendation ☆ A general history of Rome that breaks with traditional narrative, written by one of the world's most famous classical scholars, combining more than 50 years of work. ☆ Incorporating the latest research in archaeology, numismatics, epigraphy and other research fields, the book uses humorous and vivid language to examine Roman history and life from all aspects, multiple levels and angles. ◎ Content Introduction As a country that has experienced monarchy, republic and empire and has existed for more than a thousand years, the history of ancient Rome has always attracted people's thinking and research.
This book, the culmination of over 50 years of work by a world-class classicist, offers a refreshingly new history of Rome. Taking Rome's political hub, the "Senate and People of Rome" (SPQR), as its starting point, the author skillfully and insightfully begins with the clash between Cicero and Catiline in 63 BC, passionately telling the story of Rome. The book not only explores Rome's rise from an insignificant village in central Italy to an empire spanning three continents, but also reveals how the Romans viewed themselves and their achievements. The author consistently portrays each stage of Roman history from both an external and internal perspective. At the same time, the book is permeated with a strong sense of contemporary concern. As the author discusses Rome's military expansion, democracy, immigration, religious conflict, social mobility, citizenship, and exploitation, we encounter reflections of our own world, understanding why ancient Rome continues to matter to us.
The book, while grand in scope, is brimming with vivid detail. While drawing heavily on the latest findings in archaeology, numismatics, and epigraphy, it employs little technical jargon. With a down-to-earth and humorous touch, the author tells the "other side" of many stories, challenging conventional wisdom and presenting a Rome that, despite its many unresolved mysteries, remains captivating nonetheless.
◎ Media recommendation: The plot is compact, exciting, sharp-minded and boldly skeptical.
— Brian Appleyard, The Sunday Times
Very engaging... a very enjoyable read, and also quite scholarly.
—Natalie Haines, The Observer
To keep a book of over 600 pages devoted to Rome full of energy, while also providing a coherent answer to the question of how Rome was able to expand so spectacularly, is a truly ambitious undertaking. Beard succeeds magnificently… The book is insightful and consistently entertaining… Beard’s attention to detail, combined with her wonderful sense of humor, keeps The Senate and the People of Rome captivating from beginning to end.
—The Sunday Times
A groundbreaking...exciting...revolutionary new way of writing about ancient history.
—Thomas Hodgkinson, The Observer
This book is a treasure, both a fascinating read and an excellent reference, clarifying our lazy misunderstandings of an ancient world that still holds great relevance for us today.
——The Herald
In this wonderful concise history, The Senate and the People of Rome, Beard unlocks the secrets of this city's success with a briskness and unparalleled clarity that is unmatched.
—Ferdinand Mount, The New York Times Book Review
"An outstanding new chronicle... Beard is a sure-footed guide through material that might otherwise have been tedious. In her treatment of the city's early history, she sifts fact from myth, enlivening and deepening the scholarly discussion by showing how the Romans themselves invented legendary beginnings for short-term political ends... A model of accessible history writing, engaging without being reductive, with both grand schemes and intimate details that bring the past to life."
—The Economist
Beard accomplishes precisely what few popular writers dare to do, and what many university professors are unable to do. She conveys the thrill of pondering texts and events that are destined to be obscure, and in the process, she makes our taken-for-granted views questionable. Her authoritative new history of Rome, The Senate and the People, is no exception. Beard reveals that the ancient Romans were deeply connected to those who, centuries later, grappled with questions of power, citizenship, empire, and identity.
—Emily Wilson, The Atlantic
◎ Celebrity Recommendation Beard tells the story accurately and clearly, with passion and without using professional jargon... "The Senate and the People of Rome" tells the story of a chilling achiever, but tells it with wonderful talent.
—Greg Woolf, Director of the Institute of Classical Studies at the University of London's School of Advanced Study Although Beard herself says that The Senate and the People of Rome is the result of 50 years of training and research, she does not flaunt her scholarship. As she leads us through the brothels, drinking dens, and back alleys where the Roman people once left their mark, we can first sense that she is enjoying herself.
—James Romm, Professor of Classics at Bard College “As Beard concludes her story, she has explored not only the archaic, republican, and imperial periods of Rome, and the eastern and western provinces it ultimately controlled… She draws effortlessly and deftly on the findings of archaeology, numismatics, and philology, as well as on the vast body of written texts carved in stone or written on papyrus.
—GW Bowersock, a leading authority on Greek, Roman, and Near Eastern history and culture. Not all Roman historians can capture the narrative with Beard's vividness, wit, and richness of layers, conveying complex issues in a highly accessible way. Even less can all Roman historians effectively weave every facet of society into their narratives. The author of the work before us is one who defies easy categorization, and this work itself stands apart from the numerous general histories of Rome currently available.
—Jinyu Liu, Professor of Classics, DePauw University

2018-11-01

民主与建设出版社

the new wave

632

9787513922494