A fatal thing happened on the way to the forum : murder in ancient Rome / Emma Southon.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Southon, Emma, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Homicide--Italy--Rome--History.

Homicide.

Murder--Rome--History.

Murder.

Physical Description:

1 online resource

Place of Publication:

New York, New York : Abrams Press, [2021]

Summary:

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, death, and what it means to be human.

Contents:

Prologue

Introduction: What is murder?

Murder on the Senate floor

Murder in Roman law

Murder in the family

Murder in marriage

Murder in the slave state

Murder by magic

Murder in the Imperial House

Murdering an emperor

Judicial murder

A fatal thing happened on the way to the forum: The end.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

1-64700-232-X