The Romans A People’s History

Romans loom large in the imagination, credited with roads, aqueducts, politics, plumbing and empire – yet these familiar achievements tell only part of the story. The Romans: A People’s Historyturns away from generals and emperors to focus instead on the millions of ordinary men and women whose voices rarely made it into history. Drawing on inscriptions, literature, household objects, mosaics and myth, it reveals how plebeian lives shaped the culture that still surrounds us: from food and labour to beliefs, entertainment, violence and political resistance. Not shying away from contentious subjects – misogyny, slavery, racism and the enjoyment of brutal spectacle – Paul Chrystal offers a rich, human-centred account of Roman civilization, suggesting that what ordinary Romans endured and achieved still echoes in how we live, argue and govern today.

‘Here is a welcome innovation – a book about ancient Rome that foregrounds the person in the street rather than the over-entitled and over-discussed nobleman. A thoroughly satisfying read.’

 – Anthony Everitt, author of The Rise of Rome: The Making of the World’s Greatest Empire

 ‘Paul Chrystal has an eye for the quirky and unusual. His highly readable style and solid scholarship combine to make this book an engrossing read.’

 – Philip Matyszak, author of A Walk Through Ancient Rome