Five Great Books set in NORTHERN ITALY
The shortest history of ANCIENT ROME
18th December 2025
The shortest history of Ancient Rome by Ross King
This is an efficient and entertaining trawl through the history of Ancient Rome, spanning the period 1000BCE to 476CE. It is the 20th volume in The Shortest History … series.
We all know that Rome was founded by Romulus and Remus, twins suckled by a wolf. Their great uncle Amulius had them placed in a basket to be drowned in the Tiber. They, however, survived and grew into adulthood, bent on redressing his terrible actions.
The story of the founding of Rome begins in 753BCE, although the story of the twins really only gained traction in 300BCE and was one of around 25 different accounts of how the city actually came into being. Many stories of children surviving by being cared for by animals abounded in that period, so theirs was just one more in a popular line-up of folk tales. Romulus, it is said, picked the Palatine Hill, his brother the Aventine. There were many skirmishes, much fighting and bloodbaths galore. Archaeological investigations underline how people began to congregate and settle but it was generally a pretty inauspicious start.
As the population grew, tyranny evolved coupled with familicide, as ruthless people jostled for position. That set the tone for the next centuries.
Rome grows apace, marked by the venal capers of many of those in power (also, those not in power); and then the author introduces a chapter titled The ‘Bad Emperors’, namely Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius. Tiberius indulged in “Malum Otium” (evil pleasure) and was killed by Caligula, who himself forced his grandmother to commit suicide. He only reigned for just short of 4 years. Claudius came next, a bit of an imbecile – apparently – who nevertheless managed to invade Britain (what does THAT say about the locals on the island?). He was a glutton and fell foul of a bowl of poisoned mushrooms. This made way for Nero, whose legacy became “intertwined with one of the darkest chapters in Rome’s history” (he did have his mother murdered and it’s possible he fiddled whilst Rome burned but other accounts say he was away from the city when the fires took hold). Hadrian of The Pantheon and North-of-England Wall fame soon followed, and with the Sack of Rome in 410CE the city was on a different and downward trajectory.
There are plenty of interesting insights and learning to be had in this book. I have always wondered why, for example, Hannibal took a circuitous route with his elephants from Southern Spain through the Alps to Northern Italy. It is explained in the book.
This is a fascinating, quick-fire read and not in the least didactic. The author writes with wisdom and, on occasions, humour and it is a good way to get an overview of the of the rise and fall of the Romans and of Rome.
Tina for the TripFiction Team
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