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A Rome of One's Own: The Forgotten Women of the Roman Empire
From the acclaimed author of A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum comes a wildly entertaining new history of Rome that uses the lives of 21 extraordinary women to upend our understanding of the ancient world.
The history of Rome has long been narrow and one-sided, essentially a history of "The Doing of Important Things," and as far as Roman historians have been concerned, women don't make that history. From Romulus through "the political stab-fest of the late Republic," and then on to all the emperors, Roman historians may deign to give you a wife or a mother to show how bad things become when women get out of control, but history is more than that.
Emma Southon's A Rome of One's Own is the best kind of correction. This is a retelling of the history of Rome with all the things Roman history writers relegate to the background, or designate as domestic, feminine, or worthless. This is a history of women who caused outrage, led armies in rebellion, wrote poetry; who lived independently or under the thumb of emperors. Told with humor and verve as well as a deep scholarly background, A Rome of One's Own highlights women overlooked and misunderstood, and through them offers a fascinating and groundbreaking chronicle of the ancient world.
The history of Rome has long been narrow and one-sided, essentially a history of "The Doing of Important Things," and as far as Roman historians have been concerned, women don't make that history. From Romulus through "the political stab-fest of the late Republic," and then on to all the emperors, Roman historians may deign to give you a wife or a mother to show how bad things become when women get out of control, but history is more than that.
Emma Southon's A Rome of One's Own is the best kind of correction. This is a retelling of the history of Rome with all the things Roman history writers relegate to the background, or designate as domestic, feminine, or worthless. This is a history of women who caused outrage, led armies in rebellion, wrote poetry; who lived independently or under the thumb of emperors. Told with humor and verve as well as a deep scholarly background, A Rome of One's Own highlights women overlooked and misunderstood, and through them offers a fascinating and groundbreaking chronicle of the ancient world.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published September 7, 2023
About the author
Emma Southon
6 books369 followersDr. Emma Southon holds a PhD in ancient history from the University of Birmingham.
After a few years teaching Ancient and Medieval history, followed by some years teaching academic writing. She quit academia because it is grim and started writing for her own enjoyment.
She co-hosts a history/comedy podcast with Janina Matthewson called History is Sexy.
After a few years teaching Ancient and Medieval history, followed by some years teaching academic writing. She quit academia because it is grim and started writing for her own enjoyment.
She co-hosts a history/comedy podcast with Janina Matthewson called History is Sexy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews
May 4, 2024
US English review: Trash.
UK English review: Rubbish.
Marquisate English review: Fuuuu... ugh ... agh.
Since a few of you asked, here's why: The author's basic thesis is that Roman women were excluded from their historiography (mostly true), and we can remedy that by studying the stories about the few women the Roman historians did talk about, but more than seen as "about" them, it has to be seen as "through" them, because Romans saw these women as merely vessels carrying a message (mostly not true). And there is where my issues with it began, because then the author proceeds to do a retroactive, hindsight 20/20, modernist type of "interpretation" she tries, often too hard, to sell as humorous, peppering it with pop-culture offhand comments (what the Hell do cryptocurrencies have to do with the topic of Roman women, please?).
And to cinch this, she kicks her own house-of-cards of a premise that Roman women were excluded by deliberately excluding a few famous Roman women herself. Where's Cornelia Scipionis, please? And Fulvia? Hortensia? Tullia? Several worthy Roman women are excluded, yet some mythical ones that might as well be as fictional as Pippi Longstockings are in this book, as are women who weren't Roman in the least. Maybe it's that, if all the known and famous Roman women are included impartially, her premise doesn't work at all? One can't but suspect so. The mythical, the scandalous bon-vivants, the enemies, the rotten empresses, those are adequate for a sensationalised pop history book for the masses, and easy to mould and twist to fit one's narrative. But the real women, the Roman women who also made Rome what it became, aren't ideal for this type of a cash-grab book.
UK English review: Rubbish.
Marquisate English review: Fuuuu... ugh ... agh.
Since a few of you asked, here's why: The author's basic thesis is that Roman women were excluded from their historiography (mostly true), and we can remedy that by studying the stories about the few women the Roman historians did talk about, but more than seen as "about" them, it has to be seen as "through" them, because Romans saw these women as merely vessels carrying a message (mostly not true). And there is where my issues with it began, because then the author proceeds to do a retroactive, hindsight 20/20, modernist type of "interpretation" she tries, often too hard, to sell as humorous, peppering it with pop-culture offhand comments (what the Hell do cryptocurrencies have to do with the topic of Roman women, please?).
And to cinch this, she kicks her own house-of-cards of a premise that Roman women were excluded by deliberately excluding a few famous Roman women herself. Where's Cornelia Scipionis, please? And Fulvia? Hortensia? Tullia? Several worthy Roman women are excluded, yet some mythical ones that might as well be as fictional as Pippi Longstockings are in this book, as are women who weren't Roman in the least. Maybe it's that, if all the known and famous Roman women are included impartially, her premise doesn't work at all? One can't but suspect so. The mythical, the scandalous bon-vivants, the enemies, the rotten empresses, those are adequate for a sensationalised pop history book for the masses, and easy to mould and twist to fit one's narrative. But the real women, the Roman women who also made Rome what it became, aren't ideal for this type of a cash-grab book.
May 12, 2023
Conventional Ancient Roman histories may be dominated by men, but that tells an incomplete story. Emma Southon tells the stories of twenty-one women who made their mark on the empire.
While I enjoy reading about history, ancient history is usually not my jam - with one major exception. I will read anything Emma Southon writes, and wish fervently every time I finish one of her books that I hadn't already read all of her older ones. It's the conversational tone, the clear pleasure with which the book is narrated, and the knack that the author has for bridging the gap between the present and such a distant past while still making clear how very different the ancient Romans were from us.
In this book, we are told the stories of twenty-one Roman women who in some way left their mark visible to us two millennia later, which is a truly astonishing feat considering how little has been written about them by historians of the time, who were not particularly bothered with the everyday lives of such second-class citizens.
I appreciated that she showed us a diverse array of women from many different social classes and backgrounds, including women we might not today think of as being Roman, such as Boudica and Zenobia. I had known some of the events with which the women were associated, so it was surprising and illuminating to have the role that they played in them be brought to the forefront. I found the section about the women we know of through archeology to be particularly interesting, as it gave me an fascinating insight into the lives of middle class Roman women.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
While I enjoy reading about history, ancient history is usually not my jam - with one major exception. I will read anything Emma Southon writes, and wish fervently every time I finish one of her books that I hadn't already read all of her older ones. It's the conversational tone, the clear pleasure with which the book is narrated, and the knack that the author has for bridging the gap between the present and such a distant past while still making clear how very different the ancient Romans were from us.
In this book, we are told the stories of twenty-one Roman women who in some way left their mark visible to us two millennia later, which is a truly astonishing feat considering how little has been written about them by historians of the time, who were not particularly bothered with the everyday lives of such second-class citizens.
I appreciated that she showed us a diverse array of women from many different social classes and backgrounds, including women we might not today think of as being Roman, such as Boudica and Zenobia. I had known some of the events with which the women were associated, so it was surprising and illuminating to have the role that they played in them be brought to the forefront. I found the section about the women we know of through archeology to be particularly interesting, as it gave me an fascinating insight into the lives of middle class Roman women.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
July 20, 2023
OK, I'm only 1/3 of the way into my e-ARC so far, but I had to stop to say this:
Because I'd loved Emma Southon's earlier books (especially her Agrippina bio), I knew I would probably enjoy this one (a history of Rome through its documented women). I was expecting it to be sharp and witty and full of fascinating info, which it has absolutely delivered on so far (1/3 of the way in)...
...but I did NOT expect one of the chapters (on Turia & her 41-year marriage) to actually, literally make me cry because it was so moving & so startlingly, unexpectedly romantic. Turia DEFINITELY deserves a historical biopic movie, novel, & TV series, & I am so glad I got an ARC of this book!
Now back to reading. :)
***
And now that I've finished reading:
Honestly, just: preorder this book! If you love reading about history, buy it; if you're a fiction writer who finds inspiration in the past, buy it. It's absolutely packed with fascinating characters and huge amounts of drama as well as wonderful social and practical details. It's a fabulous mix of social and political history, as Southon tells the story of the Empire as a whole as seen through the lives of these particular women, who cover a wide range of backgrounds. It's a really compulsive read throughout, as well as hugely entertaining - and while Southon is always cheerfully opinionated, she also carefully shows her sources and leaves space for the reader to come to their own interpretations if they don't agree with her.
This is my favorite history book in quite a long time, and I look forward to getting my preordered paper copy, to cover it in sticky notes and re-read it in the future.
Because I'd loved Emma Southon's earlier books (especially her Agrippina bio), I knew I would probably enjoy this one (a history of Rome through its documented women). I was expecting it to be sharp and witty and full of fascinating info, which it has absolutely delivered on so far (1/3 of the way in)...
...but I did NOT expect one of the chapters (on Turia & her 41-year marriage) to actually, literally make me cry because it was so moving & so startlingly, unexpectedly romantic. Turia DEFINITELY deserves a historical biopic movie, novel, & TV series, & I am so glad I got an ARC of this book!
Now back to reading. :)
***
And now that I've finished reading:
Honestly, just: preorder this book! If you love reading about history, buy it; if you're a fiction writer who finds inspiration in the past, buy it. It's absolutely packed with fascinating characters and huge amounts of drama as well as wonderful social and practical details. It's a fabulous mix of social and political history, as Southon tells the story of the Empire as a whole as seen through the lives of these particular women, who cover a wide range of backgrounds. It's a really compulsive read throughout, as well as hugely entertaining - and while Southon is always cheerfully opinionated, she also carefully shows her sources and leaves space for the reader to come to their own interpretations if they don't agree with her.
This is my favorite history book in quite a long time, and I look forward to getting my preordered paper copy, to cover it in sticky notes and re-read it in the future.
Shelved as 'dnf'
July 1, 2024Conseguir que eu abandone um livro sobre cultura clássica (e o papel das mulheres dentro dela) é um feito prodigioso, no pior dos sentidos. Mas tenho muitos e variados problemas com este livro, a começar aqui:
Chamar revisionismo a uma leitura que não esquece as figuras femininas que compõem a história é tão perigoso como afirmar que estas não tomaram parte nela, já que ambas - leitura revisionista ou leitura marginal - nascem de uma leitura original em que não figuram as mulheres. E isto não é correto. Aliás, a autora esforça-se por mostrar que a cultura romana, nos seus primórdios, precisa de, e reconhece as mulheres no seu discurso histórico. Logo, o revisionismo é aquilo que a historiografia tem vindo a sofrer de então até agora, com este tipo de livro a tentar recuperar os discursos e interpretações originais. Logo, não é de revisionismo que este livro trata. Logo, não sei em que pensava a autora para o afirmar, mas vou tomá-lo como sintomático de uma época confusa como aquela em que vivemos.
Depois há o problema do tom (muito) ligeiro com que a autora trata temas sérios como rapto, assassinato, violação etc. Entendo aligeirar a temática - dado o contexto da publicação não ser académico (arrisco mesmo dizer que o livro se destina às massas que consomem mitologia e cultura clássica apenas através de retellings e dos fenómenos de cultura pop atuais) -, mas parece-me um exagero a frequência com que o faz (frequência essa apenas superada pela interferência de valores modernos e vocabulário obsceno na narrativa), a menos que pretenda que o livro seja lido por miúdos de 14 anos. Mas talvez esse seja mesmo o objetivo já que o sentido de humor da autora é chocantemente infantil - como aqui: The Roman Republic insisted that gods as important as Jupiter got two priests, a husband-and-wife duo called the flamen and flaminica Dialis, while lesser gods like little lost Furrina (perhaps the goddess of cute kittens?) were granted one. E arrapazado - como aqui: Now the reason I’m telling you this, even though it is not strictly relevant, is that the sacred objects were kept in a special room, a room only these six lifelong virgins could legally enter, these women who would never experience the touch of a man. The Romans called that room the penus. (...) In certain ways, the Vestals – with their protection of the hearth and the penus (stop it) – were Rome. Por favor, alguém diga à senhora que isto não significa o que ela pensa que os seus leitores vão pensar!
Não cheguei longe neste livro, mas também não vale a pena. A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women é um livro que se vende barato: a tentativa de fazer sensacionalismo com as histórias, e comédia com as palavras é triste e ineficaz, e transmite a sensação de que a própria autora não respeita o seu trabalho o suficiente, acabando por embarcar neste tipo de jornada a descambar para o estilo redes sociais.
Chamar revisionismo a uma leitura que não esquece as figuras femininas que compõem a história é tão perigoso como afirmar que estas não tomaram parte nela, já que ambas - leitura revisionista ou leitura marginal - nascem de uma leitura original em que não figuram as mulheres. E isto não é correto. Aliás, a autora esforça-se por mostrar que a cultura romana, nos seus primórdios, precisa de, e reconhece as mulheres no seu discurso histórico. Logo, o revisionismo é aquilo que a historiografia tem vindo a sofrer de então até agora, com este tipo de livro a tentar recuperar os discursos e interpretações originais. Logo, não é de revisionismo que este livro trata. Logo, não sei em que pensava a autora para o afirmar, mas vou tomá-lo como sintomático de uma época confusa como aquela em que vivemos.
Depois há o problema do tom (muito) ligeiro com que a autora trata temas sérios como rapto, assassinato, violação etc. Entendo aligeirar a temática - dado o contexto da publicação não ser académico (arrisco mesmo dizer que o livro se destina às massas que consomem mitologia e cultura clássica apenas através de retellings e dos fenómenos de cultura pop atuais) -, mas parece-me um exagero a frequência com que o faz (frequência essa apenas superada pela interferência de valores modernos e vocabulário obsceno na narrativa), a menos que pretenda que o livro seja lido por miúdos de 14 anos. Mas talvez esse seja mesmo o objetivo já que o sentido de humor da autora é chocantemente infantil - como aqui: The Roman Republic insisted that gods as important as Jupiter got two priests, a husband-and-wife duo called the flamen and flaminica Dialis, while lesser gods like little lost Furrina (perhaps the goddess of cute kittens?) were granted one. E arrapazado - como aqui: Now the reason I’m telling you this, even though it is not strictly relevant, is that the sacred objects were kept in a special room, a room only these six lifelong virgins could legally enter, these women who would never experience the touch of a man. The Romans called that room the penus. (...) In certain ways, the Vestals – with their protection of the hearth and the penus (stop it) – were Rome. Por favor, alguém diga à senhora que isto não significa o que ela pensa que os seus leitores vão pensar!
Não cheguei longe neste livro, mas também não vale a pena. A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women é um livro que se vende barato: a tentativa de fazer sensacionalismo com as histórias, e comédia com as palavras é triste e ineficaz, e transmite a sensação de que a própria autora não respeita o seu trabalho o suficiente, acabando por embarcar neste tipo de jornada a descambar para o estilo redes sociais.
April 15, 2024
An entertaining and educational work, from a scholar of ancient history whose work always comes across to me like lectures from “the fun professor”: someone deeply versed in scholarship but with a delivery that is hip, irreverent, and opinionated. The British title is “A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women” and that’s more representative of its contents, though less allusive, than the American one, “A Rome Of One’s Own” (although over a third of the book is set before Rome became an empire). The chapters each focus on a different woman (or two) and a different period in history, so for me, something to read a chapter at a time rather than blow through all at once.
Happily, I learned a fair bit about Roman history from this. The women profiled are diverse, and other than Boudicca (because no one can resist writing about Boudicca) were ones I hadn’t heard of before. The book moves from examination of the roles of women in Rome’s foundation myths; to the formerly enslaved woman who wound up giving information that brought down the cult of Dionysus, all in an effort to save her boyfriend from his malicious mom; to a businesswoman in Pompei, officers’ wives at the forts along Hadrian’s Wall, a highborn court poet, an early Christian martyr. There are women at the peak of political power, too: I especially enjoyed reading about Augustus’s daughter Julia Caesar, whose restricted upbringing ultimately turned into rebellion, and Julia Maesa, a Syrian woman whose sister married an officer who later became emperor, and who then fought successfully to get her two successive grandsons on the throne. There were some real Machiavellian moves there, but she seems to have been popular, and I’d love to read a novel about her if anybody could write a good one.
In the end, I definitely enjoyed this and found it well worth reading, as well as sometimes humorous. Too much of this author’s voice would probably begin to grate, but in small doses it is excellent, and a great way to learn more about Roman history.
Happily, I learned a fair bit about Roman history from this. The women profiled are diverse, and other than Boudicca (because no one can resist writing about Boudicca) were ones I hadn’t heard of before. The book moves from examination of the roles of women in Rome’s foundation myths; to the formerly enslaved woman who wound up giving information that brought down the cult of Dionysus, all in an effort to save her boyfriend from his malicious mom; to a businesswoman in Pompei, officers’ wives at the forts along Hadrian’s Wall, a highborn court poet, an early Christian martyr. There are women at the peak of political power, too: I especially enjoyed reading about Augustus’s daughter Julia Caesar, whose restricted upbringing ultimately turned into rebellion, and Julia Maesa, a Syrian woman whose sister married an officer who later became emperor, and who then fought successfully to get her two successive grandsons on the throne. There were some real Machiavellian moves there, but she seems to have been popular, and I’d love to read a novel about her if anybody could write a good one.
In the end, I definitely enjoyed this and found it well worth reading, as well as sometimes humorous. Too much of this author’s voice would probably begin to grate, but in small doses it is excellent, and a great way to learn more about Roman history.
April 23, 2024
I think if I knew even a little bit less about Roman history (which, to be clear, I don't know a lot - what I have picked up from osmosis and friends who are much more knowledgeable, and what I remember from half a classics course ten years back) I would have liked this book more.
It wasn't funny, which is VERY funny considering the author talks multiple times about how unfunny Roman comedians and satirists were, it wasn't particularly informative, and despite the author talking about how much she loves the Romans and Roman history, it has this... disdain throughout.
It's also extremely funny to me to present this book as one of the only books to ever focus on Roman women when my god damn A-level Classics course ten years ago was The Lives Of Women In Ancient Greece and Rome.
It wasn't funny, which is VERY funny considering the author talks multiple times about how unfunny Roman comedians and satirists were, it wasn't particularly informative, and despite the author talking about how much she loves the Romans and Roman history, it has this... disdain throughout.
It's also extremely funny to me to present this book as one of the only books to ever focus on Roman women when my god damn A-level Classics course ten years ago was The Lives Of Women In Ancient Greece and Rome.
February 7, 2024
I enjoyed the stories that were told though it did tend to get a little repetitive in the nature of it's story telling. For me the tone did not work as much as the author tried to make it work. It felt as if the author was writing Roman history for tumblr. This may work for other readers but just didn't work for me. I really enjoyed the premise and the nuggets of history that were included. You can also tell that Southon is very knowledgeable on Roman history.
May 22, 2024
4.5 stars
My only critique is very much in the category of "probably won't register to a lot of readers", but it did get my hackles up a bit that the only time Southon doesn't show her customary compassion that I know and love among all her humor is with the 1 or 2 examples dealing with early Roman Christian women.
Now obviously there were and are many terrible things done by the Church! but Southon's obvious distaste for these women's choices and beliefs really stood out and even felt judgemental in some places, and also (in my opinion) overgeneralized in a way that surprised me (i.e., she talks about the negative impact on women with the spread of Christianity, which of course happened as well - but not at all about the ways that some women in the early church had some opportunities that other women didn't, or the inherent subversiveness of a religion that [at least on paper] stood for the absolute equality of all people.)
And I also fully acknowledge that there should be more critique of the Church's fixation on (particularly young female) martyrs, but the way Southon wrote about this particular girl's death felt like it robbed her of any possible agency - or more specifically, it felt to me like Southon did not acknowledge there was the possibility of agency in this situation.
Anyway, rant over - overall the book was brilliant, clever, hilarious, moving, and well-researched, as I have come to expect from Emma Southon! I still love her work and eagerly look forward to more, but I wanted to mention the issue I had with this specific book.
CW: Grief, violence, murder, abuse, slavery, misogyny
***
I'M SO GLAD I RANDOMLY LOOKED UP EMMA SOUTHON AGAIN ON GOODREADS; this just became one of my most anticipated books of the year 🥰
My only critique is very much in the category of "probably won't register to a lot of readers", but it did get my hackles up a bit that the only time Southon doesn't show her customary compassion that I know and love among all her humor is with the 1 or 2 examples dealing with early Roman Christian women.
Now obviously there were and are many terrible things done by the Church! but Southon's obvious distaste for these women's choices and beliefs really stood out and even felt judgemental in some places, and also (in my opinion) overgeneralized in a way that surprised me (i.e., she talks about the negative impact on women with the spread of Christianity, which of course happened as well - but not at all about the ways that some women in the early church had some opportunities that other women didn't, or the inherent subversiveness of a religion that [at least on paper] stood for the absolute equality of all people.)
And I also fully acknowledge that there should be more critique of the Church's fixation on (particularly young female) martyrs, but the way Southon wrote about this particular girl's death felt like it robbed her of any possible agency - or more specifically, it felt to me like Southon did not acknowledge there was the possibility of agency in this situation.
Anyway, rant over - overall the book was brilliant, clever, hilarious, moving, and well-researched, as I have come to expect from Emma Southon! I still love her work and eagerly look forward to more, but I wanted to mention the issue I had with this specific book.
CW: Grief, violence, murder, abuse, slavery, misogyny
***
I'M SO GLAD I RANDOMLY LOOKED UP EMMA SOUTHON AGAIN ON GOODREADS; this just became one of my most anticipated books of the year 🥰
February 18, 2024
I wanna start this review by saying that I was SO excited about this book and i have loved everything else Emma Southon has written. That is why the dissapointment is so deep here. This book is so full of relentless pop culture and current jokes (that mostly feel super forced) that it’s hard to read, and shows an apparent lack of trust in the value of its content. I am a very political person and an uncompromising leftie and feminist. I am saying that so that its clear that when I say that the political and pop-feminist pandering in this book was so saturating I wanted to tear my eyes out, no one thinks Im speaking as some right winger that is sick of “woke culture” or something like that.
All of those issues aside, the choices of women were in many moments so baffling I was left wanting for some i would have never excluded and were actual Big Players of Roman History (Where is Livia? Cleopatra? Hypatia? Hortensia?), and confused as to why some were included as the record of then is so sparse. My hypothesis is that the author knowingly ignored Big Players whenever she found them to be too “in” with the system, thus cementing her thesis of women being these eternal outsiders. Idk. I was confused. There is no woman in Roman History (and in most ancient History) more influential and deserving of rememberance and admiration than Livia Drusilla Claudia, and I take personal offense at her snubbing.
Some of the women in the book were super interesting to read about, therefore the 2 stars.
All of those issues aside, the choices of women were in many moments so baffling I was left wanting for some i would have never excluded and were actual Big Players of Roman History (Where is Livia? Cleopatra? Hypatia? Hortensia?), and confused as to why some were included as the record of then is so sparse. My hypothesis is that the author knowingly ignored Big Players whenever she found them to be too “in” with the system, thus cementing her thesis of women being these eternal outsiders. Idk. I was confused. There is no woman in Roman History (and in most ancient History) more influential and deserving of rememberance and admiration than Livia Drusilla Claudia, and I take personal offense at her snubbing.
Some of the women in the book were super interesting to read about, therefore the 2 stars.
August 20, 2023
I love learning about the ancient world, especially Rome and Greece, and I was thrilled to hear Emma was writing a new book as I loved her book on Agrippina so much. I went into this one thrilled to learn more about some of the women of the Roman Empire that the world can be all too keen to forget (because it’s still a man’s world).
After I’d read each section about one of the women mentioned I went on a little google search for them too so that I could better my understanding of them, that’s the kind of power Emma’s books hold for me. They make me want to learn more about whatever she’s currently telling me about. I’d read anything she put out and I can’t wait to see who she tackles next.
Thank you to OneWorld Publications for sending me a proof of this fascinating read.
After I’d read each section about one of the women mentioned I went on a little google search for them too so that I could better my understanding of them, that’s the kind of power Emma’s books hold for me. They make me want to learn more about whatever she’s currently telling me about. I’d read anything she put out and I can’t wait to see who she tackles next.
Thank you to OneWorld Publications for sending me a proof of this fascinating read.
November 15, 2023
4.5; i support women’s rights but more importantly i support women’s wrongs (except if they were made up by roman men as a means of undermining their political and social autonomy)
June 13, 2024
Absolutely recommend this book to anyone whether you like Roman history or not.
This book is stories of women of Rome and the alternative history they offer.
Emma Southon is really funny but at the same time will paint accurate even if a little cynical picture of Rome.
This book is stories of women of Rome and the alternative history they offer.
Emma Southon is really funny but at the same time will paint accurate even if a little cynical picture of Rome.
October 14, 2023
Who would have thought Rome could be so funny? You know, other than all the killings and such. Emma Southon attempts to re-frame Roman history with A Rome of One's Own. Southon puts the focus squarely on the women who were relegated to the background or forgotten altogether in the story of Rome.
Full disclaimer upfront. I enjoy humor in my history books, but I like it when it's used sparingly. If you liked Southon's other books then I highly suspect you will love this. She writes very well and she certainly got a few big laughs out of me. She clearly has an understanding of the time period and the research is great. There were two problems which took me out of the book a bit too much and I suspect one causes the other.
First, (and Southon makes sure you know whose fault this is) is there is a sad lack of actual documentation on a lot of what she is writing. Women were almost completely ignored during this time period, but unfortunately it means Southon only has so much to use for this book. I think that led to my second problem which was jokes seemed to take up too much narrative space. Again, some of her one liners landed perfectly (fire phallus, but I digress) but others took up a at least paragraph and after a while it became distracting for me. As I mentioned, you may be the type of reader who doesn't mind diversions here and there in which case you should read this. I fully admit this "problem" is a personal preference as opposed to a failure on Southon's part.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Abrams Press.)
Full disclaimer upfront. I enjoy humor in my history books, but I like it when it's used sparingly. If you liked Southon's other books then I highly suspect you will love this. She writes very well and she certainly got a few big laughs out of me. She clearly has an understanding of the time period and the research is great. There were two problems which took me out of the book a bit too much and I suspect one causes the other.
First, (and Southon makes sure you know whose fault this is) is there is a sad lack of actual documentation on a lot of what she is writing. Women were almost completely ignored during this time period, but unfortunately it means Southon only has so much to use for this book. I think that led to my second problem which was jokes seemed to take up too much narrative space. Again, some of her one liners landed perfectly (fire phallus, but I digress) but others took up a at least paragraph and after a while it became distracting for me. As I mentioned, you may be the type of reader who doesn't mind diversions here and there in which case you should read this. I fully admit this "problem" is a personal preference as opposed to a failure on Southon's part.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Abrams Press.)
January 5, 2024
It's sad that I have to give this book such a low rating. The author is just so crass. The historical stories about women were really interesting, but I just hated the author inserting her crass humor and foul language into the narrative. I was disappointed.
July 26, 2024
This was a fun, fascinating, and very entertaining read that dives into some women from Rome and their erasure from Roman Histories, as well as how their histories were reshaped by men. I enjoyed some of the comedic elements to the way Emma Southon told these women's stories, it kept things interesting. It's definitely fascinating to read this book as I picked it up to supplement an essay I'll be writing on Women and Work and this book showcases how some women made their living and also ruled cities. Women have always been important to households and society as a whole, and telling these stories about these women breathes new life into Roman Histories.
Some of my favorite chapters were on Tarpeia and Hersilia, Lucretia and Tullia, and Julia Felix.
Some of my favorite chapters were on Tarpeia and Hersilia, Lucretia and Tullia, and Julia Felix.
June 27, 2024
The title tells you all you need to know as to what this book is about; 21 women who impacted the Roman Empire in some way. A good mix of patrician and pleb with a few 'foreigners' thrown in, Southon's writing is entertaining and engaging and rather illuminating.
August 6, 2024
An entertaining, podcast-y read that gives an interesting and underrepresented aspect of Roman life, I'd rec for people who are interested in reading entertaining nonfiction books.
July 9, 2023
I generally can't resist this kind of book, telling the stories of women from history who deserve to be remembered, and, as someone with an interest in the Classical world, I was particularly excited to see one focused on the Roman Empire. The history of the Roman Empire (as Emma Southon puts it) is usually told as one of men doing Important Things. But history is about so much more than this, and so was the Roman Empire. A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women is a revisionist history of Rome, from its foundation in 753 BCE to the fall of the last western Roman emperor in 476 CE, through the lives of women you have probably never heard of. What is so brilliant about this book is that it doesn't just tell the stories of 21 Roman women, but it also uses these women's stories to tell the story of the Roman Empire itself.
A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women moves chronologically through the formation and fall of the Roman Empire, providing all the necessary context along the way, and suddenly this huge period of time and space becomes much easier to comprehend because its story is told through key individuals. What's more, Southon uses these women's stories to question what it means to be a Roman, a term too often applied to only a tiny minority of the people who lived during and across the Empire. I would have been happy with a book that just told me some interesting stories about some interesting women, many of whom I would otherwise never even have heard of, but this book does so much more than that.
This is the first book I have read by Emma Southon, and I was immediately struck by how informal and personal her writing style is. Southon does a brilliant job of making sure that any reader, however much or little they know about the Roman Empire, is likely to find her book an entertaining and informative read. But more than that, Southon is constantly making jokes, sarcastic asides, and giving her unfiltered opinions on the people and events which fill her pages, without ever sacrificing the content and flow of her book. I definitely did not expect A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women to have me laughing out loud.
I almost gave this one five stars, and I'm still wavering a little. I really enjoyed A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women, and it far exceeded my expectations. I suppose I sometimes found the jokey writing style a little much, and I think Southon is perhaps sometimes a little too sure of her opinions (or at least it comes across that way at times), so it's four stars from me. But I can definitely recommend this book, which is out on 7 September.
Thanks to Netgalley and Oneworld for an advance copy.
A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women moves chronologically through the formation and fall of the Roman Empire, providing all the necessary context along the way, and suddenly this huge period of time and space becomes much easier to comprehend because its story is told through key individuals. What's more, Southon uses these women's stories to question what it means to be a Roman, a term too often applied to only a tiny minority of the people who lived during and across the Empire. I would have been happy with a book that just told me some interesting stories about some interesting women, many of whom I would otherwise never even have heard of, but this book does so much more than that.
This is the first book I have read by Emma Southon, and I was immediately struck by how informal and personal her writing style is. Southon does a brilliant job of making sure that any reader, however much or little they know about the Roman Empire, is likely to find her book an entertaining and informative read. But more than that, Southon is constantly making jokes, sarcastic asides, and giving her unfiltered opinions on the people and events which fill her pages, without ever sacrificing the content and flow of her book. I definitely did not expect A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women to have me laughing out loud.
I almost gave this one five stars, and I'm still wavering a little. I really enjoyed A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women, and it far exceeded my expectations. I suppose I sometimes found the jokey writing style a little much, and I think Southon is perhaps sometimes a little too sure of her opinions (or at least it comes across that way at times), so it's four stars from me. But I can definitely recommend this book, which is out on 7 September.
Thanks to Netgalley and Oneworld for an advance copy.
March 19, 2024
Here’s something you don’t find yourself often saying about a historian: I would pay money to see Emma Southon perform standup.
While I do think all the best historians do approach their material with some sense of humor, Southon is generally hilarious (seriously, it’s a joke a sentence and they NEVER miss) and manages to be so without either exhausting the reader or compromising the quality of the information being passed along. That is not an easy thing to do.
I also loved A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and I love how different these two books are, both covering the more obscure material in a field that is very popular to write about while still getting the basics across for readers who might not have as much background knowledge on the subject.
I love nonfiction that works for both beginners and those with professional knowledge, and Southon does such a lovely job of creating something that will work for both extremes as well as any reader in between.
But the real draw is just how hilarious and entertaining she is when delivering information that often seems banal or unremarkable when you see it presented in other publications. I look forward to whatever aspect of history (Roman or otherwise) that Southon decides to tackle next.
While I do think all the best historians do approach their material with some sense of humor, Southon is generally hilarious (seriously, it’s a joke a sentence and they NEVER miss) and manages to be so without either exhausting the reader or compromising the quality of the information being passed along. That is not an easy thing to do.
I also loved A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and I love how different these two books are, both covering the more obscure material in a field that is very popular to write about while still getting the basics across for readers who might not have as much background knowledge on the subject.
I love nonfiction that works for both beginners and those with professional knowledge, and Southon does such a lovely job of creating something that will work for both extremes as well as any reader in between.
But the real draw is just how hilarious and entertaining she is when delivering information that often seems banal or unremarkable when you see it presented in other publications. I look forward to whatever aspect of history (Roman or otherwise) that Southon decides to tackle next.
June 28, 2024
i’m sorry but i just don’t care about rome. i also don’t like nonfiction that is formatted as anecdotes — i would rather read a linear narrative. i thought this would change because it was about women but it didn’t change my mind i just don’t like it. but that says more about me and my taste than it does about the book!!
February 24, 2024
“For so long, the classical world was a foundation of a form of masculinity that was racialism’s and idealized as white, western and perfect. That is the story of Rome and its empire told over and over because the women have been deliberately excluded…But the story of Rome as told through women reveals a city, a culture and an empire both the same as and different from the Rome reflected in the memories of other empires…Women were always an integral part of Roman culture and the Roman Empire, which was never exclusively white or western or male, and never perfect…Women have always been a part of Roman history; they have just been waiting to be heard.”
July 3, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. Its written with an excellent sense of humour (similar to Natalie Haynes) and I feel like I would get on well with the author
March 19, 2024
I give a book five stars when it makes me want to dive deep and immerse in its topic. I give a book five stars when it makes me both laugh out loud and feel vewwy contemplative. I give a book five stars if I feel like it changes the way I think about the world. When a book manages to do all three…I think it transcends the Goodreads rating system. So all I will say is…thank the gods for Emma Southon!
May 13, 2024
"But the story of Rome as told through women reveals a city, a culture and an empire both the same as and different from the Rome reflected in the memories of other empires. Most significantly, it is a version of Roman history closer to the version the Romans told themselves. It is a bigger, richer empire – a more realistic empire. Because Roman stories always included women."
A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women is, as the title suggests, Emma Southon's hilarious but infopacked look at the history of Ancient Rome from its constitution to its final decades in the 400s. Southon's book is a perfect read for anyone interested in the stories of women who lived in the Empire, people who wish to simply broaden their understanding of Roman culture and general ancient Rome enthusiasts.
I have studied the Roman empire quite a bit during my years in school and university, and I have a rather strong basic grasp on how the empire developed, but I wouldn't call myself anything even resembling an expert or an enthusiast. My knowledge of the ancient world is much more limited to Greece and specifically culture and mythology. I am not that into politics, war and all that stuff, which is partly why Southon's book interested me. It is pointedly not a book about the "Big Important Things" such as battles, wars and political debates, but about the lives of individual women who, sometimes, played a role in the "Big Important Things", but often did not and just tried to live their lives. Occasionally I like a good political memoir and there are rulers I find endlessly fascinating, but they have never been my main interest. As a gender historian, this book was obviously something I wanted to pick up and a book that I find extremely important, because I am all for modern historians taking these old narratives and ideas of things like the Roman empire - narratives that are all white, straight and male – and challenging them, presenting a new, more realistic point of view. Because as Southon states time and time again, women were always present in Roman history and Roman identity – most of the time, it is more modern (and by this I mean everything post-antiquity) historians and authors who have erased them.
I liked the variety of women Southon chose to include in her book and that she also left out many famous women in order to make more room for those ladies we have largely forgotten. Sure, there are some big names like the rebel Boudicca, the ideal pure woman Lucretia and the Christian saint Perpetua, but most of the women I had never heard about. All chapters were interesting and full of new information for me, but if I had to pick favorites, I would say I really enjoyed the chapter of Julia Balbilla (a poet in Hadrian's court), Julia Caesar (Augustus's daughter who went from the ideal imperial woman who did her duty to rebelling spectacularly and being exiled), Cartimandua (a British queen who operated during Boudicca's rebellion and took a very different approach to the Romans) and Sulpicia Lepidina (the First Lady of an army camp whose letters reveal a life of community, friendship and warmth – things not often associated with Roman army bases). There were imperial women, queens, rebels, poets, business owners, priestesses, military wives, martyrs and more. Through all these women Southon was able to paint a very vivid, complex picture of Roman culture where women, though hidden from public in many ways, were essential. Family, marriage and legacy was always important to romans and naturally those things cannot exist without women – but alongside that, women were important as symbols, at the heart of Roman identity, as well as as the literal people who kept Rome protected (Vestal virgins were a group of six women who tended the sacred flame that was at the core of Rome's prosperity and self-identity: without them and their sacred duties, Rome was endangered). Women in the Roman empire were never just one thing and most of the basic stuff you learn at school about them is, in some ways true, but also infinitely more complex than that.
One aspect I especially appreciate about this book is how Emma Southon explores and deconstructs the idea that people have of Rome as this hyper masculine, white and western culture. Many of the women she writes about were not born in Rome – some never lived there or spent just a small amount of time there – but were still Roman because being born and dying in Rome does not a Roman make. Romanness was much more than that and Rome was such a huge empire that there were romans running around all over the place. For example, three of the women Southon writes about – the kingmaker Julia Maesa and Julia Mamaea, and the Queen/Empress Zenobia – were Syrian while also being roman and presenting themselves as such. Romanness was a complex identity and some had many different kinds of facets of identity: for example, the poet Julia Balbilla, in her works, emphasised herself not just as a part of the Roman court but also as the legacy of her Greco-Persian royal ancestors personified. I find it hard to understand why so many people seem to have such big issues with accepting that Rome was not an all-white culture and a purely western kingdom since, at its peak, it reached from the northern area of England to modern day Iraq and Turkey to pretty much the entire north coast of Africa. I guess this is just racists trying their hardest to disregard historical facts in order to hold on to their image of Rome as the empire of white gigachads.
Southon's writing is very funny (I cackled out loud quite a few times when reading the book) and engaging, and reading the book never felt too confusing. She admits that some of the things she writes about can be quite challenging – not made any easier by the Romans' tendency to name all the children in a family pretty much the same resulting in a lot of Julias running around, for example – but she guides her reader through these complexities and gives us the most important things. As someone not that well-versed in the intricacies of Roman history, this was very, very helpful. This book also just once again reminded me of the power of sheer damn luck when it comes to uncovering secrets of the ancient past – the story of an archeologist finding Sulpicia Lepidina's intact letters from her friend in a pile of literal shit and animal bones is one of those moments that you just have to believe in some kind of greater good. Many women's lives have been lost because their writings have not been deemed worthy of copying or because they weren't able to leave anything behind, but there are these awesome moments of chance and luck when something has survived. There's also stories of love and loyalty that have prompted the lives of ordinary women to be remembered: a shining example of this is the rather moving love story of a woman known as Turia whose husband, whom she saved quite a few times from death and persecution, etched her life story into huge memorial columns – not all of it survives, but just enough for her to avoid disappearing into what Southon refers to as the "black hole of history". The book also reminded me about how, sometime, real life truly is more wacky and wild than the best of fiction. The story of imperial princess Galla Placidia, for example, features her being stolen by the Goths and living as their captive for years until one of them married her and effectively eded the war between Romans and Goths, her becoming an empress and the maker of an emperor, while also becoming a shining beacon of exemplary Christian womanhood through her devotion to the Church, her grand architectural projects and her participation in huge crises of religious structure such as the anti-pope crisis.
As for why I am not giving this book 5/5 despite not really having anything to complain about and clearly, based on my review, liking it a lot, I just don't feel like it is a 5/5. It's very hard for nonfictions to get that rating, since, for me 5/5 books are just exceptional, those kinds of books that worm their way into my heart and soul or are just truly fucking impressive works of art. This is a great nonfiction book, a wonderful look at Roman history that I would happily recommend to anyone. But it's not like, you know, a new favorite book of all time. I will definitely keep an eye out on Emma Southon's future releases cause I really vibed with her writing and voice and would happily read more from her.
A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women is, as the title suggests, Emma Southon's hilarious but infopacked look at the history of Ancient Rome from its constitution to its final decades in the 400s. Southon's book is a perfect read for anyone interested in the stories of women who lived in the Empire, people who wish to simply broaden their understanding of Roman culture and general ancient Rome enthusiasts.
I have studied the Roman empire quite a bit during my years in school and university, and I have a rather strong basic grasp on how the empire developed, but I wouldn't call myself anything even resembling an expert or an enthusiast. My knowledge of the ancient world is much more limited to Greece and specifically culture and mythology. I am not that into politics, war and all that stuff, which is partly why Southon's book interested me. It is pointedly not a book about the "Big Important Things" such as battles, wars and political debates, but about the lives of individual women who, sometimes, played a role in the "Big Important Things", but often did not and just tried to live their lives. Occasionally I like a good political memoir and there are rulers I find endlessly fascinating, but they have never been my main interest. As a gender historian, this book was obviously something I wanted to pick up and a book that I find extremely important, because I am all for modern historians taking these old narratives and ideas of things like the Roman empire - narratives that are all white, straight and male – and challenging them, presenting a new, more realistic point of view. Because as Southon states time and time again, women were always present in Roman history and Roman identity – most of the time, it is more modern (and by this I mean everything post-antiquity) historians and authors who have erased them.
I liked the variety of women Southon chose to include in her book and that she also left out many famous women in order to make more room for those ladies we have largely forgotten. Sure, there are some big names like the rebel Boudicca, the ideal pure woman Lucretia and the Christian saint Perpetua, but most of the women I had never heard about. All chapters were interesting and full of new information for me, but if I had to pick favorites, I would say I really enjoyed the chapter of Julia Balbilla (a poet in Hadrian's court), Julia Caesar (Augustus's daughter who went from the ideal imperial woman who did her duty to rebelling spectacularly and being exiled), Cartimandua (a British queen who operated during Boudicca's rebellion and took a very different approach to the Romans) and Sulpicia Lepidina (the First Lady of an army camp whose letters reveal a life of community, friendship and warmth – things not often associated with Roman army bases). There were imperial women, queens, rebels, poets, business owners, priestesses, military wives, martyrs and more. Through all these women Southon was able to paint a very vivid, complex picture of Roman culture where women, though hidden from public in many ways, were essential. Family, marriage and legacy was always important to romans and naturally those things cannot exist without women – but alongside that, women were important as symbols, at the heart of Roman identity, as well as as the literal people who kept Rome protected (Vestal virgins were a group of six women who tended the sacred flame that was at the core of Rome's prosperity and self-identity: without them and their sacred duties, Rome was endangered). Women in the Roman empire were never just one thing and most of the basic stuff you learn at school about them is, in some ways true, but also infinitely more complex than that.
One aspect I especially appreciate about this book is how Emma Southon explores and deconstructs the idea that people have of Rome as this hyper masculine, white and western culture. Many of the women she writes about were not born in Rome – some never lived there or spent just a small amount of time there – but were still Roman because being born and dying in Rome does not a Roman make. Romanness was much more than that and Rome was such a huge empire that there were romans running around all over the place. For example, three of the women Southon writes about – the kingmaker Julia Maesa and Julia Mamaea, and the Queen/Empress Zenobia – were Syrian while also being roman and presenting themselves as such. Romanness was a complex identity and some had many different kinds of facets of identity: for example, the poet Julia Balbilla, in her works, emphasised herself not just as a part of the Roman court but also as the legacy of her Greco-Persian royal ancestors personified. I find it hard to understand why so many people seem to have such big issues with accepting that Rome was not an all-white culture and a purely western kingdom since, at its peak, it reached from the northern area of England to modern day Iraq and Turkey to pretty much the entire north coast of Africa. I guess this is just racists trying their hardest to disregard historical facts in order to hold on to their image of Rome as the empire of white gigachads.
Southon's writing is very funny (I cackled out loud quite a few times when reading the book) and engaging, and reading the book never felt too confusing. She admits that some of the things she writes about can be quite challenging – not made any easier by the Romans' tendency to name all the children in a family pretty much the same resulting in a lot of Julias running around, for example – but she guides her reader through these complexities and gives us the most important things. As someone not that well-versed in the intricacies of Roman history, this was very, very helpful. This book also just once again reminded me of the power of sheer damn luck when it comes to uncovering secrets of the ancient past – the story of an archeologist finding Sulpicia Lepidina's intact letters from her friend in a pile of literal shit and animal bones is one of those moments that you just have to believe in some kind of greater good. Many women's lives have been lost because their writings have not been deemed worthy of copying or because they weren't able to leave anything behind, but there are these awesome moments of chance and luck when something has survived. There's also stories of love and loyalty that have prompted the lives of ordinary women to be remembered: a shining example of this is the rather moving love story of a woman known as Turia whose husband, whom she saved quite a few times from death and persecution, etched her life story into huge memorial columns – not all of it survives, but just enough for her to avoid disappearing into what Southon refers to as the "black hole of history". The book also reminded me about how, sometime, real life truly is more wacky and wild than the best of fiction. The story of imperial princess Galla Placidia, for example, features her being stolen by the Goths and living as their captive for years until one of them married her and effectively eded the war between Romans and Goths, her becoming an empress and the maker of an emperor, while also becoming a shining beacon of exemplary Christian womanhood through her devotion to the Church, her grand architectural projects and her participation in huge crises of religious structure such as the anti-pope crisis.
As for why I am not giving this book 5/5 despite not really having anything to complain about and clearly, based on my review, liking it a lot, I just don't feel like it is a 5/5. It's very hard for nonfictions to get that rating, since, for me 5/5 books are just exceptional, those kinds of books that worm their way into my heart and soul or are just truly fucking impressive works of art. This is a great nonfiction book, a wonderful look at Roman history that I would happily recommend to anyone. But it's not like, you know, a new favorite book of all time. I will definitely keep an eye out on Emma Southon's future releases cause I really vibed with her writing and voice and would happily read more from her.
January 12, 2024
# 7 favourite book of 2023
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women is the third book I've read by Emma Southon this year, and it might be my favourite. The idea in itself is great: Southon recounts the Roman Empire by telling the stories of 21 very different women, showing through their lives how the Empire changed and evolved. It was an enjoyable and informative read from start to finish. I loved how Southon mostly included lesser known women, most of those I had never heard of before. I really enjoyed all stories, but these two were my favourites:
-Turia: a woman who lived during the civil wars, her chapter is aptly titled "the survivor". As Southon writes,
With 48 bce coming to an end Turia had thus far lived through a murder mystery, a legal thriller, a home invasion horror movie and a long saga about a man getting home against all the odds while being chased by hired killers.
We know about her life because her husband, Lucretius, built an enormous memorial on the Via Appia for her, and etched his memories of her into stone monoliths. In doing so, he gave us an intriguing testimony of how women's lives could be impacted by the political winds of the Late Republic, but the memorial is also an everlasting proof of sincere love.
- Julia Balbilla: companion to Empress Sabina and poet. We know about her because, while Lucretius was the one who wrote about his wife, Balbilla herself inscribed three epigrams on the statue of Memnon in Thebes, while she was touring Egypt as part of the imperial court of Hadrian. While she wrote in honor of the imperial couple, she also made sure that everyone who visited the statue for the rest of time knew exactly who Julia Balbilla was, and in doing so she created a public image of herself. She must have been a truly fascinating figure.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women is the third book I've read by Emma Southon this year, and it might be my favourite. The idea in itself is great: Southon recounts the Roman Empire by telling the stories of 21 very different women, showing through their lives how the Empire changed and evolved. It was an enjoyable and informative read from start to finish. I loved how Southon mostly included lesser known women, most of those I had never heard of before. I really enjoyed all stories, but these two were my favourites:
-Turia: a woman who lived during the civil wars, her chapter is aptly titled "the survivor". As Southon writes,
With 48 bce coming to an end Turia had thus far lived through a murder mystery, a legal thriller, a home invasion horror movie and a long saga about a man getting home against all the odds while being chased by hired killers.
We know about her life because her husband, Lucretius, built an enormous memorial on the Via Appia for her, and etched his memories of her into stone monoliths. In doing so, he gave us an intriguing testimony of how women's lives could be impacted by the political winds of the Late Republic, but the memorial is also an everlasting proof of sincere love.
- Julia Balbilla: companion to Empress Sabina and poet. We know about her because, while Lucretius was the one who wrote about his wife, Balbilla herself inscribed three epigrams on the statue of Memnon in Thebes, while she was touring Egypt as part of the imperial court of Hadrian. While she wrote in honor of the imperial couple, she also made sure that everyone who visited the statue for the rest of time knew exactly who Julia Balbilla was, and in doing so she created a public image of herself. She must have been a truly fascinating figure.
December 29, 2023
Emma Southon is pretty much the only person that can get me to care about Ancient Rome (though I plan on finally reading the Claudius novels soon so we’ll see). This was so good. I love Emma’s blend of great history and humor (go listen to her podcast, History is Sexy, it will not disappoint). The twenty-one women in here are so fascinating and more books should tell about lesser known women. I’ll read anything Emma Southon writes.
January 22, 2024
3.5 stars that I am rounding up for now, but maybe I’ll change my mind!
Definitely a fun book but easily my least favorite of Southon’s popular history books on Rome.
Introduced me to a lot of women I’d genuinely never heard of, as well as explorations of aspect of Rome that I’d barely thought about. I was fascinated by the chapter on how higher rank soldiers would often bring their wives and children out to far away outposts and there might have been a fair amount of socialization between those wives. I also loved learning about Romans going on sightseeing trips in Egypt. There’s a lot in here to sketch in Rome as a multifaceted place, and I really appreciated that aspect. I also appreciated that it made a good faith effort to include women who weren’t nobility.
I do use the phrase ‘sketch in’ because I do think this book lacks the depth. Southon displayed so well in her book on Agrippina. I understand that she got lucky there because Agrippina has more documentation than a lot of these women. But there are some - like Octavian’s daughter - who also have a decent amount of material on them. However, for each woman Southon locks in on a thesis and kind of just … rephrases it over and over again. And so Julia’s chapter is various themes and variations on “she was a princess in a gilded cage!” Which is true, but the lack of depth in places leaves some interesting ideas/possibilities for deeper analysis on the table. Case in point, it’s jarring to hear her called a princess because I know they Romans would hate hearing a monarchical title to daughter of their main leader. But that was functionally her role in society, and a deeper look into that existential tension and how it played out in Julia’s life would have been fascinating. (For example, Julia likely would have known of/likely interacted with a literal actual princess in the form of Cleopatra’s captive daughter.) Basically reading this was like reading She-Wolves where it was interesting if I didn’t know much about the woman being covered, but if I did it was sometimes a little eyebrow raising when something was left unmentioned or unexplored. I can only knock off so many stars for this, though, because I know you DO have to pick and choose when writing pop history. And this was way more vivid than She-Wolves!
This is also the first time Southon’s distinct writing voice irritated me. I laughed often at her books on Agrippina and murder in Ancient Rome. I laughed along with this one too but there was something almost… complacent about this book. Southon uses “gross” a couple times the way people do on twitter or in reviews here and that’s unfortunately one of my pet peeves. I.e. things like “this Roman historian said [insert offensive misogynistic thing here] and that is so gross!” Gross is basically going the way of “problematic” for me where it just reads like a placeholder word because someone couldn’t come up with something better or more specific. There’s also this long digression about how an entertainment complex/spa helped its customers feel “valid” which is such another overused buzzword now. I know what it tends to mean in a modern context, but what would being “valid” feel like in a middle class Roman context? She makes the case for the spa being luxurious but is that enough to help an ancient roman feel valid? If so, what does that say for the culture at large??? Basically her previous works were so idiosyncratic and insightful, and that book mostly had that going on too but I also felt like I was reading a twitter thread like “alright everyone, take a seat and let’s learn about some underrated af ancient Roman women! [1/?]”
Ugh I sound like I’m nitpicking and I really am… I just vibed with her previous books SO hard and I was so into the book’s stated thesis (illuminating the lives of women in Ancient Rome who tend to get overlooked and exploring what that says about the time’s larger society) that I think I was hoping for something a bit more.
But I also know I’m nitpicking so …. Four stars it is!
Definitely a fun book but easily my least favorite of Southon’s popular history books on Rome.
Introduced me to a lot of women I’d genuinely never heard of, as well as explorations of aspect of Rome that I’d barely thought about. I was fascinated by the chapter on how higher rank soldiers would often bring their wives and children out to far away outposts and there might have been a fair amount of socialization between those wives. I also loved learning about Romans going on sightseeing trips in Egypt. There’s a lot in here to sketch in Rome as a multifaceted place, and I really appreciated that aspect. I also appreciated that it made a good faith effort to include women who weren’t nobility.
I do use the phrase ‘sketch in’ because I do think this book lacks the depth. Southon displayed so well in her book on Agrippina. I understand that she got lucky there because Agrippina has more documentation than a lot of these women. But there are some - like Octavian’s daughter - who also have a decent amount of material on them. However, for each woman Southon locks in on a thesis and kind of just … rephrases it over and over again. And so Julia’s chapter is various themes and variations on “she was a princess in a gilded cage!” Which is true, but the lack of depth in places leaves some interesting ideas/possibilities for deeper analysis on the table. Case in point, it’s jarring to hear her called a princess because I know they Romans would hate hearing a monarchical title to daughter of their main leader. But that was functionally her role in society, and a deeper look into that existential tension and how it played out in Julia’s life would have been fascinating. (For example, Julia likely would have known of/likely interacted with a literal actual princess in the form of Cleopatra’s captive daughter.) Basically reading this was like reading She-Wolves where it was interesting if I didn’t know much about the woman being covered, but if I did it was sometimes a little eyebrow raising when something was left unmentioned or unexplored. I can only knock off so many stars for this, though, because I know you DO have to pick and choose when writing pop history. And this was way more vivid than She-Wolves!
This is also the first time Southon’s distinct writing voice irritated me. I laughed often at her books on Agrippina and murder in Ancient Rome. I laughed along with this one too but there was something almost… complacent about this book. Southon uses “gross” a couple times the way people do on twitter or in reviews here and that’s unfortunately one of my pet peeves. I.e. things like “this Roman historian said [insert offensive misogynistic thing here] and that is so gross!” Gross is basically going the way of “problematic” for me where it just reads like a placeholder word because someone couldn’t come up with something better or more specific. There’s also this long digression about how an entertainment complex/spa helped its customers feel “valid” which is such another overused buzzword now. I know what it tends to mean in a modern context, but what would being “valid” feel like in a middle class Roman context? She makes the case for the spa being luxurious but is that enough to help an ancient roman feel valid? If so, what does that say for the culture at large??? Basically her previous works were so idiosyncratic and insightful, and that book mostly had that going on too but I also felt like I was reading a twitter thread like “alright everyone, take a seat and let’s learn about some underrated af ancient Roman women! [1/?]”
Ugh I sound like I’m nitpicking and I really am… I just vibed with her previous books SO hard and I was so into the book’s stated thesis (illuminating the lives of women in Ancient Rome who tend to get overlooked and exploring what that says about the time’s larger society) that I think I was hoping for something a bit more.
But I also know I’m nitpicking so …. Four stars it is!
May 13, 2024
This book is really a mixed bag for me although I'm glad that I read this interesting exploration of less well known Roman women. Dr. Southern has a PhD in ancient history, has rejected the dreariness of formal academia but is using her research skills to create her own narrative. This reads like a really long lecture. Things I really liked about this book: 1) it goes through the entire history of Rome from about 750 BCE through 414 CE; and 2) it does include the 'better known' women such as Agrippina but teases out from scant references. Since the references are so scant, it is difficult to capture an accurate view of these women lost to the ages although the author clearly identifies that. What I think this book does best is capture how Roman sources (aka men) saw these women. For such an important topic what did not work as well for me was the flippant style of the narrative. Granted there are relatable feelings/things between ancient Romans and people today but there are a lot of things that just don't translate. Too much of history these days is being viewed through our 'here and now' lens and it just doesn't work because the times were too different. My rating is 3 stars for while I liked this book, it really was an 'up and down' read. Of note, highlights of this book include some early Christian women who had some 'options' under Christianity that were not possible before this religion.
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May 28, 2024Historia jest bardzo niesprawiedliwa dla kobiet. Głównie uczymy się o mężczyznach, którzy rządzili, walczyli, z@bijali, albo sami zostali z@bici, pomijając tym samym kobiety, a to one stanowiły połowę populacji imperium rzymskiego 🏛
Emma Southon postanowiła pokazać w swojej książce tę drugą połowę starożytnego Rzymu i przybliża nam historie 21 kobiet - księżniczki, świętej, męczennicy, a nawet bizneswoman z Pompejów 🏛
Książka napisana jest w świetnym stylu - nie ogranicza się do suchych faktów, autorka postawiła na humor i nawiązania do dzisiejszych czasów (między innymi wspomina o królu Karolu i Kamili czy o filmie Gladiator), a przy tym widać, że przygotowała się z największą starannością, bo samych przypisów mamy ok. 30 stron 🏛
Moim ulubionym rozdziałem został ten o Julii Cezar oraz Julii Feliks - chyba mam słabość do tego imienia. W drugim przypadku mamy historię prosto z Pompejów i chyba to właśnie ona najbardziej mnie zaciekawiła (swoją drogą przeczytałabym coś więcej o tym mieście) 🏛
Myślę, że książka jest warta przeczytania, szczególnie, że o historiach w niej zawartych nie usłyszycie na lekcjach i chociaż przedstawione kobiety nie były nikim "ważnym", to każda z nich w jakiś sposób wpłynęła na historię imperium rzymskiego 🏛
Warto też poświęcić tej książce trochę więcej czasu i rozłożyć czytanie na kilka dni, żeby rozdziały nie zlewały się w jedno - taka mała rada ode mnie 🏛
Emma Southon postanowiła pokazać w swojej książce tę drugą połowę starożytnego Rzymu i przybliża nam historie 21 kobiet - księżniczki, świętej, męczennicy, a nawet bizneswoman z Pompejów 🏛
Książka napisana jest w świetnym stylu - nie ogranicza się do suchych faktów, autorka postawiła na humor i nawiązania do dzisiejszych czasów (między innymi wspomina o królu Karolu i Kamili czy o filmie Gladiator), a przy tym widać, że przygotowała się z największą starannością, bo samych przypisów mamy ok. 30 stron 🏛
Moim ulubionym rozdziałem został ten o Julii Cezar oraz Julii Feliks - chyba mam słabość do tego imienia. W drugim przypadku mamy historię prosto z Pompejów i chyba to właśnie ona najbardziej mnie zaciekawiła (swoją drogą przeczytałabym coś więcej o tym mieście) 🏛
Myślę, że książka jest warta przeczytania, szczególnie, że o historiach w niej zawartych nie usłyszycie na lekcjach i chociaż przedstawione kobiety nie były nikim "ważnym", to każda z nich w jakiś sposób wpłynęła na historię imperium rzymskiego 🏛
Warto też poświęcić tej książce trochę więcej czasu i rozłożyć czytanie na kilka dni, żeby rozdziały nie zlewały się w jedno - taka mała rada ode mnie 🏛
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