A History of the Roman Empire in 21 by Emma Southon looks at Roman History from its inception, to the height of the empire, through to its fall, all through the experiences of women.  When I first heard about it, I thought it would be about well known women, Lucretia, Cornelia Africana, Fulvia and Livia, however, this book endeavours to educate its audience on the lesser known women who were part of Rome’s history.  

Much like Southon’s other work (I loved reading her book on Agrippina) it is written in an incredibly accessible manner, it can be read and appreciated by most audiences, without needing a great deal of background knowledge on Ancient Rome or History in general.  The style of writing is conversational and comical, there were many passages that had me laughing audibly, it is rare to find a history book (particularly one that can deal with some quite serious issues) that has you laughing.  I understand that for some audiences this may be off putting, but I really enjoyed it!  In fact, many of the criticisms some people would have were major draw cards for me; the conversational and occasional humorous delivery, the nature of the content being female centred, written through a feminist lens and the focus on obscure figures was refreshing.  My only criticism is a personal one, while attending Catholic school for 12 years, I had to read so many saints and martyr’s life stories, so the focus on the few Christian based women wasn’t my favourite part, it made me feel like a student agin.  But that is a personal reaction that I doubt most readers would have.

From a historical standpoint, the text utilises the somewhat lacking and incomplete ancient sources and at times is (rightfully so) critical of them.  There is appropriate hypothesis based on available evidence, historical thinking and common sense.  Ancient authors and their literary works are examined throughout the text and their context and purpose for writing is appropriately analysed and its impact on the history they are telling is noted.  I found this really helpful and interesting as I read; for those who are new to this period in history, it is helpful in understanding the values of the Romans and how that impacted their histories, for more seasoned history readers and historians, it provides us with an interesting modern interpretation.

I really did learn a lot reading this book, it was as informative as it was entertaining and had me googling new questions I’d never thought of and finding full versions of original texts to read.  This book is perfect for fans of Natalie Haynes and feminine based histories, it was like having a chat with an old friend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Oneworld Publications for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review, these thoughts are all my own.