Top 10 Roman Books
February 20, 2009
In 1989, Lindsey Davis published The Silver Pigs, her first detective novel set in classical Rome, introducing the world to maverick classical PI and poet Falco, who has carried on his investigations through a bestselling series of droll thrillers known for their meticulous historical detail. The 19th Falco novel, Alexandria, has just been published.
I have nine shelves of Roman books. For this selection I’ve left out learning Latin, the classics and guidebooks to individual sites, and I have also had to leave out specialisms – glass, gardens, cookery, law … These are ten that are scholarly but user-friendly. They are all books I have enjoyed, all influenced my love of ancient Rome and most of them are in regular use for my work.
1. Daily Life in Ancient Rome by Jérôme Carcopino
This dense depiction of the great, bustling, aromatic, highly superior city of Rome is now 90 years old but because it draws extensively on classical authors, it has never gone out of date, and remains an excellent introduction to how Rome worked and how its people thought of themselves. Every sentence is packed with examples. The first part is general background, the second takes us through a typical Roman day.
February 20, 2009
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