A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women

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Pub Date Sep 07 2023 | Archive Date Sep 14 2023

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Description

Here’s how the history of the Roman Empire usually goes…


We start with Romulus, go on to Brutus overthrowing Tarquin, bounce through an appallingly tedious list of battles and generals and consuls, before emerging into the political stab-fest of the late Republic. From there, it runs through all the emperors, occasionally mentioning a wife or mother to show how bad things get when women get out of control, until Constantine invents Christianity and then Attila the Hun comes and ruins everything. But the history of Rome and empire is so much more than these Important Things.


In this alternative history, Emma Southon traces the story of the Roman Empire through women: Vestal Virgins and sex workers, business owners and poets, martyrs and saints. Each gives a different perspective on women’s lives and how they changed, across time and across class lines.

Here’s how the history of the Roman Empire usually goes…


We start with Romulus, go on to Brutus overthrowing Tarquin, bounce through an appallingly tedious list of battles and generals and consuls...


Advance Praise

'Hugely entertaining and illuminating... Emma Southon brilliantly walks the line between humour and heartbreak, never shying away from the brutality some of the women endured, yet doing so with the lightest touch and managing to keep their humanity always in focus.' Elodie Harper, author of The Wolf Den


'The women in Southon’s book are nuanced, fearless and thanks to Southon's brilliant storytelling, unforgettable: ambitious kingmakers, charming courtaesans, political actors, brave survivors and proud poets. Funny, original and often moving, this is exactly the type of book I wish I could have read when I was younger.' Costanza Casati, author of Clytemnestra


'A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women is a fantastic read. It is sparkling, irreverent and entertaining... Where was Emma Southon when I studied Roman history!?' Laura Shepperson, author of The Heroines 


'Emma Southon is a truly original voice in popular historical writing. She has this amazing ability to take everything you thought you knew about Roman history, turn it upside down, reorient it, and show it to you anew, all the while making you laugh uproariously because she is, frankly, hilarious. A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women is the history book I didn’t know I needed but I now find indispensable – an instant classic.' Jane Draycott, author of Cleopatra's Daughter

'Hugely entertaining and illuminating... Emma Southon brilliantly walks the line between humour and heartbreak, never shying away from the brutality some of the women endured, yet doing so with the...


Available Editions

EDITION Hardcover
ISBN 9780861542307
PRICE £16.99 (GBP)
PAGES 416

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Featured Reviews

I love a book like this, especially when it comes to women who are lesser known parts of history. Captivating, enchanting and intriguing - a wonderful read!

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