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Books

Mary Beard minds her S, P, Q and R

Her ground-breaking SPQR properly captures the Populus as well as the Senatus of Rome

17 October 2015

8:00 AM

17 October 2015

8:00 AM

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome Mary Beard

Profile Books, pp.606, £25, ISBN: 9781846683800

Having rattled and routed Mark Antony and his bewitching Egyptian at the battle of Actium in 31 BC, Octavian was on his way home to Rome when he was confronted by some punter. The man produced a talking raven, which obligingly squawked, ‘Greetings, Caesar, our victorious commander!’ Octavian was delighted at this evidence of loyalty, and rewarded the bird-trainer accordingly.

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