The Romans
A People’s History
Paul ChrystalAncient Rome retold through the lives of ordinary people.
The Romans loom large in the imagination, credited with roads, aqueducts, politics, plumbing and empire – yet these familiar achievements tell only part of the story. The Romans: A People’s History turns away from generals and emperors to focus instead on the millions of ordinary men and women whose voices rarely made it into history. Drawing on inscriptions, literature, household objects, mosaics and myth, it reveals how plebeian lives shaped the culture that still surrounds us: from food and labour to beliefs, entertainment, violence and political resistance. Not shying away from contentious subjects – misogyny, slavery, racism and the enjoyment of brutal spectacle – Paul Chrystal offers a rich, human-centred account of Roman civilization, suggesting that what ordinary Romans endured and achieved still echoes in how we live, argue and govern today.
Ancient Rome retold through the lives of ordinary people.
The Romans loom large in the imagination, credited with roads, aqueducts, politics, plumbing and empire – yet these familiar achievements tell only part of the story. The Romans: A People’s History turns away from generals and emperors to focus instead on the millions of ordinary men and women whose voices rarely made it into history. Drawing on inscriptions, literature, household objects, mosaics and myth, it reveals how plebeian lives shaped the culture that still surrounds us: from food and labour to beliefs, entertainment, violence and political resistance. Not shying away from contentious subjects – misogyny, slavery, racism and the enjoyment of brutal spectacle – Paul Chrystal offers a rich, human-centred account of Roman civilization, suggesting that what ordinary Romans endured and achieved still echoes in how we live, argue and govern today.
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Here is a welcome innovation – a book about ancient Rome that foregrounds the person in the street rather than the over-entitled and over-discussed nobleman. A thoroughly satisfying read.
'Anthony Everitt, author of The Rise of Rome: The Making of the World’s Greatest Empire
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Paul Chrystal has an eye for the quirky and unusual. His highly readable style and solid scholarship combine to make this book an engrossing read.
'Philip Matyszak, author of A Walk Through Ancient Rome
Abbreviations
Preface
Introduction: Who Were the Roman People?
1 To Be a Plebeian
2 The Monarchy and the Early Republic (753–301 bce)
3 The Later Republic (301–27 bce)
4 Art, Architecture, Philosophy, Writing and Publishing
5 Artisans and the Workers
6 The Entertainers: Gladiators, Chariot Racing, Dancing and Sex
7 Roman Women and Children
8 Slaves and Slavery
9 Warfare and the Armed Forces
10 Medical Science and Medical Services
11 Religion, Superstition and the Dark Arts
12 Death and the People
13 Britannia
14 Public Services
15 The Welfare State
16 The Roman Fora: Symbols of Roman Civilization, Power and Culture
17 Living a Plebeian Life
Epilogue
Appendix i: Some Common Latin Terms
Appendix ii: Epigraphy
Appendix iii: The Seven Kings of Rome
Appendix iv: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Diocletian
Appendix v: Roman Assemblies
Appendix vi: A Typical cursus honorum
References
Further Reading
Acknowledgements
Photo Acknowledgements
Index
Paul Chrystal is a contributor to a number of history and archaeology magazines and TV and radio programmes. His numerous publications include Miracula: Weird and Wonderful Stories of Ancient Greece and Rome (Reaktion, 2025).
