SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome - Mary Beard [History Series]

Join us for a discussion of SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard.
The synopsis and some tentative discussion questions are below. If as you read, you encounter some thought-provoking lines and/or find yourself wrestling with some burning questions, please note them down and bring them to the discussion!
Whether you’ve read the whole book or just want to explore some of its central ideas, you’re welcome to join; and if you need help accessing the text, please feel free to reach out to me directly.

Synopsis:
In SPQR, Beard offers a wide-ranging reinterpretation of Roman history, focusing less on emperors and battles than on citizenship, political conflict, and the lived experience of ordinary Romans. Beginning with Rome’s early myths and moving through the Republic into the early Empire, she examines how a small Italian city expanded into a vast Mediterranean power while continually renegotiating who counted as a Roman and what political participation meant. Rather than presenting Rome as a straightforward story of rise and decline, Beard highlights internal tensions—between elites and masses, center and periphery, liberty and autocracy—and argues that many debates central to Roman politics still resonate in modern political life.

Discussion Questions (subject to revision):

1. Beard emphasizes political conflict and debate as central to Rome’s development. How does this focus alter the traditional narrative of military conquest and imperial expansion?
2. The book treats Roman citizenship as flexible and evolving. How important was this adaptability to Rome’s longevity and success?
3. Beard often questions or reinterprets familiar stories about famous figures and events. Does this revisionist approach strengthen or weaken the historical narrative?
4. How does the transition from Republic to Empire appear in Beard’s account—gradual evolution, sharp rupture, or something more ambiguous?
5. To what extent does Rome’s political culture resemble aspects of modern democratic or republican systems, and where do the analogies break down?
6. Beard gives attention to non-elite Romans and marginalized voices where possible. How effectively can ancient history recover these perspectives?
7. Does the book challenge the idea of Rome as a uniquely exceptional civilization, or does it ultimately reinforce it?
8. After reading SPQR, do you see the legacy of Rome as primarily institutional, cultural, legal, or symbolic—and why?

Thanks to Spartacus Books for generously opening up their space for us! If you’re able, please support them with a small donation (suggested: $2), or with a purchase if one of their titles catches your fancy.