By now, all my friends know how obsessed with Ancient Roman history I am — if the Hadrian necklace around my neck wasn’t a major indicator, my Facebook wall is covered in memes about Julius Caesar’s stabbing and the gayness of Ancient Greeks. I don’t see how everyone isn’t googly-eyed about Trajan’s conquests in Dacia or the way Romans engineered their Forum.
But as my sister so eloquently said in Barnes&Noble, as I was crouched down at the ancient history section, “It’s just a bunch of dead guys.” Incorrect! The Gallic Wars by Julius Caesar, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, and the speeches and private letters of Cicero create a breathing, amorphous view of Ancient Rome as the Romans lived it.