The Romans

A People’s History

Paul Chrystal

• Publisher: Reaktion Books
• Year: 2026
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9781836392996
• Subtopic: Roman Ancient History
• Index: History

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.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• 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 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: Typical Cursus honorum in the Second Century BCE
• References
• Further Reading
• Acknowledgements
• Photo Acknowledgements
• Index