This is a history book that’s not a history book. Author Philip Matyszak asks the question - What would it be like to spend a day in ancient Rome?

To answer the question Matyszak picks a day in AD 137, at the height of Rome’s Empire. As he notes in the introduction, in the year 137 “from the Thames to the Tigris, Rome is mighty, feared and respected”. Yet “most of the people we encounter in this book don’t care about that”.

What Matyszak gives us is not a history of empire or conquest, but instead a chance to step into the shoes of 24 (one for each hour of the day) Roman citizens and glimpse their world from their perspective. So we meet a baker, and a school teacher, a tavern keeper, a cook, a bath attendant, a priestess, and many others.

The approach is similar to other books, like The Year 1000 which I read and reviewed last year but compressed into a single day. Just like that book this one is as much about entertaining as enlightening. I did learn quite a bit about Roman society and customs that I didn’t understand before, as well as a better appreciation for how Rome as a city full of many kinds of citizens would have functioned 2000 years ago.

Matyszak is a prolific writer on ancient Roman and Greek societies and has a companion audiobook - 24 Hours in Ancient Athens - that I’ve added to my TBR. He also has a 24 Hours in Ancient Egypt too.

RATING: Three and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐🌠 ( )

Geschiedschrijving hoeft zoals we intussen weten niet te verlopen langs grootste gebeurtenissen, personen en/of data. Er valt ook heel wat interessants te leren over het verleden door dicht bij het alledaagse leven van alledaagse mensen te blijven. Matyszak doet dat hier voor het oude Rome ten tijde van keizer Hadrianus. We lopen mee doorheen een septemberdag van het jaar 137 na christus. Dat zijn 24 uren waarvan op elk uur wordt ingezoomd op een ander personage, een ander beroep. 24 levens die mooi aaneen geregen worden verteld. En dat levert een mooie en goed gedocumenteerde collage op van het dagelijks leven van de Romeinen. Onderhoudend en leerzaam. ( )

I came across Matyszak's 24 Hours in Ancient Rome: A Day in the Life of the People Who Lived There via a recommendation by Alison Morton (of Nova Roma fame). It looked right up my alley, so I jumped straight into it. Very glad I did!

What to Expect
A witty, fictional non-fiction description of the lives of representatives of the Roman multitude, around the time of Hadrian. Matyszak takes a random day, and starting from midnight moves through the lives of the 'little people' who made up the million or so inhabitants of Rome at its prime. Each hour sees the 'story' shift to a new person, as they go about their business.

What I liked
I loved the mix of fiction and non-fiction. Using the stories of fictional(*) people to highlight the daily lives, and then digressing on to passages of explanations of what they are doing and why; their whole world - the whole city - through their eyes. The book is written with charming wit - it's not often that a non-fiction book leaves one in stitches.

(*) Fictional, but not entirely made up. Matyszak uses names as found in graffiti, burial inscriptions, surviving quips from contemporary writings, etc. He also provides us with a glimpse into these, by quoting the original references. Martial, Juvenal, Apuleius, Pliny (both elder and younger), Petronius, and many others - all contribute their words. Matyszak uses the windows they afford us into daily life in ancient Rome to breathe life to those characters.

What to be aware of
This is neither a history of grand events, nor an academic discourse about the sources and their interpretation, or comprehensive review of evidence. Matyszak uses a framework of fiction as an educational tool to teach us about the lives of ordinary Romans, hinting at the depth of evidence behind him. It also reflects life in early 2nd century CE - a thin slice out of the millennia long history of Roman culture.

Summary
I absolutely loved how Matyszak brings ancient Rome to life. Reading his stories, one walks, sees, smells, and is totally immersed in the great city. I find well-researched historical fiction a great learning tool, so this combination was perfect for me.

I would heartily recommend this to anyone interested in ancient Rome, whether reading or writing about it. This books does a tremendous job in educating the reader in a way that sticks.

Get your copy and start reading today, and be entertained while you learn.

(A small note to fans of Felix: this book is 'set' about three hundred years after the period I based Egretia on. It's mostly applicable, though some deviations are expected).

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Assaph Mehr, author of Murder In Absentia: a story of Togas, Dagger, and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome, Urban Fantasy, and Detective mysteries. ( )