A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome

An entertaining and informative look at the unique culture of crime, punishment, and killing in Ancient Rome from author Emma Southon, cohost of the History is Sexy podcast.

“I love this funny, scholarly, erudite, irreverent book.” –Sarah Perry, national bestselling author of The Essex Serpent

In Ancient Rome, all the best stories have one thing in common–murder. Romulus killed Remus to found the city, Caesar was assassinated to save the Republic. Caligula was butchered in the theater, Claudius was poisoned at dinner, and Galba was beheaded in the Forum. In one 50-year period, 26 emperors were murdered.

But what did killing mean in a city where gladiators fought to the death to sate a crowd? In A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Emma Southon examines a trove of real-life homicides from Roman history to explore Roman culture, including how perpetrator, victim, and the act itself were regarded by ordinary people. Inside Ancient Rome’s darkly fascinating history, we see how the Romans viewed life, death, and what it means to be human.