The Modern Scholar

A History of Ancient Rome

By: Professor Frances B. Titchener

Narrated by: Professor Frances B. Titchener

Of all the civilizations that have ever existed, none have inspired as much wonder and awe as Ancient Rome. No society has replicated the achievements nor enjoyed the longevity that the Roman Empire did.

This course explores the world of Ancient Rome as students investigate important events and key figures of the epoch. The individual lectures will examine major themes while touching upon the fascinating details of Roman life, such as the Romans' intensely hierarchical social order. Along the way, numerous facts of cultural literacy, such as what it means to "cross the Rubicon", will be illuminated as listeners enjoy Frances Titchener's unique style and finesse. At the end of this course, students will possess a thorough understanding of Ancient Rome's legacy to the modern world, and will have fully considered the poet Vergil's assertion that the Romans' talent was to "rule mankind and make the world obey."

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2003 Frances B. Titchener (P)2003 Recorded Books, LLC

BRIEF HISTORY OF ROME

Excelent book, I enjoy the listening. Interesting analysis of the great questions of the history of Rome; the author addresses the causes of the success of Rome, the fall of the Republic and finally the collapse of the Imperio

Great Overview

I downloaded this book to get a overview of Rome and Roman history. I thoroughly enjoyed the lectures. I normally listen while commuting to work but found myself wanting to listen during whatever spare time I had. They were informal and fun and I was following up on the lecture series by reading more about the people and events in my off time.

Fantastic Overview for the Ignorant

This is an excellent starting point if you know very little about the Ancient Romans and want to learn, in a nutshell, the real story. Most of us know the names Caesar, Nero, Caligula ... with the associated tags. e.g. Caesar crossed the Rubicon - Nero fiddled whilst Rome burned - Caligula married his sister then killed her!

These lectures provide a wonderfully simple springboard from which to venture into a more in depth study of the fascinating Ancient Romans!

It is what it is...

I think a middle ground is called for here. I would argue both with the reviewer who questioned Titchener's credentials (she has them, and deserved) and with the reviewer who called the book thorough and 'the' one to get--I think a closer view is somewhere in the middle. The parameter's of the task (a general audience comprehensive history of Rome with length and lecture limits) necessitate curtailment of detail. And while there are some factual errors and some infelicities, the book has its merits. Personally, I think the course would have been better served to be in two parts; Titchener seems much more captivated by the republic than the Empire (the Julio-Claudians in half an hour?). Maybe I was just growing weary of it, but it did seem to me that the glib colloquialism increased and, by the time of the Julio-Claudians the goal seemed to become more to tell an entertaining quick story than to engage in history. A little less embellishment of one line in Plutarch about Sulla's death, for example, or using a satirist as a historian (i.e. Juvenal) would have given time for more nuanced coverage. On the other hand, as evidenced by the positive reviews, the book is OK. A good overview. Just don't take it as the final word in Roman history.

Clear, plain language intro to Roman history.

Would you listen to The Modern Scholar again? Why?

I've listening to many Modern Scholar lectures. This is one of the best.

What did you like best about this story?

The lecture did not use convoluted academic language. She had some major points and supported with wonderfully interesting details.

What does the narrator bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

This is a lecture so it doesn't really apply but she expresses certain points very well as if talking to her in a cafe, not in a lecture hall.