They performed before thousands and could become celebrities, yet actors in ancient Rome were stripped of their civic rights.

Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World, by Mary Beard. Liveright. 512 pages. $39.99. If men think about the Roman Empire all the time, they do not do it under conditions of their own making.

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Lily Moore does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their ...