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.

Every time Rebecca publishes a story, you’ll get an alert straight to your inbox! Enter your email By clicking “Sign up”, you agree to receive emails from ...

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 ...

A 2,000-year-old collection of medical tools, recently unearthed in Hungary, offer insight into the practices of undaunted, much-maligned Roman doctors. A Roman fresco from Pompeii depicting a scene ...