BOOK REVIEW Roman refresher

SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome by Mary Beard Profile Books, 2016 Paperback: 608 pagesPrice: AUD$24.99   Reviewed by Bill James   You can tell that this is not a typical old-fashioned tome of ancient history, because the front cover has a sticker affixed to it containing a photograph of the author and the caption “AS SEEN ON TV”. What’s more, the subheading, A History Of Ancient Rome, would have been extraneous in the past, because even moderately educated readers would have known that SPQR stands for Senatus Populusque Romanus – the Senate and the People of Rome. For many…