Insane Emperors, Sunken Cities, and Earthquake Machines: More Frequently Asked Questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans

by Garrett Ryan

Did the ancient Greeks and Romans have conspiracy theories? Did they come close to an industrial revolution? Did they drink beer?In a series of fast-paced essays, Insane Emperors, Sunken Cities, and Earthquake Machines answers 40 questions that ancient historian Garrett Ryan has been asked in the classroom and through his popular YouTube channel ToldinStone. As in Dr. Ryan's previous book - Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants - the emphasis is on the fascinating details of daily life in the classical world.

Discover the answers the ancient Greeks and Romans have tattoos?

Did they practice Buddhism?

Did they know when the Pyramids were built?Did a tsunami inspire the Story of Atlantis?

How deadly was the eruption that destroyed Pompeii?What was it like to live through the fall of the Roman Empire?Why are ancient cities buried?

What happened to the treasures of the Roman emperors?

How much was lost when the Library of Alexandria burned?

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ancient History, Audiobook, Essays, Roman History, Ancient

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2023

Reviews

[LIsa Noell "Rocking the chutzpah!" · Rating 3 out of 5]

My thanks to Globe Piqueot, Garrett Ryan and Netgalley.
Fun book. Perfect for people like me who doesn't want to read through the heavy lifting kind of books!

[Faustibooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Garrett Ryan with more interesting questions about the Ancient Greeks and Romans that will keep you entertained and intrigued. Some of the questions that Ryan answers in this fun sequel are:

- Did they come close to an industrial revolution?
- How much did the Byzantines know about Roman history?
- Did they attend concerts?
- How did they prove their identity?
- How much do we know about the Ancient Greeks and Romans?

Each question in this book is answered in a very entertaining and informative way, with each question receiving just a few pages filled with funny and odd anecdotes and very interesting explanations. Ryan is a very fun author and he writes in the same way as in his videos. I can confidently give this book five stars - just like its predecessor - and can recommend it to everyone!

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5. Enjoyable but not quite as good as the first one. Whereas the first book had topics that had not been covered on his YouTube channel ‘toldinstone’ this one felt as though every chapter had a corresponding YouTube video that it was restating and adding in a few more details.

[Tomé Barrios · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great continuation of the Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants. It maintains the same format and interesting questions, which made me more aware of what the classical period is.

More things that intrigued me: beer foam that was good for the skin as Pliny the Elder claimed that Gallic women smeared their faces with it; a Roman veteran that had their tombstone written "While I lived, I drank freely; drink, you who still live!"; Madeira Island who was discovered by Spanish navigators which came to be identified with the mythical Isles of the Blessed; Budha whose figure have Greek inspirations; Lucian a Greek who wrote about traveling to the moon, a war with the king of the sun, and a voyage back to visit the heroes on the Isles of the Blessed; latrines were occasionally rattled by explosions that sent gouts of flame roaring through the seats; pontificals genitals from Leo X; Socrates who engage with anyone who stood still long enough for a good discussions; a miniature Iliad written in tiny pages and enclosed in a nutshell; and the end of the Roman empire in one short poem: This law no earthly thing trancends: / All that has a beginning, ends.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's much that will be familiar here to Roman history devotees, but it's well written, and it does ask some interesting questions that tend to be glossed over in the grand scheme of epic Republican & Imperial Roman history. A nice combination of excellent research tool and enjoyable read.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun collection of facts about Ancient Greece and Rome — engagingly told and surprisingly deep in its breadth.

[Krista Kindschi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ - same rating as the first one - interesting with w fun writing style. I found the other with better topics overall but still worth the time!

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley, and Garrett Ryan for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t read a history book in a little while but this really made me miss school! I pretty well started and finished this book in one sitting, it was written so well I found it easy to read in one sitting. This Q&A packed a lot of information into small sections of general topics - but let me tell you - although small, the “A” part of the Q&A felt jam packed with knowledge. I will admit, at first I wasn’t sure if I was actually interested in some of the questions being posed, but the explanations were written in a really enjoyable way. Who knew I would be so interested in the widening of Roman streets and Julius Caesar banning wheeled vehicles.. I mean imagine that!

I loved this book, and I’m excited to purchase it on pub day! Looking forward to reading more from this author as well.

[Megan Craddock · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the chance to review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

This was a great way to learn fun facts and learn the answers to random questions about ancient Rome. It was informative and engaging and I truly wanted to know all the answers to the questions. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys history, or someone who struggles to read large history books. This is broken up in a way that makes it easier to comprehend. Great read!

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, easy read that will have some trivia that even the most hardcore Roman history fan will find out for the first time. Ryan does a wonderful job of hitting just the right tone with his prose, his humorous topics come off lighthearted and fun, and his serious topics come off somber and touching.

[Brian Fiedler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A jolly good book. Here is the table of contents, from chatgpt:


I. Did They?

Did the Ancient Greeks and Romans Wear Swimsuits?

Did They Drink Beer?

Did They Use Drugs?

Did They Have Dentists?

Did They Have Tattoos?

Did They Have Newspapers?

Did They Attend Concerts?

Did They Attend Public Schools?

Did They Explore Distant Lands?

Did They Practice Buddhism?

Did They Practice Astrology?

Did They Know When the Pyramids Were Built?

Did They Speculate about the Future?

Did They Come Close to an Industrial Revolution?
World of Books+10Google Books+10Apple+10

II. How Did It Work?

How Did They Prove Their Identity?

How Did They Invest Their Money?

How Did They Deal with Inflation?

How Did They Deal with Chariot Traffic?

How Did Their Aqueducts Work?

How Did Their Public Toilets Work?

How Did the Romans Build Such Durable Roads?

How Were the Roman Catacombs Constructed?
clinton.evergreenindiana.org+4Waterstones+4World of Books+4
World of Books+2Google Books+2Waterstones+2

III. What Happened?

Did Atlantis Exist?

Was There a Trojan War?

What Was Sparta Really Like?

Was Caligula Insane?

How Deadly Was the Eruption That Destroyed Pompeii?

Were There Ancient Conspiracy Theories?

How Many Romans Were Stoics?

How Many Roman Soldiers Survived to Retirement?

What Was the Life Expectancy of a Roman Emperor?

What Was It Like to Live Through the Fall of the Roman Empire?
Goodreads+10Google Books+10Waterstones+10

IV. What’s Left?

Why Are Ancient Cities Buried?

What Happened to the Treasures of the Roman Emperors?

How Much Was Lost When the Library of Alexandria Burned?

How Did Ancient Statues Lose Their Noses?

Why Are So Many Ancient Texts Lost?

What Did Ancient Graffiti Say?

How Do We Know What We Know About the Ancient World?

What’s the Future of Ancient History?

[Magen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garrett Ryan brings ancient history to life in an entertaining and easy read. He has made good use of his PhD by providing accessible education, which I absolutely applaud.

For me personally, however, this book is a trap. I read books like this because I love Graeco-Roman history. If my life had not gone in the direction of American religious history by accident, I would want to be invested professionally in Classics. This is too simple a read, offers too little detail for my curiosity or even desire to be immersed in academic dialogue. I don't have the time otherwise to read academic articles, so here we are.

Ryan answers some pretty ignorant questions, either assuming the worst of his audience or suggesting that a lot of people have asked him questions from an annoyingly twenty first century point of view. I feel like my intelligence has been insulted, but I can't fault the author or even his audience because I still enjoyed the book and learned something. I just cringed sometimes.

This is a great book for teens or adults who enjoy history but haven't pursued it as a degree program. It's light and fun reading if you are familiar with Classical history, though I might suggest someone else like Mary Beard instead for a more pointed discussion of any given period. If you ARE a Classicist, then you should skip this and write something so I can read it, lol.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garrett Ryan’s second book follows the same fantastic formula as his first—more intriguing questions about the ancient Greeks and Romans. And just like the first book, many of these questions are covered on his YouTube channel, with some scripts being nearly identical to his videos. But don’t let that fool you—it’s still top-notch content! The book is packed with fun and unexpected questions that will keep you hooked.

That said, this sequel didn’t quite captivate me as much as the first one. Perhaps it’s because I dove into it right after finishing the first book, but I think it goes beyond that. The questions about religion didn’t grab me the way the others did. However, the latter half of the book picks up with some truly excellent questions.

If you have even the slightest interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture, *Insane Emperors, Sunken Cities, and Earthquake Machines* is a must-read (or must-listen!). It’s a fascinating journey into the past that you won’t want to miss.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this collection of essays, historian Garrett Ryan answers questions he's received about ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. Split into four categories, Ryan covers a number of topics by briefly delving into the day-to-day life of the people who lived at the time. Some of the topics are tame (like Did They Attend Public Schools?), others ask for details on well-known events (How Deadly Was the Eruption that Destroyed Pompeii?) and still others ask questions that arguably most haven't put much thought into (like How Did Their Public Toilets Work?)

Woven with facts and bits of humor, if there's a question you've had about the classical world, you may find the answer in this book. I personally thought that there was more focus on the Roman Empire than ancient Greece, but it was all pretty interesting. The fact that the essays are also rather bite-sized allows readers to get the answer to the question, while the footnotes really act as the fun facts and humor.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for an advanced copy!

I loved the content here as Ryan doesn't just cover the usual pop-history topics of Roman and Greek history, but really digs into the subject matter, examining on a macro level how these empires/kingdoms rose and fell, thrived and failed, the art produced, the types of leadership, the literature and its later impact, and more.

However, I wasn't a fan of the set up of the book. All of the subject matter seemed to be covered in a scatter shot style, with no attempt at organizing the history by chronology, geography, subject or theme. The sections of how and why and what questions seemed a little too random for me to enjoy the overall layout of the book - but I still loved the individual chapters' content!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, for granting me a free copy of this e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Insane Emperors, Sunken Cities, and Earthquake Machines is a crisp, concise history book filled with bite-sized facts and lessons about the ancient world. Written for a broad audience, Garrett Ryan successfully walks the line between education and entertainment. He provides plenty of details when answering many of the questions posed throughout the book (Did they practice astrology? Did they come close to an Industrial Revolution? Was there a Trojan War?) but practices enough restraint not to bore casual readers who are looking to comfortably ease into the ancient world. While the content might not be quite as lighthearted as the title and cover suggest, Insane Emperors, Sunken Cities, and Earthquake Machines is nevertheless a great primer for anyone who wants to learn more about this epic period of history but isn't sure where to start.

[Nadvornix · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sequels often feel like a second helping of a meal that was only lukewarm the first time around (Superfreakonomics?). And popular books on ancient history can sometimes seem like a game of Chinese whispers, where the tales of Herodotus and Pliny are passed down through the ages. With only around 19 million words of Greek literature before 200 CE (Bible have around 750k, Loeb Library have around 550 volumes and it contain more-or-less every work) it shows why ancient histories can feel much more flat (without full complexity on all levels) compared even to high medieval.

Therefore I had broad distribution of expectation for this one. But I was pleasantly surprised.

I have looked into some of the questions from the book in the past:
- What was the contact with the Chinese and how much they know about each other
- What was Sparta actually like
- How much did they use drugs. Esp. for eleusinian Mysteries

Ryan did some fine scholarship and found even obscure sources on these topics. Therefore I believe that for him this is not a way to make quick buck and pad CV, but he is really into it.

Ie: Nice evening reading, easy to pick pick only chapters that you are interested in.

[Tullius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it so much I ate it up in 3 days.

As a fan of Dr Ryan's Channel, he's covered much of what he's discusses on both his books. He's one of those people who when you read his books, your hear his voice. There aren't many writers you can say that about.

Overall:
The facts discussed in this book are very level minded and objective. If you're a major Rome nerd, you'll know alot of ways discussed in the book. However, I can suggest this book and the previous to anyone who is curious about getting interested in the Roman Empire. Solid short fact book.

[Rohan · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I liked the book I feel the crazy events were glossed over. Like there was a question regarding schools and teachers and the author mentioned that a philosopher briefly became the emperor of Rome but mentions nothing about that event.
I would have loved a better exploration where all these insane things were mention. Incidentally, I loved the stories about the earthquake machine and the average lifespan of roman emperors!
So there were some parts where I thing the sensational aspects should have been given greater coverage, however in other parts it was done well.

[Kayt O'Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very fun book that answers your questions—and the questions you didn't know you had—in short yet informative chapters. Each chapter focuses on a different question, so the length can vary, but in general they're just a few pages each (most are 4-7 pages), making this easy to pick up and put down for short reading sessions if necessary. (My criteria for my "bedtime reading" shelf: things that are interesting, but won't keep me reading past my bedtime to regret it in the morning). Highly recommended to anyone with even a passing interest in history.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Garrett Ryan has created another easy-to-read masterpiece on ancient Greeks and Romans. He writes with a very conversational tone and great sense of humor. He discusses a broad range of issues, from aqueducts to treasures, supplemented with a good selection of graphics.The footnotes also make good reading. This is a wonderfully informative book well worth reading. Thank you to Edelweiss and Prometheus/National Book Network for the digital review copy.

[Makayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great, approachable historical book. Each chapter is a different topic, similar to different essays, answering various questions about the Greco-Roman world. Some of the chapters were a little dry but for the most part, each one is informative and entertaining, especially the footnotes added in. Overall, a quick read for anyone interested in random questions about the ancient Greco-Roman world.

[Sergey Dudko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Такие книги легко читать. Если интересуетесь античной историей, а точнее повседневными подробностями античной жизни, эта книга должна понравиться. Часто мы смотрим на большую картину вещей, не обращая внимания, как на сама деле жили люди в прошлом. Такие, нацеленные на широкую аудиторию, книги позволяют взглянуть на повседневный быт людей в древности.

[Priyam Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay read - Ryan operates a pretty interesting Youtube channel and I felt that this book essentially contained scripts of video ideas ultimately. May not be the case in reality, but the read was fairly easy going and kept things at a high level. Would be interesting to dive into the sources, however, for some more detailed reading.

[BookOtheDay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally! A goodreads author that delivers! A nice introduction to the Roman (Greek too?) Empire etc for a beginner like me. Nice essays on interesting topics, though it does veer a bit into finance. Readable, engaging and the conceit of investigating "human interest" questions like what alcohol did they drink really works. Will check out the first one.

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and informative book about life in the classical world. I love stories about Greek and Roman empire. This book has lots of interesting details. It's told in an informal and fun way. I enjoyed it a lot.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

[Madame Histoire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short fun essays, easy to go through and interesting trivia ( I saw other people criticised that a lot of it is a 'repeat' of the author's YT channel, but as I haven't seen any of his videos, all was new to me).
Would recommend and will now read his other book.

[Bryan Matola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Garrett Ryan does it again! I love this format for a history book! Though more than half is just his YouTube scripts, to the point where he should just narrate the audiobook himself. It would cut down on how many mispronunciations get made.

[L Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like his other book, but with new stuff...Excellent book. Fascinating. Well researched. I've read many books about Rome and even so I learned a great deal reading this. If you want to learn about the wonderful Roman society, not just about wars and emperors, then read this book!

[Michael Spinelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book would be 5 stars if a lot of it wasn’t direct scripts of his YouTube videos, so if you’ve seen all of those you’ve read a lot of this. If someone likes history but hates reading history this is a soft introduction