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Veni, Vidi, Vici: Everything you ever wanted to know about the Romans but were afraid to ask
'Jones's is a vital public service. He reminds us that while we shouldn't live in the past, we are wiser and stronger when we live with it' Bettany Hughes, Sunday Telegraph The Romans left a long-lasting legacy and their influence can still be seen all around us - from our calendar and coins, to our language and laws - but how much do we really know about them? Help is at hand in the form of Veni, Vidi, Vici, which tells the remarkable, and often surprising, story of the Romans and the most enduring empire in history. Fusing a lively and entertaining narrative with rigorous research, Veni, Vidi, Vici breaks down each major period into a series of concise nuggets that provide a fascinating commentary on every aspect of the Roman world - from plebs to personalities, sauces to sexuality, games to gladiators, poets to punishments, mosaics to medicine and Catullus to Christianity. Through the twists and turns of his 1250-year itinerary, Peter Jones is a friendly and clear-thinking guide. In this book he has produced a beguiling and entertaining introduction to the Romans, one that vividly brings to life the people who helped create the world we live in today.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
149 people are currently reading
1320 people want to read
About the author
Peter V. Jones
292 books39 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Peter Jones (sometimes credited as Peter V. Jones) is a former lecturer in Classics at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, a writer and journalist. Jones has regularly written on Classics for major newspapers, and was awarded the MBE in 1983. He is a Cambridge graduate.
Jones' popular work has been focused on introducing new generations to Ancient Rome and Greece, from newspaper columns to crossword collections, popular non-fiction, and charitable organisations devoted to helping keep Classics subjects in schools.
Peter Jones (sometimes credited as Peter V. Jones) is a former lecturer in Classics at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, a writer and journalist. Jones has regularly written on Classics for major newspapers, and was awarded the MBE in 1983. He is a Cambridge graduate.
Jones' popular work has been focused on introducing new generations to Ancient Rome and Greece, from newspaper columns to crossword collections, popular non-fiction, and charitable organisations devoted to helping keep Classics subjects in schools.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
November 20, 2016
Interesting to read, but it falls short in its aim. The history of Rome is glossed over in parts, opting to spend more time on the 'exciting' topics such as colosseums. However, this does allow the book to convey a particular image on Roman culture, though this is for a specific time period, and should not be used to represent all of Roman history.
The bibliography, although limited, does well in giving readers the ability to enhance their knowledge. The index at the end is excellent, allowing for references to be found easily.
This book should be seen as a general reference, allowing for the reader to find areas they're interested in for further reading.
The bibliography, although limited, does well in giving readers the ability to enhance their knowledge. The index at the end is excellent, allowing for references to be found easily.
This book should be seen as a general reference, allowing for the reader to find areas they're interested in for further reading.
August 6, 2016
It has one of the strangest structures I have ever encountered in a history book; in fact, I could only describe it as "two steps forward, one step back" in its summary approach to the history of Rome. But there is no denying that, using its strange structure, it manages to cover an impossibly immense amount of ground...and with a sense of humour and irony to boot! A magnificently useful historical manual, but be prepared to blink once or twice, thanks to its occasionally off-putting approach.
December 28, 2024
Meh. Lots of information presented, but like throwing spaghetti at a wall to see what sticks.
September 20, 2025
If anyone is looking for a one-stop introduction before diving deeper into Romans, this book is considered as a good start. It covers a wide range of Romans—history, literature, politics, economics, social structures, mythology dan religion. The book is also structured chronologically, so for a general reader, it will help you a lot to understand and follow Rome's developments.
But, as I've mentioned above, this work serves only as 'one-stop introduction', hence it uses simple explanations, sometimes anecdotes; not an academic manner. Therefore, if you're an academician, or more specifically a historian, this book may not be for you.
But, as I've mentioned above, this work serves only as 'one-stop introduction', hence it uses simple explanations, sometimes anecdotes; not an academic manner. Therefore, if you're an academician, or more specifically a historian, this book may not be for you.
December 31, 2022
Early Christians adopted sibylline text to gain credibility, like " I am the one only true God, and there is no other God." That sounds familiar!
The Slave theory was bonkers. Nobody saw slavery as a problem and accepted it as part of the natural order. For instance some Christians thought slavery was good for the enslaved people, people, and society. Nero was not all that bad and did not enjoy himself when Rome was burning.
I found SPQR more entertaining
The Slave theory was bonkers. Nobody saw slavery as a problem and accepted it as part of the natural order. For instance some Christians thought slavery was good for the enslaved people, people, and society. Nero was not all that bad and did not enjoy himself when Rome was burning.
I found SPQR more entertaining
September 3, 2022
Um livro repleto de histórias interessantes mas que se lê um pouco como um conjunto de curiosidades e menos como um documento de história.
October 23, 2014
An interesting if brief overview of the history of the Roman Empire. The book is divided in to chapters which cover specific years of the Empire - each chapter starts with a little timeline detailing some of the bigger events during it's specific period, followed by a brief (3-4 page) summary. The rest of the chapter is then broken down in to small paragraphs (about 3 per page) which cover various topics and "nit-bits" of information which can vary quite widely - Chapter II has topics on the Vestal Virgins to the fascination with Phallic Symbols to the original 10 month calendar to crime and punishment.
Each topic feels complete and separate from the others, which is both good and bad. On the one hand, this is literally the type of book that you can pick up and put down after 10 minutes, achieving the feeling that you've learned something new without the urge to keep going "just one more chapter". It's a nice casual book that doesn't take much effort to get in to and is quite humorous and easy to read. The downside to this style of writing however is that inevitably it misses out a lot of information, ignores debated topics (as another reviewer on this site pointed out) and generally just doesn't go in to too much detail.
Overall if you're looking for a book that is rigorous in its source selection and defends each view point, this might not be the one for you - in case I didn't say this already, it's a very casual overview. That said, I would definitely recommend this book to people looking for a nice and easy casual read of the Roman Empire who want to learn a few facts without pouring over the academic texts. It might even serve as a basic introduction to the Romans if you want to start learning about them properly but the large tome's in the library put you off.
Each topic feels complete and separate from the others, which is both good and bad. On the one hand, this is literally the type of book that you can pick up and put down after 10 minutes, achieving the feeling that you've learned something new without the urge to keep going "just one more chapter". It's a nice casual book that doesn't take much effort to get in to and is quite humorous and easy to read. The downside to this style of writing however is that inevitably it misses out a lot of information, ignores debated topics (as another reviewer on this site pointed out) and generally just doesn't go in to too much detail.
Overall if you're looking for a book that is rigorous in its source selection and defends each view point, this might not be the one for you - in case I didn't say this already, it's a very casual overview. That said, I would definitely recommend this book to people looking for a nice and easy casual read of the Roman Empire who want to learn a few facts without pouring over the academic texts. It might even serve as a basic introduction to the Romans if you want to start learning about them properly but the large tome's in the library put you off.
August 7, 2020
An enjoyable read about the Romans. At the beginning of this book the author unashamedly points out that this is a narrative written for the ‘average reader’ and not a historian, and thus the format is quite appealing - each chapter begins with a broad overview followed by bite size chunks on various topics.
Whilst an enjoyable format, on some occasions this did leave me wanting to know more and I often found dubious assertions made, presented as fact, with the differing views buried due to the bite size nature of the book.
Overall, an enjoyable and yet slightly tired overview of the Roman journey from village to collapse.
Whilst an enjoyable format, on some occasions this did leave me wanting to know more and I often found dubious assertions made, presented as fact, with the differing views buried due to the bite size nature of the book.
Overall, an enjoyable and yet slightly tired overview of the Roman journey from village to collapse.
July 24, 2020
Een beknopte maar complete geschiedenisvertelling van het grootste rijk dat we ooit in Europa hebben gezien, van de ontstaansmythen en het vissersdorp tot de eerste christelijke keizer en de val van het West-Romeinse Rijk. Veel meer dan een gewoon geschiedenisboek, vertelt de auteur niet alleen de politieke geschiedenis, maar krijgen we anekdotisch hier en daar inzicht in poëzie, architectuur, filosofie, goden, de oorsprong van woorden, graffiti op de muur, gladiatorengevechten en sporadisch een opmerking over het heden.
June 19, 2023
Es una recopilación cronológica de datos curiosos sobre la historia y cultura romana, si, se que lo dice la portada, aún así es muy plano. Si eres un apasionado de la historia y cultura romana, disfrutarás de este libro. Sin embargo, si no te interesa este tema en particular, es probable que encuentres el libro aburrido. Tenía expectativas más altas, y terminó siendo de los libros que acabé más por fuerza que por gusto.
January 30, 2022
So many similarities between modern life and ancient Rome. Really makes you think 🤔
September 26, 2023
Informative and amusing this history of the Roman Empire breaks the timeline down into chunks, while still managing to be quite detailed. A comprehensive survey that is never a slog to get through.
January 30, 2016
An engaging, energetic introduction to Roman history, suitable for the total novice (like me). History books aren't really my forte, but Jones' narrative sweep of this two thousand years or so passed like a breeze, and opened up endless unexplored avenues of knowledge for me to visit in the future.
The book is divided into chapters each covering about a century of history, from the mythical founding of the city to the fall of the empire. Each chapter begins with a chronology of events, a descriptive summary over several pages of the major developments of the period, and then a series of mini-chapters of a page or so delving into various aspects of Roman life, culture and history relevant to the time, such as the works of a famous author, the construction of aqua-ducts or the olive oil business.
While my imagination was held and inspired most easily by the (many) cataclysmic conflicts and battles of the empire, most notably the struggle between Pompey and Julius Caesar and the fall of the republic, Jones' titbits of detail and insight into ordinary life were very welcome, as they helped to add a colour and a gloss to the Roman world and provided a human scale to life in these times. By the end of the book I felt that I had both a general sense of the major events of the period as well as a variety of areas to explore further.
Overall then a clear, concise and often amusing introduction to a time which shaped the Western world perhaps like no other, highly recommended.
The book is divided into chapters each covering about a century of history, from the mythical founding of the city to the fall of the empire. Each chapter begins with a chronology of events, a descriptive summary over several pages of the major developments of the period, and then a series of mini-chapters of a page or so delving into various aspects of Roman life, culture and history relevant to the time, such as the works of a famous author, the construction of aqua-ducts or the olive oil business.
While my imagination was held and inspired most easily by the (many) cataclysmic conflicts and battles of the empire, most notably the struggle between Pompey and Julius Caesar and the fall of the republic, Jones' titbits of detail and insight into ordinary life were very welcome, as they helped to add a colour and a gloss to the Roman world and provided a human scale to life in these times. By the end of the book I felt that I had both a general sense of the major events of the period as well as a variety of areas to explore further.
Overall then a clear, concise and often amusing introduction to a time which shaped the Western world perhaps like no other, highly recommended.
October 24, 2016
I really like this book. It ranges from the myths around Rome's founding right up to exploring the split into Eastern and Western halves of the Empire, highlighting some of the lesser-known emperors as well as looking at the lives of the ordinary people - and all with Jones' typical humour, which makes this book easy to read. There are no slogs through huge amounts of technical details or waffling theories. As much as possible, the information is presented in summaries and bite-size pieces on various topics.
One criticism I will make is the manner in which Jones calls the 3rd century emperor Elagabalus a "sexual deviant" when the information given makes it clear that Elagabalus was in fact transgender. Jones' use of the term "deviant" has distinctly negative overtones, as if he wants the reader to dislike (or laugh at) an emperor who was simply unhappy with their birth gender. Whichever historical era they lived in, trans people are *not* jokes to be laughed at.
One criticism I will make is the manner in which Jones calls the 3rd century emperor Elagabalus a "sexual deviant" when the information given makes it clear that Elagabalus was in fact transgender. Jones' use of the term "deviant" has distinctly negative overtones, as if he wants the reader to dislike (or laugh at) an emperor who was simply unhappy with their birth gender. Whichever historical era they lived in, trans people are *not* jokes to be laughed at.
June 28, 2015
This book is filled with a huge amount of detailed knowledge which provides the reader with some interesting and unusual facts about Ancient Rome (for example, togas were not worn everyday, bath houses were notoriously dirty). However I would not view this as a suitable introduction to Roman history on the sole basis that whilst each chapter has a chronological timeline, the author jumps around quite a bit which at times can be confusing.
Some elements were truly fascinating, particularly those concerning religion and philosophy. Discussion of atomism, Cicero and the religious changes in society following Constantine's conversion were all particularly fascinating segments of the book.
Overall, definitely a worthwhile read so long as it is not viewed as an introduction to the topic, perhaps for those with a vague overview of the ancient roman period.
Some elements were truly fascinating, particularly those concerning religion and philosophy. Discussion of atomism, Cicero and the religious changes in society following Constantine's conversion were all particularly fascinating segments of the book.
Overall, definitely a worthwhile read so long as it is not viewed as an introduction to the topic, perhaps for those with a vague overview of the ancient roman period.
March 4, 2016
Like the guide to Ancient Greece by the same author, this doesn't claim to be a complete history of Rome. Rather it is a taster. Split into chronological chapters, each starts with a summary of events in the period covered, and is followed by short independent sections covering various topics from that era. Some are technical - perhaps about aqueducts, or a prominent person - others may be about a poet or philosopher active at the time.
If you are a regular reader of non-fiction about Rome, then this will probably not teach you anything new, but might still be a light read. If you are a reader of fiction set in Rome, and would like a bit of background to your reading, then this would be a good place to start.
If you are a regular reader of non-fiction about Rome, then this will probably not teach you anything new, but might still be a light read. If you are a reader of fiction set in Rome, and would like a bit of background to your reading, then this would be a good place to start.
December 13, 2015
Lots of interesting facts presented in quite an informal way. The title is misleading "everything you wanted to know about the Romans but were afraid to ask". The information in the book does not match up to this claim. It's more a telling of the history of Rome from start to end. It does jump around chronologically at times and I felt that the author had a slightly anti-Christian bias (not a Christian myself but noticed this throughout).
Very easy book to read and made this period of history easily accessible.
Very easy book to read and made this period of history easily accessible.
March 31, 2016
I enjoyed the format of this book. Short sections on related topics worked well to enable me to absorb some of the information. A really interesting read for anyone who knows little or nothing about Roman history. Probably not one for a scholar of the ancient world. I like Jones's relaxed writing style and humour also. Totally recommended if you want to get an overview of a long and complex empire.
December 15, 2014
You know how when reading a book you sometimes come across a little nugget of information which makes you think that's interesting. Well this book is like lots of those nuggets put together. Unfortunately it turns out though that all the less exciting writing between the nuggets is necessary to give context and clarity. This book therefore lacks that.
February 25, 2016
Stimulating summary of Roman history
In some ways I preferred this volume to Peter Jones's book about Greece: probably because I know more about the Romans! His historic summaries are rather stark, but his additional material contains much of interest, and often conveys the unexpected. His sprinkling of Latin is fascinating, and encouraged me to look at the language once more!?
In some ways I preferred this volume to Peter Jones's book about Greece: probably because I know more about the Romans! His historic summaries are rather stark, but his additional material contains much of interest, and often conveys the unexpected. His sprinkling of Latin is fascinating, and encouraged me to look at the language once more!?
February 13, 2014
An amazingly concise look at over a thousand years of Roman history from the founding of the city to the end of the Roman empire. Jones covers a lot of territory, does so with great aplomb and manages to cram a lot in. A great introduction to the subject for novices of Roman history.
February 2, 2014
A guide to various aspects of Roman life; politics, people, home, work and war. Done in small paragraphs to make it easier to digest, at times it reminds me of the Horrible Histories approach to teaching history to the non-academic. Very very enjoyable.
November 11, 2014
I am amazed that Peter Jones has managed to fit in so much history and so many facts without it ever becoming overwhelming.
I have learned some history, some etymology of the English language and I now have a good reason to read Gibbon's Decline and Fall.
Thoroughly recommended.
I have learned some history, some etymology of the English language and I now have a good reason to read Gibbon's Decline and Fall.
Thoroughly recommended.
June 18, 2015
This book was an impulse buy while on holiday in Oban. Looked interesting and was. The book is just a collection of paragraph points of interest. Yes they are interesting but do not hang together well.
June 15, 2016
Interesting basic introduction. Short paragraphs deal with various topics, offering a brief glance into Roman life and outlook. Didn't flow very well on kindle, would be more enjoyable to dip in & out of a hard copy.
July 22, 2016
A brilliant, funny, well written, engaging book. I devoured it and particularly liked the small detail asides as well as the more substantive historical overview. A genuinely excellent book by an author who clearly loves and knows this period very well indeed.
January 10, 2017
Meh
A good basic introduction, but quite disjointed. Much was left unexplained and many significant details left out. I wouldn't really recommend it for anything more than a light read.
A good basic introduction, but quite disjointed. Much was left unexplained and many significant details left out. I wouldn't really recommend it for anything more than a light read.
December 23, 2015
An overview of the history if the Roman Empire that does not feel like a history book. Interesting, humorous and very well written.
It made me realize nothing changes...
It made me realize nothing changes...
November 5, 2014
I'm crazy about ancient Rome and I loved it. Full of trivia and details but not for someone looking for a history. A great companion piece!
May 12, 2015
A quick but engaging overview of the Roman Republic and Empire, with some focus on significant characters and events.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews