Empire: Un fabuleux voyage chez les Romains avec un sesterce en poche

by Alberto Angela, Paolo Barbieri (Illustrator), Nathalie Bouyssès (Translator)

En suivant l'itinéraire d'une pièce de monnaie à l'effigie de l'empereur Trajan, nous sillonnons tout l'Empire romain à l'époque de son extension maximale et découvrons toutes les couches de la société au travers de ses propriétaires successifs : un véritable docufiction sur papier qui rend l'Histoire plus passionnante qu'un roman et s'est vendu à 200 000 exemplaires en Italie.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Historical, Italian Literature, Ebooks, Economics, Italy

446 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2010

About the author

Alberto Angela is an Italian paleontologist, writer and journalist. Angela is currently a famous scientific popularizer in Italy.

Reviews

[P.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Are you in for an eventful journey throughout the Roman Empire? As you follow a coin circulating from Vindolanda (close by the current Scottish border), to Charax Spasinu (modern-day Irak), you are bound to meet all manner of people and get a little more acquainted with their many trades.

This little guide compares the Roman universe under Trajan with our times and dispels received ideas, making use of archaeological discoveries made in the stopover towns. I recommend it!


Musical Banquet :
Mare nostrum - Synaulia
Journey to Rome Part 1 - Jeff van Dyck

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On suit le parcours d'un sesterce dans l'empire romain. De poche en poche, le sesterce vous fait découvrir les différentes conditions de ses habitants, de Vindolanda (proche de la frontière écossaise) à Charax Spasinu (Iraq).

Alberto Angela se propose de comparer les deux époques, combat les idées reçues et présente une vraie galerie de personnages inspirés par les fouilles archéologiques de sites par où passe la pièce de monnaie.

C'est une sympathique introduction à l'univers de l'Empire romain sous Trajan.


Banquet musical :
Mare nostrum - Synaulia
Journey to Rome Part 1 - Jeff van Dyck

[WarpDrive · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant, thoroughly enjoyable and riveting example of well-researched popular history book.
The context is the Roman Empire during the reign of Emperor Trajan.
The Empire is explored in its vastness and in its remarkable geographical, cultural and ethnic variety, with the support of a wealth of interesting details: social relations, the structure of the economy, religion, culture, family, architecture and all many other facets of public and personal life are scrutinized and explained with meticulous precision.
The life in the Empire is vividly brought to life in a very accessible way, providing the reader with an almost cinematic experience. The author manages to deliver a very enjoyable reading experience, with noteworthy accuracy based on well-researched primary sources and archeological finds, all of it without falling into the danger of the usual "sword and sandals" oversimplifications infesting some of current popular history publications.
There are only minor and forgivable inaccuracies, that do not spoil the enjoyment of reading this truly pleasurable and highly entertaining book.
4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

[Rachele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alberto non delude mai! Riesce a raccontare cose complesse con modernità, semplicità e ironia!
L'ho sempre detto e lo ripeterò all'infinito : l'Italia riparta da Alberto Angela! Presidente della Repubblica a vita e non ne parliamo più!

[Emiliya Bozhilova · Rating 4 out of 5]

Приключенията на една римска сестерция водят от Лондон до Месопотамия. Има куп интересни факти за римските пътища, силата на легионите, културната експанзия в Северна Африка, откъде и каква храна е идвала в Рим, как са се лекували и на какво са се смели...

Определено силата на автора е европейската част на империята - там дори е излишно подробен понякога. В азиатската препуска и не задълбава. Превъзнасянето на Pax Romana понякога идва в повече.

Приятно и информативно кинематографично четиво.

3,5⭐️

[Петър Стойков · Rating 5 out of 5]

Роберто Анджела явно няма празно и отново разбива с популярна историческа книга, показваща древния Рим така, както не е успявала никоя друга. Докато в Един ден в Древен Рим ни разведе из улиците само на Вечния град и ни представи ежедневието на неговите жители, сега той ни съпровожда по пътищата и градовете на цялата империя, в периода на най-големия й разцвет.

Истина е, че римляните са се отнасяли много либерално с жителите на включените в рамките на империята територии (след като първоначално са ги поизбили, разбира се) - оставяли са ги да запазят собствената си култура, обичаи, бит, дори управленска структура. Но веднъж показали им, че пътят към благата на цивилизацията, към космополитизма, към търговията и просперитета минава само през начина, по който Рим прави нещата, тия народи сами започват да се включват в римската култура, да се обличат като римляни, да говорят латински (и гръцки в Мала Азия) и да се зоват "граждани на Рим".

Малко шокиращо е да видим, че градове като Будапеща, Александрия и Лондон, отдалечени на хиляди километри от Италия, са били римски - с бани, амфитеатри, латински имена, в тях се е говорил латински и са се използвали монети, сечени в Рим. Или че римски търговски делегации са стигали до Индия...

Книгата е обемна но се чете лесно, с много добър български превод.

[Arybo ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bellissima idea, spiegazioni alla “Alberto Angela”.

[Andrew✌️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

E’ il primo libro che leggo di Alberto Angela ed è stata un’esperienza straordinaria! Un viaggio alla scoperta dell’impero Romano ai tempi di Traiano, seguendo una piccola moneta: un sesterzio.

L’idea è interessante: la moneta passa di mano in mano, dando così la possibilità di conoscere le abitudini e la vita dei cittadini dell’impero che ne sono in possesso in quel momento. Impariamo così le leggi in vigore nell’impero, il progresso scientifico raggiunto in vari campi quali la sanità, le costruzioni, la scienza, l’ingegneria, il commercio e soprattutto il “modo di vivere” romano esportato fin nelle più lontane province. In modo chiaro e semplice, basandosi sulle scoperte archeologiche effettuate negli anni, Alberto Angela porta alla luce quella che è stata una delle grandi civiltà del passato, per molti versi decisamente moderna e con molte similitudini con quella attuale.

Il libro si legge bene, è piacevole e mi ha permesso di imparare moltissime cose sulla storia di questo periodo, oltre a “viaggiare” nei paesi di tutto il mondo allora conosciuto scoprendo luoghi e città che non conoscevo.

[Barbara Valotto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sorprendente! Una lettura davvero interessante e curiosa, scritta in modo semplice e scorrevole. Brillante come il piccolo protagonista, che nonostante in 500 pagine non reciti una sola battuta, conosce una molteplicità di persone e visita una quantità di luoghi da far invidia al più moderno dei turisti! Una moneta, un sesterzio per la precisione, immortale grazie ad un destino favorevole che lo fa giungere sino a noi, che dimostra come .....il mondo del duemila è di duemila anni fa!

[Lammoth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Циркус максимус. Арена, побираща 150 000 души, се къса по шевовете. Приглушаващият тътен, идващ от огромната тълпа, отеква на десетки километри, а напрежението и ентусиазмът вибрират във въздуха. Целият Рим е говорил за предстоящото надбягване с коне седмици наред. Коментари, залагания, слухове и новини заливат града.
Досущ като във Формула 1 е имало и отбори, със съответния антураж - техници, коняри, момчета, които с кофи с вода охлаждат нагорещените колела на т.нар. квадриги (колесници с 4 коня) и т.н.

Вместо Ферари, Макларън и Лотус, имало е 4 отбора, наречени factiones, които се различавали по краските, а оттам идват и имената - зелен отбор (prasina), червен (russata), син (veneta) и бял (albata). Всеки отбор участвал с по три квадриги. Всеки кон е бил селектиран от специалисти, които напомнят футболните скаути - те оглеждат коне от Иберия, Египет, Сирия и други места. Отборите имали богати и известни собственици-покровители.

Надбягването започва, като всяка квадрига до първия завой трябва да следва начертаните "пътеки" задължително, след което започва същинското състезание. Нямало е колела с шипове както във филма "Бен Хур", но кочияшите имали право да удрят с камшик конете на съперника (обикновено се целели в очите на горките коне, имало е повече от 14 мехлема за очни рани по онова време). Битката на арената е свирепа, една от квадригите задира, кочияшът губи равновесие, изхвръква и се озовава на земята, където бива прегазен жестоко от останалите зад него квадриги, под одобрителния рев на възбудената публика...
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Преразказвам малка част от книгата на Алберто Анджела, който проследява интересната въображаема история на една сестерция в Римската империя, по времето на император Траян. Преминавайки от ръка на ръка, сестерцията се впуска в истинско приключение, което я завежда на различни места, като почнем от Рим, преминем през Лондиниум (Лондон) и Лутеция Паризиорум (Париж), които били малки селища с дървени сглобяеми къщурки (като направени в ИКЕА), и стигнем до Месопотамия, та чак до Индия.

Научаваме как римляните са строели пътищата - изкопавали са ровове, поставяли са един слой едри скали, след което слой по-дребни речни камъни, а после чакъли и глина, след което слагали "паветата" (техника, запазила се донякъде и до днес). Много римски пътища са оцелели и се ползват и до днес.
Алберто ни разказва и как се е правело виното в Трир, каква е била стратегията на центурионите и римските легиони в битките, как постепенно жената се е еманципирала в Милано, как са плавали по ��оре римляните и т.н.

Едно трябва да се признае - Алберто Анджела е действително невероятен популяризатор и умее да представя иначе суха информация по вълнуващ и интригуващ начин. "IMPERIUM - пътешествието на една монета из Римската империя" е пример за това как трябва да се пишат исторически книги и определено ми допадна много.

[Vicki Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows the path of a sestertius, a Roman coin, from its creation in Rome until it's buried years later back in Rome. In the meantime it has passed from hand to hand in cities throughout the Roman Empire during the last part of Trajan's reign, around 110 AD. It travels from Rome to the north of Britain, to Paris, the German frontier, Spain, north Africa, Egypt and even India, before returning to Rome. Along the way we learn about life in these various places, about the army, commerce, travel, all the different kinds of people that lived in the vast empire. The author bases his story on actual archeological discoveries and ancient writings. It's very well-written, and the only thing keeping me from giving it 5 stars is that there are no maps, except for that of the overall empire on the cover and endpapers, no pictures, except for a faint picture of the coin itself on the title page, no index, no footnotes, and, worst of all, no bibliography! I do recommend it, though, because you can learn a lot while being entertained.

[Voynovus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Дори по-интересна от "Един ден в древен Рим".
Ако учебниците по история се доближаваха до нея (а трябва), нямаше да има драми с мотивацията на учениците.

[Adrian Buck · Rating 4 out of 5]

The focus on a coin passing through hands gives a different perspective on the Roman Empire than is usual. This is definitely history, social and economic rather than history, political and military. I don't read much history as popular as this - no notes, no referenences - but this had a strange tone. It reminded me of reading the history articles in The Children's Encyclopedia, determined to make history alive and comprehensible, but for children. Even when the coin passes between a marble merchant and an enslaved child prostitute in Alexandria this strange determination to present the Roman Empire in the best of all lights is maintained; the merchant is handsome, respectful and attentive - just the kind of client she likes.

In many ways, Angela's Rome passes as the American Dream version 1.0. Romans are ethnically diverse, but embrace the melting pot because of the economic and cultural opportunities it provides. The role of compulsion and brutality in all of this is overlooked or understated. The native population in the Roman Empire at the time of Trajan has been in decline for several generations, the population is maintained by conquest and the incorporation of conquered peoples. At the time this history is set, Dacians are the latest imports - this enables Angela to make nice comparisions with the situation of Romanian migrants in present day Italy. Its a clever move; but Romania didn't become a member state of the European Union through bloody conquest, nor did the Dacians turn up in Rome looking for a higher standard of living. They were taken there as slaves. The options Rome gave the people whose territory it seized were twofold: either you surrendered, accepted the garrison and paid the taxes; or you fought, and were killed or enslaved. People who think that the EU is some latter day Roman Empire should consider that.

This is not to say that once you had given up your sovereignty, political or personal, Rome didn't offer the carrot as well as the stick. Opportunity did exist for the newly conquerored, even the slaves; though Angela strikes me as particulary naive about the politics of liberating slaves. A loyal freeman could be more useful to a patrician than a slave, both as a cog in his patronage machine, and as a plebian citizen with a vote. So the incentives for a slave to a become a freeman were real on both sides, but only one side had the power to transform the situation of the other. More naivity surrounds the provision of public entertainment and public buildings. Angela sees them as pure philanthropy, but I tend to side with Ramsey Macmullen in Corruption and the Decline of Rome, and classify these as campaign expenses. In the current day preoccupation with plutocrats interfering with the democratice process, perhaps the Roman system, where the candidates were necessarily rich, compares well with comtemporary systems, where the candidate is a middle man between the voters and the wealthy. Macmullen is also clear that the patrongage and public works politics of the early empire was definitely to be preferred to the monetized bureaucratic corruption that led to the downfall of Rome after Diocletian.

My biggest beef with this book, though is Angelo's claim the under the Roman Empire "Everyone knew how to read, write and do arithmetic", a situation that was lost during the dark ages and has only come about again in the West in the last two hundred years. His supporting evidence for this is archeological, and I can accept that in a diverse urban economy literacy would be required. but the Roman economy was primarily agricultural, and staffed by slaves. 18th century levels of literacy I can except, 20th century levels I can't: they have only been acheived by publically financed systems of mass education. As a teacher, I also find terrifying the prospect of a population essentially giving up on literacy. Has there been another example in history of this kind of dark age?

This is a good romp through the Roman Empire, it is evocative and surprising. It is also an example of the kind of history I love, one that tries to combine different materials, archeological and literary, engineering and economic to create its vision of the past. But it lacks any critical impulse and drifts into sentimentality about the past.

[Iset · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: I requested an Advance Uncorrected Proof (ebook format) of this book from the publisher and was approved. The edition I have is an English translation from the original Italian.

Once, as a graduate student assigned to review a book of my own choice, I suggested a certain recently released book about ancient Egypt which the lecturer sniffily dismissed, because it was “popular history” and not strictly speaking an academic text. Popular histories tend to be side-lined or overlooked in academic circles, thought of as the less rigorously researched, unreferenced, demagogue cousins of serious history. But in many ways I love popular histories. The trained historian in me would note that the scenes and imagery that Alberto Angela creates in The Reach of Rome are fictional, and though based on the archaeological evidence and the works of several historians, the text is not peppered with references, nor does it contain an extensive bibliography that is usually the hallmark of academic publications. But that is precisely the point.

The delightful thing about a good popular history is that the writing seems to flow more easily and the author has more freedom to play with language. The technical focus of academic publications can be intense and can render the work inscrutable to outsiders – The Reach of Rome strips all that away, and simply delivers the history, playing with fictional narrative and all the scope it offers to connect directly to readers and make the history accessible.

Unconventional, it definitely is. Alberto Angela takes the reader on a journey throughout the Roman empire at its greatest extent, exploring the many different aspects of life through the narrative device of following a sestertius coin as it changes hands across the empire. It’s an effective and novel way of exploring such diverse topics and places whilst maintaining a common thread throughout, and the snapshot vignettes into the lives of the coin’s various owners create a connection to the human story that resonates even in the modern day.

Undoubtedly my favourite scene was the day at the races of the Circus Maximus, as our coin returns to Rome, and Alberto Angela, and his translator Gregory Conti, succeed in bringing to life the excited frisson of the brutal chariot races. Other highlights for me included Leptis Magna, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Britain; the far-flung and exotic outposts of the empire – but then I may have been swayed by the fact that I’m British with a historical interest in the ancient Near East!

p. ix: “A journey where you will breathe the atmosphere of exotic places, the smells of the alleyways in Alexandria, Egypt, the fragrances used by noblewomen strolling on the streets of Milan; where you will hear the sound of hammers and chisels at work in a stonecutter’s shop in Athens; and where you will see the painted shields of legionnaires on the march in Germany and the painted bodies of the barbarians on the empire’s northern border in Scotland.”

The above quote is from the book’s introduction, and already it had succeeded in drawing me in. For me it encapsulates everything that’s great about The Reach of Rome. By that stage I already wanted to read more about the places and scenes described. As a historian interested in history for public consumption, I feel that popular histories are important. They should always come with the caveat that they are not the final word on the topic, but they do such a service, creating clear, accessible, interesting history for everyone to read. The Reach of Rome presses all the right buttons. It’s descriptive, it’s imaginative, and it’s evocative, engaging the senses to immediately and effectively weave a vision in the mind’s eye of ancient times and people both familiar and strange.

8 out of 10

[Pierre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Impero descrive, con lo stile divulgativo cui gli spettatori di Ulisse sono avvezzi, il viaggio di un sesterzio attraverso l'Impero romano nel suo periodo di maggiore espansione, sotto il principato di Traiano. L'itinerario della moneta, che passa di tasca in tasca, permette ad Alberto Angela di descrivere la vita quotidiana di quegli uomini vissuti quasi duemila anni fa, persone reali e non solo nomi sui libri di storia, di cui gli archeologi hanno potuto ricostruire il ritratto partendo da graffiti, iscrizioni funebri e semplici oggetti.

Il libro non è privo di difetti: lo stile di scrittura è a volte poco curato nella punteggiatura e nella sintassi; spesso Angela fa del qualunquismo nei paragoni, probabilmente per coinvolgere "di pancia" i lettori meno preparati. Di particolare cattivo gusto sono le illustrazioni, che indugiano volutamente su particolari piccanti che l'autore lascia invece soltanto accennati, dimostrando una certa abilità scrittoria.

Nonostante queste imperfezioni, il libro accompagna in un viaggio che non potrà non coinvolgere il lettore interessato a scoprire la storia che si cela dietro i nomi dei generali e delle battaglie che i libri solitamente riportano: la storia delle persone.

[Dvd (#) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un gran bel libro. E un gran bel viaggio nell'Impero Romano ricchissimo di aneddoti, curiosità, osservazioni. Qualità che non mi aspettavo di trovare, ritenendolo un banale pastiche editoriale privo di spessore. Sbagliandomi di grosso.

Va riconosciuta a Alberto Angela, sempre piacevole da seguire nei suoi programmi in TV (una delle poche cose di spessore che i mille canali digitali trasmettono, oltre a Rai5 e Rai Storia), ottima capacità di scittura e una notevole preparazione sull'argomento vastissimo che ha affrontato. Buona e piacevole l'idea di raccontare l'Impero e la sua vita quotidiana seguendo una singola moneta nel suo andare e venire.

Ho imparato parecchie cose, altre le conoscevo già ma le ho approfondite. Quindi non posso che consigliare la lettura agli appassionati di storia e in generale a tutti coloro che volessero conoscere, raccontate con garbo e semplicità, come si viveva in Europa (e non solo) 1900 anni fa all'apogeo del più moderno stato della storia. Con le sue luci sfolgoranti e le sue opacissime ombre.

Complimenti a Alberto Angela per l'idea e la qualità del libro.

[Lili Kyurkchiyska · Rating 2 out of 5]

Навремето една колега ме предупреди, че "Imperium" няма да ми допадне колкото "Един ден в Древен Рим". Оказа се права. Намирам, че методът на изучаване чрез разходка не е подходящ за твърде обширни територии. Получава се едно разпиляване на вниманието. А и ми се струва, че е добре авторът да използва повече от една техника на писане. В състояние съм да му простя употребата й в "Трите дни на Помпей", защото там бе съчетана с напрегнатото очакване на трагедията.

[Борислава Чотрева · Rating 4 out of 5]

Римската империя винаги е омайвала любителите на историята със своята култура, религия, инфраструктура, политика, и научни постижения. Но дори по-омайващо от тях е продължителността на нейното съществуване. Империите бързо се създават от нищото и още по-бързо изчезват в него. Но не и Римската. Каква е тайната на нейното хилядолетно благополучие. В търсене на отговор на този въпрос започнах книгата Imperium на Алберто Анджела. Стигнах до само една малка част от причините за продължителния разцвет на Рим:

1.Военната организация:
Римските легионери се обучават в продължение на поне две години преди да бъдат хвърлени в истински бой. Всеки от тях е тренирана машина за убиване. Въпреки това те не действат сами, а като едно цяло. Римляните не насърчавали индивидуалния героизъм като древните елини например, а отборния дух.

2.Пътищата:
Римляните осъзнавали, че пътищава са кръвоносните съдове на една империя. Те строели качествени "магистрали," по които се пътувало бързо и лесно, много от които запазени и до днес. Освен това те строели мостове, познавали корабоплаването и използвали морския транспорт за превоз на стоки.

3.Carpe diem:
Живеенето за мига е основно амплоа в империята. Римляните не вярвали в живота след смъртта. Считали, че трябва да се насладят максимално на живота тук и сега. С други думи - били доста ларш и не взимали насериозно маловажните неща - нещо, от което със сигурност се нуждаеш, ако живееш в империя с площ от 5 милиона квадратни километра. Сигурно щеше да е доста неприятно да се впрягаш за всичко.

4.Noblesse oblige:
Благородството задължава. Богатите в Древен Рим били истински филантропи, те дарявали пари за култура, религия, инфраструктура. Повечето от великите постижения и паметници от този период се дължат именно благодарение на тях.

5.Интеграцията:
Римската империя била империята на толерантността. Римляните не приемали завладените народи като врагове, а ги превръщали в римски граждани, спазващи римските закони и традиции, като междувременно им давали право свободно да изповядват и своята религия, да говорят своите езици и да участват активно в политическия живот.

[Ruwanga Rajapaksha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dans Empire, on suit le trajet d'un sesterce sous le règne de Trajan. Basé sur des sources historiques solides, l'auteur nous propose des portraits de personnes ayant pu se fournir se sesterce en nous racontant les multiples facettes de leur vie.

J'ai beaucoup apprécié le jonglage entre fiction et histoire et certaines parties du bouquin étaient vraiment prenantes (l'affrontement contre les Daces !).

J'enlève une étoile pour le sexisme pesant que l'on trouve d'une manière récurrente dans la descriptions des femmes. Des termes comme "proie", "créature" et autres ne font que péjorer la lecture, c'est dommage.

Je recommande néanmoins pour le reste !

[Jaana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tarinallinen tietopaketti antiikin Rooman valtakunnasta. Viihdytti ja opetti.

[Dafne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Con il pretesto (geniale) di seguire una moneta, un sesterzio, il grande Alberto Angela ci porta in giro nei quattro angoli dell'impero romano durante il regno di Traiano. Un libro che compie un viaggio straordinario nel tempo e attraverso il passaggio di mano della moneta scopriamo in maniera realistica e incantevole persone, profumi, città, usi, costumi, vita quotidiana, aneddoti e curiosità dell'impero romano.
Il libro è scritto benissimo, suggestivo, scorrevole e mai e dico mai noioso. Mi piace molto il modo di scrivere di Alberto Angela (persona che ammiro tantissimo) e durante la lettura mi sono ritrovata a passeggiare realmente nell'impero romano. Il libro è scritto in maniera così piacevole che permette di entrare nella storia di questa grande civiltà. Scopriamo così che abbiamo tante cose in comune con loro e che molte cose che ci sembra abbiamo inventato noi, invece, erano già state inventate duemila anni fa.
I capitoli più entusiasmanti e avvincenti, tanto da ritrovarmi con il fiato sospeso, sono stati la battaglia con i barbari sul Reno e gli spettacoli del Circo Massimo.
Insomma un libro veramente bello, interessante, affascinante e sensazionale. Da leggere sicuramente!

[Viviana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chi lo apprezza come divulgatore scientifico in tv, dove ha seguito il cammino tracciato dal padre, non potrà che riconfermare la propria stima, persino accrescendola: Alberto Angela rivela doti di narratore fuori dal comune e trascina il lettore in un romanzo che è trattato storico, seducendolo con suggestioni di luci ed ombre, profumi e suoni.
"Impero" percorre il confine che separa la saggistica dalla narrativa in modo piacevolissimo: i protagonisti e le vicende narrate sono nella larghissima maggioranza reali, voci di un antico passato giunte a noi grazie a preziosi reperti archeologici disseminati dal Regno Unito all'Egitto, dal Portogallo alla Romania, in quell'immenso terreno che fu, appunto, l'Impero Romano; ciò che non è vero è comunque verosimile, basato su rigorose ricerche storiche ed antropologiche.
[...]
La recensione completa qui.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Пътешествието завърши. Оригинален поглед върху историята и начин за поднасянето ѝ. Така борави с описанията, че често имах усещането, че съм там, виждах мраморните колони, мръщех се на миризмите и праха, страхувах се от разбойници... Четях я на глътки, защото не исках да препускам, да изтърва нещо. И вероятно някой ден ще повторя това пътуване :)

[Shar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un appassionante viaggio nell'impero romano, spiegato in modo chiaro e semplice. Mi ha fatto ricordare come mai mi piaccia così tanto l'archeologia! Consigliato vivamente a tutti.

[Wendel · Rating 4 out of 5]

You take 2 steps forward. The lab was quite cold, especially since you were told to wear comfortable clothes for a sunny day. You look around. A huge cylinder room made of shining white metal. You hear hissing sounds, charging of some kind. The only one next to you is an incredible enthusiastic Italian man with curly salt-and-pepper hair. He's over excited, almost jumping! You turn around to where you came from. A thick glass door closes, through it you see a couple of small scientists in lab coats. Behind them? A huge map of the Mediterranean. "I can't wait to see it with my own eyes," says the Italian. He taps you on your shoulder, and you get snapped out of your confused stare to the outside. "We are going to Rome!"

Alberto Angela takes his readers on a journey to peak of the Roman empire (literally, the time it was largest and most prosperous, under Trajan). We follow a single coin, a sesterius, as it changes hands from soldiers in England, to farmers in Germany, citizens of Rome, merchants in India and everything in between. And when I say follow I mean literally follow: Angela reaches us his hand and explains everything we see. Sometimes referring to pots or vases found in the area by his colleagues, sometimes referring to the classic authors, but more often than not also neglecting this practice to keep the pace high. What follows is a captivating journey through every piece of the Roman empire.

The premise of this book is totally popular history: it does an incredible job of actually making you feel the Roman Empire. Letting you walk through apartments, feel the thrill of betting on the horse races, haggling with merchants etc. If it were just that, my middle school history teacher would've resounded in my head every page: :"What is your source?" But as mentioned before, when information becomes a little unbelievable, Angela is quick to come up with his reasoning for bringing it to us in such a way. Names of the characters we meet? Often they are found on gravestones and the like in the surrounding area. Conversations we overhear? Taken straight from Roman historians. This added a lot of credibility and took away my doubt about the intentions of the book completely: it really wants to show an accurate version of the Roman empire, as accurate as we could get with the source material we have.

My conclusion then? Damn, the Roman empire wasn't too bad. Yes, there was huge inequality of wealth, and there was slavery. But from the way it looked, it could've only gone up. Slaves were often freed after certain years as liberti. Inequality only came from wealth, Angela himself said there was little to no racism. If the Romans had had their way, who knows how far they could've come, given that shortly after the height of the empire in this book it collapsed. Okay, there was also the widespread violence in the street, lack of proper policing, glorification of violence. But, especially among the upper classes of Rome, women were becoming more liberated than most people think (in Angela's view). This and other insights were a great addition to an otherwise already great read. The Roman empire had even more going for its society besides bath houses. Great engineering, social laws, equality etc.

And since this is my conclusion I cannot help to add that I think Angela also wrote this book with a patriotic heart. I can understand, as I too was in awe of some of the things he found. While the end of the book does sketch a more nuanced picture, Angela does his best to go over the less fortunate things quickly. The poorer people we follow often come upon dumb luck when we meet them, in an otherwise bitter existence. In truth, this perspective made the book more fun to read instead of fun followed by some bitter reality. Maybe I like it better that way, but I think it is a valid criticism I had to write down.

So that's it, an exceptional popular history of the Roman empire. It reads astoundingly quick, is very informative, and (if you can forgive its patriotic and overtly optimistic standpoint) is an blast to read. Recommended!

[Adi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book, which takes us on an amazing journey in the Roman Empire. The year is 115 AD, and we follow a small roman coin in its odyssey in the vast Roman world. Starting in Rome, where it was made, the coin travels across the Empire, even reaching the frontiers. From the cold British hills in the north to the hot African deserts in the south, and from the blazing Spanish sun in the west to the mythical Alexandria in the east (even passing the borders of the Empire and reaching India), this coin is owned by different people from distinct social backgrounds and with various stories. Through the coin's wanderings we have the chance to learn interesting and often little known facts from that distant time. For instance, did you know that:
- voodoo dolls were quite popular and used in rituals, which aimed to cause serious harm, or even death to the victim
- the Romans were the first to create and use a device, which resembles the modern washing machine
- similar to today, giving someone the middle finger was considered an insult in the Roman Empire
- the Romans built over 80000 km of stone-paved roads, some of which have survived until this day
- Roman women with high social status were much more emancipated than the women during the Middle Ages, or even during the Renaissance; in fact these Roman women were allowed to take control of their own money and dowry, to go freely to the baths, to drink alcohol alongside the men, and even to get a divorce
- Circus Maximus, constructed by the Romans, is considered to be the largest stadium ever built (able to accommodate over 150,000 spectators)
- there were antiquity tourists, usually intellectuals with an interest in culture, who would go and visit cities and historical locations in Greece, Asia Minor or Egypt
And many more fascinating facts... :)

[Krysztyna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I struggled to end this book, but after all it was good. It's fascinating how some things were similar in ancient Rome to these we have now. That's a very worth-reading book.

Męczyłam się z dokończeniem tej książki, ale summa summarum była dobra. Ciekawe, że w starożytnym Rzymie było całkiem dużo rzeczy podobnych do współczesnych czasów. Książka zdecydowanie warta przeczytania.

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interessante e mai noioso, fatti e curiosità sull'impero romano, narrati con l'espediente di seguire una moneta, di mano in mano, lungo gran parte del vasto l'impero. Ho gradito molto anche il finale.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This very well written story takes its reader on a fantastic trip through Trajan's Roman Empire.

[Fabiano Parmesan · Rating 4 out of 5]

per gli amanti della storia romana è imprescindibile. un viaggio dalla Caledonia allmar rosso per conoscere personaggi comuni, fatti, usi, tecniche.
il pretesto è una moneta che 0assa di mano in mano.

[Susanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 Sterne. Angela verfolgt in "Der faszinierende Alltag im Römischen Reich" den Weg einer Münze von der Prägung in der Hauptstadt Rom über weitere 20 Stationen im gesamten Reich zur Zeit Trajans. Ist die Münze z.B. in Trier/Augusta Treverorum angekommen, schildert uns der Autor, wie und unter welchen Bedingungen Wein hergestellt wurde, und stellt angesichts der Nekropole vor der Stadt Reflexionen über Lebenserwartung und Grabinschriften der Römer an. Die Exkurse nehmen ihren Ausgang grundsätzlich von einer Beobachtung, die man auf dem Weg (der Münze) machen kann. So wechselt die Münze in Trier ihren Besitzer und wird von einem Soldaten vor der Schlacht mit einem Germanenstamm vergraben. Klar, handelt dieses Kapitel ausführlich von den römischen Legionen, ihrer Organisation und Kampfesweise. Weitere Themen sind: die medizinische Versorgung, Architektur, Glaube und Aberglaube, Raubkunst, Straßenbau, Wagenrennen, Seefahrt, u.v.a.
Ich bin mir immer noch nicht sicher, ob ich das Buch eher unter Sachbuch oder fiktionalem Werk einordnen soll, denn Angela integriert hier beide Elemente. Nach dem Titel zu urteilen ist es ein populärwissenschaftliches Geschichtsbuch. Er berichtet jedoch nicht nüchtern, sondern erzählt, baut Spannung auf und lässt uns am Leben des jeweiligen Münzbesitzers teilhaben. Angela schildert fiktionale Szenen des römischen Alltags, die sich so abgespielt haben könnten.
Die Vielfalt der Themen hat das Buch zu einer kurzweiligen Lektüre gemacht. Auch wenn ich schon einiges über die römische Kaiserzeit wusste, habe ich viele Details erfahren, die mir vorher nicht bekannt waren, so z.B. über den Weingenuss, über das Postsystem oder die Finanzen Roms.
Entscheidend ist, dass Angela bei seinen Skizzen immer wieder auf die gesellschaftlichen Unterschiede innerhalb des Reiches verweist und deutlich macht, dass eine positive Entwicklung z.T. nur für römische Bürger galt, Frauen, Kinder, Freigelassene und Sklaven aber nicht profitiert haben. Auch die grausamen Seiten der Pax Romana und die negativen Auswirkungen einer aggressiven Globalisierungspolitik werden nicht verschwiegen.
Wirklich problematisch war für mich der Stil des Autors. Ich kann akzeptieren, dass - wie in Dokumentarfilmen auch - fiktionale Szenen aus dem Alltag erzählt werden, aber dann erwarte ich auch einen guten Erzählstil. Vor allem bei der Schilderung unglaublich schwülstiger Liebesszenen hätte ich das Buch fast aufgegeben. Der Stil wirkte an manchen Stellen unpassend salopp, banalisierend, selbstverliebt. So ist es auch nicht notwendig, in der Erzählung mehrmals Werbung für das Vorgängerbuch zu machen. "Schlagartig erkennen auch wir ihn: Es ist der Pförtner der insula, die wir anlässlich unserer letzten Reise nach Rom (im Buch 'Ein Tag im Alten Rom') besucht haben." (S. 341)
Wer sich von Anfang an klar macht, dass es sich um ein populärwissenschaftliches Buch handelt, wird natürlich auch keine Literaturangaben vermissen. Ich finde jedoch, dass einige Autoren, auf die er im Text verweist, ein genauere Angabe verdient hätten. Vielleicht hat ja jemand Lust auf mehr bekommen und möchte seine Kenntnisse vertiefen!