Margins
A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities book cover
A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities
Strange Tales and Surprising Facts from the World's Greatest Empire
2010
First Published
3.70
Average Rating
272
Number of Pages

Here is a whimsical and captivating collection of odd facts, strange beliefs, outlandish opinions, and other highly amusing trivia of the ancient Romans. We tend to think of the Romans as a pragmatic people with a ruthlessly efficient army, an exemplary legal system, and a precise and elegant language. A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities shows that the Romans were equally capable of bizarre superstitions, logic-defying customs, and often hilariously derisive views of their fellow Romans and non-Romans. Classicist J. C. McKeown has organized the entries in this entertaining volume around major themes—The Army, Women, Religion and Superstition, Family Life, Medicine, Slaves, Spectacles—allowing for quick browsing or more deliberate consumption. For anyone seeking an inglorious glimpse at the underside of the greatest empire in history, A Cabinet of Roman Curiosities offers endless delights.

Avg Rating
3.70
Number of Ratings
284
5 STARS
20%
4 STARS
41%
3 STARS
31%
2 STARS
5%
1 STARS
3%
goodreads

Author

J.C. McKeown
Author · 5 books
J. C. McKeown is Professor of Classics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the author of Ovid's Amores.
548 Market St PMB 65688, San Francisco California 94104-5401 USA
© 2025 Paratext Inc. All rights reserved