The Comic History of Rome (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. An Irreverent Victorian Burlesque of Roman Legends, Republics, Emperors, and Classical PedantryBy Gilbert Abbott À Beckett
Length13h
About this audiobook
The Comic History of Rome retells Roman history from the city's legendary foundation to the imperial age with irreverent wit, mock-erudition, and a keen eye for political absurdity. À Beckett converts Livy, Plutarch, and schoolroom chronology into Victorian burlesque, exposing the pomposity of heroic narrative without abandoning historical sequence. Its jokes, puns, anachronisms, and satirical comparisons place it within the nineteenth-century tradition of comic historiography, handsomely associated with John Leech's illustrations and the culture of Punch. Gilbert Abbott À Beckett was a barrister, journalist, playwright, and one of the original contributors to Punch, whose comic intelligence was shaped by law, theatre, and classical education. His earlier Comic History of England and Comic Blackstone show the same impulse: to make revered institutions intelligible by puncturing their solemnity. Rome, long central to elite education, offered him ideal material for parodying both ancient authority and Victorian pedantry. This book is recommended to readers who enjoy history enlivened by satire, and to students of Victorian humor, classical reception, and popular education. It should not be approached as a conventional scholarly history, but as a brilliantly knowing comic performance that reveals how the nineteenth century laughed at antiquity while still taking it seriously.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
- Interactive footnotes clarify unusual references, historical allusions, and archaic phrases for an effortless, more informed read.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 3.5 (58)
Includes Amazon, Goodreads
GenreHumor
Length13 hrs
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateNov 24, 2023
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1The Comic History of Rome (Annotated)
2Introduction
3Synopsis
4Historical Context
5PREFACE
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6ENGRAVINGS ON STEEL.
7ENGRAVINGS ON WOOD.
8COMIC HISTORY OF ROME.
9CHAPTER THE FIRST.
10FROM THE FOUNDATION OF ROME TO THE DEATH OF ROMULUS.
11CHAPTER THE SECOND.
12FROM THE ACCESSION OF NUMA POMPILIUS TO THE DEATH OF ANCUS MARTIUS.
13CHAPTER THE THIRD.
14FROM THE ACCESSION OF TARQUINIUS PRISCUS TO THE DEATH OF SERVIUS TULLIUS.
15CHAPTER THE FOURTH.
16FROM THE ACCESSION OF TARQUINIUS SUPERBUS TO THE BANISHMENT OF THE ROYAL FAMILY, AND THE ABOLITION OF THE KINGLY DIGNITY.
17CHAPTER THE FIFTH.
18FROM THE BANISHMENT OF TARQUINIUS SUPERBUS TO THE BATTLE OF LAKE REGILLUS.
19CHAPTER THE SIXTH.
20FROM THE BATTLE OF THE LAKE REGILLUS TO THE CLOSE OF THE WAR WITH THE VOLSCIANS.
21CHAPTER THE SEVENTH.
22FROM THE CLOSE OF THE WAR WITH THE VOLSCIANS TO THE PASSING OF THE BILL OF TERENTILLUS.
23CHAPTER THE EIGHTH.
24FROM THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DECEMVIRATE TO THE TAKING OF VEII.
25CHAPTER THE NINTH.
26FROM THE TAKING OF ROME BY THE GAULS, TO ITS SUBSEQUENT PRESERVATION BY MANLIUS.
27CHAPTER THE TENTH.
28FROM THE TRIBUNESHIP OF C. LICINIUS TO THE DEFEAT OF THE GAULS BY VALERIUS.
29CHAPTER THE ELEVENTH.
30FROM THE FIRST WAR AGAINST THE SAMNITES TO THE PASSING OF THE LAWS OF PUBLILIUS.
31CHAPTER THE TWELFTH.
32FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE SECOND TO THE END OF THE THIRD SAMNITE WAR.
33CHAPTER THE THIRTEENTH.
34ON THE PEACEFUL OCCUPATIONS OF THE ROMANS. FROM SCARCITY OF SUBJECT, NECESSARILY A VERY SHORT CHAPTER.
35CHAPTER THE FOURTEENTH.
36FROM THE END OF THE THIRD SAMNITE WAR TO THE SUBJUGATION OF ALL ITALY BY THE ROMANS.
37CHAPTER THE FIFTEENTH.
38THE FIRST PUNIC WAR.
39CHAPTER THE SIXTEENTH.
40SOME MISCELLANEOUS WARS OF ROME.
41CHAPTER THE SEVENTEENTH.
42THE SECOND PUNIC WAR.
43CHAPTER THE EIGHTEENTH.
44CONCLUSION OF THE SECOND PUNIC WAR.
45CHAPTER THE NINETEENTH.
46WAR WITH THE MACEDONIANS. PROCLAMATION OF THE FREEDOM OF GREECE BY FLAMINIUS. WAR WITH ANTIOCHUS. DEATH OF HANNIBAL, AND OF SCIPIO AFRICANUS.
47CHAPTER THE TWENTIETH.
48PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. MORALS, MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND STATE OF THE DRAMA AND LITERATURE AMONG THE ROMANS.
49CHAPTER THE TWENTY-FIRST.
50WARS AGAINST PERSEUS. THE THIRD PUNIC WAR. SIEGE AND DESTRUCTION OF CARTHAGE, AND DITTO DITTO OF CORINTH.
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