The Assassination of Julius Caesar: A People's History of Ancient Rome

Michael Parenti

Feb 2022 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by David Stifel

About this audiobook

"A provocative history" of intrigue and class struggle in Ancient Rome-"an important alternative to the usual views of Caesar and the Roman Empire"-Publishers Weekly. Most historians, both ancient and modern, have viewed the Late Republic of Rome through the eyes of its rich nobility-the 1 percent of the population who controlled 99 percent of the empire's wealth. In The Assassination of Julius Caesar, Michael Parenti recounts this period, spanning the years 100 to 33 BC, from the perspective of the Roman people. In doing so, he presents a provocative, trenchantly researched narrative of popular resistance against a powerful elite. As Parenti carefully weighs the evidence concerning the murder of Caesar, he adds essential context to the crime with fascinating details about Roman society as a whole. In this book, we find reflections on the democratic struggle waged by Roman commoners, religious augury as an instrument of social control, the patriarchal oppression of women, and the political use of homophobic attacks. The Assassination of Julius Caesar offers a whole new perspective on an era thought to be well-known.

Ratings and reviews

Tòo much class warfare. The author projects his socialist political opinions against modern America into the Roman Republic's history. 45 minutes on why slavery is evil, I already knew that. He takes forever to get on to Caesar's assassination and then spends little time on the events. I want to hear how and why Ceasar got murdered in the Roman Senate, not a long rant on class warfare and welfare. The author takes potshots at other historians. I didn't enjoy this audio book.

About the author

Michael Parenti is the acclaimed author of more than twenty books, including, Contrary Notions: The Michael Parenti Reader, The Assassination of Julius Caesar, and The Culture Struggle. Visit him at michaelparenti.org.

Actor David Stifel entered the audiobook narration field in 2011, when he launched a long-term podcast of serializations of the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Today he is a multi-award-winning narrator with more than 125 titles to his credit.