The Roman Empire finally from a female perspective! Let’s tear up the script of the Roman Empire: Enough of brother murderers, women abductors, and war spectacles! The history of Rome is so much more: With Emma Southon, we discover how the sex worker Hispala Faecenia uncovers a conspiracy, we meet the smartest businesswoman of Pompeii while enjoying the wonderful view of Vesuvius (what could possibly go wrong?). And we accompany Septimia Zenobia, who – after witnessing incompetent, psychopathic, and incompetently-psychopathic emperors nearly destroy the empire – does the only logical thing: She declares herself empress. Southon follows 21 women through war, forbidden love, and natural disasters (as well as the occasional bacchanalian orgy) and shows us a new face of the empire that we thought we knew so well. "This book deserves a place on library shelves to balance out the patriarchal nonfiction collections. We need more histories like this." Booklist "Where was Emma Southon when I was studying Roman history?" Laura Shepperson.