About the Book:

In Plebs Romana, renowned classicist and bestselling author Peter Jones takes us through the twists and turns of Rome's turbulent history - from bloody conquests and civil wars to street riots and shocking scandals - to reveal how this disparate, downtrodden underclass evolved into a political force that challenged the ruling elite and transformed the Roman Republic.
From debt crises to dinner parties, graffiti to gladiators, slaves to strikes, Jones provides fascinating insights into every aspect of ordinary Roman life. It is an extraordinary and entertaining account that, for the first time, places at the heart of the story Rome's working people, who unwittingly helped to lay the foundations of our political system.

About the Author:

Peter Jones was educated at Cambridge University and taught Classics at Cambridge and at Newcastle University, before retiring in 1997. He has written a regular column, 'Ancient & Modern', in the Spectator for many years and is the author of various books on the Classics, including the bestselling Learn Latin and Learn Ancient Greek, as well as Vote for Caesar and Reading Virgil's Aeneid I and II.