Why is Ancient Rome still such a popular historical period to obsess over? It's one of the few places and times in the ancient world where we have so much documented about their history. There are a lot of emperors to memorize and tons of ground to cover. For me, the driving interest in Roman history is the drama! I know that Shakespeare's version of Julius Caesar wasn't 100% historically accurate, but it certainly has gotten more people into the history of Ancient Rome than any other piece of literature. Getting stabbed by your bestie? That's drama AND trauma. My entry into Roman history was absolutely Pompeii. What's more dramatic than being frozen in time, crushed to death by lava? That's drama, trauma, and lava! If you have a better understanding of Roman history than I do, these Roman history memes can cover your "thinking about the Roman Empire" quota for the week.
