History." What do you think of that description, and why do you think thisĪ: I love "immersive," which I think describes the Is an eye-opening and immersive portrait of a little-known aspect of ancient Q: The Publishers Weekly review of the book says, "This The prestige of Athens or Sparta, so leadership was more of a struggle. Into a leadership position. But it did not have the moral standing or Q: How would you describe the role of Thebes in this period,Įspecially as compared with Athens and Sparta?Ī: Thebes rose from subservience to those other two cities 254 skeletons found in 1880, arranged in phalanx formation, exactly as theyĭied in 338 BC at the hands of Alexander the Great. Q: What inspired you to write The Sacred Band ?Ī: Many aspects of this story seized my imagination,īut mainly it was the existence of the mass grave of the Band at Chaeronea
Professor of Classics at Bard College, and he lives in the Hudson Valley. His other books include Dying Every Day: Seneca at the Court of Nero.
As Nero's adviser, Seneca was presented with a more complex set of choices, as the only man capable of summoning the better aspect of Nero's nature, yet, remaining at Nero's side and colluding in the evil regime he created.James Romm is the author of the new book The Sacred Band: Three Hundred Theban Lovers Fighting to Save Greek Freedom. But with time, as Nero grew vain and disillusioned, Seneca was unable to hold sway over the emperor, and between Nero's mother, Agrippina, and Nero's father, how long could the young Nero have been contained?ĭying Every Day is a portrait of Seneca's moral struggle in the midst of madness and excess. We see how Seneca was able to control his young student, how, under Seneca's influence, Nero ruled with intelligence and moderation, banned capital punishment, reduced taxes, gave slaves the right to file complaints against their owners, pardoned prisoners arrested for sedition.
Romm writes that Seneca watched over Nero as teacher, moral guide, and surrogate father, and, at 17, when Nero abruptly ascended to become emperor of Rome, Seneca became, with Nero, the ruler of the Roman Empire. James Romm seamlessly weaves together the life and written words, the moral struggles, political intrigue, and bloody vengeance that enmeshed Seneca the Younger in the twisted imperial family and the perverse, paranoid regime of Emperor Nero, despot and madman.
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