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Book Summary and Reviews of Clodia of Rome by Douglas Boin

Clodia of Rome by Douglas Boin

Clodia of Rome

Champion of the Republic

by Douglas Boin

  • Published:
  • Aug 2025, 288 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

A thrilling new history of the late Roman Republic, told through one woman's quest for justice.

A pioneering political voice, with charisma and power that rivaled many of her male contemporaries, Clodia of Rome was a pivotal figure in the late Roman Republic until a murder trial, rife with corruption, catalyzed her fall from grace. Taking readers inside the courtroom to follow the trial and Clodia's family's tumultuous political history, Douglas Boin brings a modern perspective to a long-buried story, full of juicy details and fascinating anecdotes. With countless examples of the surprising roles that Roman women played, followed by the attempts of powerful men to erase their stories, Boin challenges the male-dominated narrative of classical antiquity. Clodia of Rome offers a new understanding of the radical modernity of first-century Rome―one that mirrors our own in its volatile conflicts between forces of change and those of reaction.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Boin traces volatile political intrigue and upheaval in Rome, Greece, and Egypt and also conveys quotidian realities of Roman life, including food, medicine, and women's cosmetics. A brisk, richly detailed narrative." —Kirkus Reviews

This information about Clodia of Rome was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Author Information

Douglas Boin

Douglas Boin is professor of history at Saint Louis University and author of Alaric the Goth. His essays have appeared in Time, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his husband.

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