Book review: Rome wasn’t built on fair play

Emma Southon's 'Servus' acts as a great corrective to an immense historical lacuna; you will see Rome in a new and sulphurous light
Emma Southon’s opinion of the Romans brooks no shades of grey. They invade, rape, brutalise, enslave. They cross the seas 'like a virus'. Picture: Jamie Drew

Emma Southon’s opinion of the Romans brooks no shades of grey. They invade, rape, brutalise, enslave. They cross the seas 'like a virus'. Picture: Jamie Drew

Sat, 13 Jun, 2026 - 01:00
Michael Duggan

  • Servus: How Slavery Made the Roman Empire
  • By Emma Southon
  • Hodder & Stoughton, €22.95

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