Plebs Romana

'A deftly written, colourful little tour of plebeian Rome' Dan Jones, Sunday Times

The untold story of the real people who built an empire


The plebs were the backbone of Roman civilization. They were the farmers who fed the city, the soldiers who conquered the Mediterranean, and the craftsmen who built the monuments we still admire today.


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.

'Jones has an eagle's high eye for the history of Rome' The Times
'Jones makes the classical world feel both beguiling and fresh' Sunday Times