"Superbly acute and unashamedly complex."--The Telegraph
"Rich and provocative."--Times Literary Supplement
"An engaging exploration."--The New Yorker
"The phenomenal Ms. Beard has written another cracking book, one of her best."--The...
What made the Romans laugh? Was ancient Rome a carnival, filled with practical jokes and hearty chuckles? Or was it a carefully regulated culture in which the uncontrollable excess of laughter was a force to fear--a world of wit, irony, and knowing smiles? How did Romans make...