A Short History of Ancient Rome cover art

A Short History of Ancient Rome

Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

A Short History of Ancient Rome

By: Pascal Hughes
Narrated by: John Hopkins
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Experience the sights, sounds and smells of the Roman world, and meet its most intriguing and influential characters, as this immersive account brings 1000 years of history to life.


Immerse yourself in the dramatic and thrilling thousand-year story of Ancient Rome. Combining impeccable research with action packed storytelling, this riveting short history explores the inception, expansion and ultimate fall of one of the greatest empires the world has ever known.

Walk Rome’s bustling streets, witness the fearsome exploits of its all-conquering army and step into the opulent corridors of its palaces and pioneering building projects. Follow Hannibal as he crosses the snowcapped Alps with elephants in tow, shadow Julius Caesar as he ponders whether to cross the Rubicon river, and look on as Cicero delivers an impassioned speech to the Senate.

In a Bacchanalian feast of despotic rulers, colossal conquests, visionary women, gladiator games and the daily life of Roman citizens and subjects, A Short History of Ancient Rome charts the dramatic twists
and turns of the kingdom, the republic, the empire and its decline, as you navigate this crucial period in history.

© Pascal Hughes 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Ancient Rome Ancient Rome Ancient History Elephant Royalty

Listeners also enjoyed...

Willie, Willie, Harry, Stee: An Epically Short History of Our Kings and Queens cover art
The Stuff of History cover art
Tunisgrad: Victory in Africa cover art
Domination cover art
Woke Is Dead: How common sense triumphed in an age of total madness cover art
Ask a Historian cover art
Rubicon cover art
The Rage of Party cover art
Peak Human cover art
Under the Eagle cover art
Test Cricket cover art

Critic reviews

Packed with more detail and colour than many books twice its size, Hughes brings the epic story of Rome vividly to life (Paul Cooper)
A vibrant story of ancient Rome's triumphs and tragedies, bringing life to the men and women whose deeds and legacies shaped the western world. (Dr David Gwynn)
All stars
Most relevant
Each chapter focuses on the life of a notable person in Rome's history and explores the key moments that changed Rome's story. Each chapter begins with an immersive scene and is easy to listen to. Perfect for my commute.

An immerisve whistestop tour of Ancient Rome

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.