Laughter in Ancient Rome

Mary Beard is Professor of Classics at Cambridge University. Her many books include The Roman Triumph and The Fires of Vesuvius.

"'Laughter in Ancient Rome: On Joking, Tickling, and Cracking Up,' which has just been published, is an engaging exploration of what made the Romans laugh-bad breath, among other things-but it also explores dimensions of Roman sensibility that have become elusive to us." -- Rebecca Mead New Yorker "Few things are more tiresome than seeing a joke analyzed... Beard's book avoids pedantry but also its opposite, the archness that preens itself on 'not taking humor too seriously' and signals inane wordplays with 'pun intended!' More importantly, her treatment makes one look with new eyes ... even at works she does not herself discuss ... [a] stimulating book." -- Gregory Hays New York Review of Books "[Beard] makes the Romans come alive and through them, gets readers to ponder that most fundamental and uniquely human facility-laughter. The phenomenal Ms. Beard has written another cracking book, one of her best, I think." -- Yasmin Alibhai-Brown The Independent "Expect to be engaged by an enthralling book." -- Harry Mount The Spectator "[Beard's] central question is simple: what made the Romans laugh? Her answers are pleasingly complex... Beard is always enlightening, and writes with a perfect balance of forensic detail and wide-ranging intellect." The Scotsman "Superbly acute and unashamedly complex... To our vision of the solemn grandeur that was Rome, she restores a raucous, ghostly laughter." -- Iona McLaren The Telegraph "Written in Beard's trademark combination of erudition and effortless prose, Laughter in Ancient Rome is a fascinating combination of history, psychology, linguistic exploration and humor. This is scholarly writing at its best." -- Pamela Toler Shelf Awareness for Readers "You can read hundreds of books on Roman emperors and conquests; this represents a valiant attempt to bring a little understanding of a smaller, but no less important, part of what made Rome run." -- Rob Hardy Columbus Commercial Dispatch "Rich and provocative." -- Roy Gibson TLS "Like a great piece of archaeology, 'Laughter in Ancient Rome' allows us to glimpse ourselves in the cracked mirror of a distant culture." -- John Domini Washington Post "What made the Romans laugh? It's an incredible, almost childlike thought to have. But in this characteristically brilliant book by Mary Beard, this simple thought becomes a mental projection that conjures up the world of Rome as well or better than any book in recent memory." -- Jonathon Sturgeon Flavorwire "This is a very sensible, readable, and useful volume... A valuable contribution to scholarship on a difficult topic." -- Kristina Milnor Bryn Mawr "A fun read ... accessible yet academic." -- Sarah Norfolk Bookworm "Beard has posed excellent questions about Roman laughter ... Her engaging style of writing draws the reader into the discussion... A must read." -- John R. Clarke American Historical Review Beard's ability to draw together a wide array of ancient and modern references in her discussions is impressive... Laughter in Ancient Rome succeeds in leading sympathetic readers on a stimulating journey through Roman "laughterhood". Phoenix

• Preface 1. Introducing Roman Laughter: Dio's "Giggle" and Gnatho's Two Laughs PART ONE 2. Questions of Laughter, Ancient and Modern 3. The History of Laughter 4. Roman Laughter in Latin and Greek PART TWO 5. The Orator 6. From Emperor to Jester 7. Between Human and Animal--Especially Monkeys and Asses 8. The Laughter Lover Afterword Acknowledgments Texts and Abbreviations Notes References List of Illustrations and Credits Index