A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome

by Emma Southon

The Greek historian Appian, writing many centuries later after the winners had been conclusively declared, outlines the complaints of the rich alongside the complaints of the poor and suggests that they are equal, which makes for some fun reading. Appian tells us that the rich were hugely upset that the land that they had worked very hard on, and dedicated many enslaved people to, was going to be stolen from them so they’d lose all their work. Also, some of them had bought that land fairly from neighbours after the neighbours stole it from the state and people of Rome, so they were definitely being treated unfairly. Others had inherited their stolen land from their parents or had received it in dowries and yet more had taken out loans against the stolen land – and what were they supposed to do?! Their prestige and inheritances were being cruelly attacked and they were weeping into their cups.