Livia Drusilla

Many good suggestions regarding Caesar-biographies have already been made, but I would like to add Julius Caesar by Pat Southern (Tempus 2001). It's a short, but good introduction to the life of Caesar. With regard to Cicero, I can recommend the biography Cicero - A Turbulent Life by Anthony Everitt (John Murray 2001). As well as focusing on the facts about his life and deeds, intimate details bring the character to life.

I'm a British cictizen, but my mother's Norwegian amd I've lived in Oslo, Norway most of my life. I lived in England (Birmingham) for three years while studying for my BA in ancient history and archaeology. Apart from that I lived in the United States for a year (Providence, Rhode Island) with my fammily when I was nine. I now live in Oslo. It's a nice place to live, surrounded by a beautiful forest, clean and with a low crime rate. Howeever, it's not the most ideal place for a career in Roman archaeology...I've been on regular trips to Italy in connection with my Master's studies, it's a beautuiful and interesting country, and I'm not opposed to maybe moving there sone day.

As a result of having taken Latin at university, I've been introduced to a wide selection of latin literature, and it made me realize how interesting, colourful and exciting much of it is! I would have to agree that Martial's Epigrams are an enjoyable read - the way he manages to squeeze so much cynical wit into just a few lines and still give it meaning is truely admirable. The art of being concise is not an easy one. Another favourite of mine is Juvenal' Satires. He also has some of Martial's sarcasm and irony, but is more negative and pessimistic. His writing gives a vivid description of daily llife in Rome and the situation of the poor. Pertonius' "Satyricon", only partially intact, is a funny tale of two young men and their adventurous journey through Italy. There are some funny stories in this one... Suetonius should not be underestimated as a source of entertainment. Some of his anecdotes are hilariously funny (if inaccurate as historical sources)! Although it can be macabre to read about how Caligula made parents attend their sons' executions, it's also wonderfully absurd to read about how he staged a fight with Neptune and made his horse a senator. These are some of my favourite Latin works, but there are many more good ones to choose from.