Introduced by Sam Laird.

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The Book Circle kicks off 2022 and the month of Janus on 11th January with a look back at Ancient Rome. (The two-faced Janus was the Roman god of beginnings, transitions and endings – also of doorways and duality.) Member Sam Laird will begin with some background on Roman history, but the main focus will be on the 1st Century BC and material written by and about Romans. This includes histories, speeches, etc., as well as “fictional writing of history” (aka “faction”) and stories about the times, some of it by modern crime writers. Also: does the Ancient Romans’ sad transition from democracy to autocracy have anything to teach us today?