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Hodder has pre-empted two new titles by historian Emma Southon, author of A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Oneworld Publications), A History of the Roman Empire in 21 Women (Oneworld Publications) and Agrippina (Unbound).
Non-fiction publisher Rupert Lancaster acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada and including translation, from Charlie Viney at Aevitas Creative Management, and will publish in hardback, trade paperback, audio and e-book under the Hodder Press imprint.
The first of the two books, Servus: How Slavery Made the Roman Empire, will be published in 2026. The book "exposes the truth [...] that Rome could not function without slavery". The synopsis adds: "Millions of people were required to ensure that the Roman empire was glorious, and Servus will tell some of their stories."
Meanwhile, Friends, Romans and Countrymen will be published in 2028, and will explore the Roman court’s "inner workings" from 27BCE to 238CE. The book aims to show how even Augustus and Trajan’s courts involved "human pets, thousands of slaves, astrologers, magicians and emperors dressed as gods".
Southon commented: "All I ever want to do is be writing about Romans and I am overwhelmingly grateful to be able to keep doing so. I hope these books will offer a challenge to the heroic myths of the Roman empire we all live with and tell some remarkable unknown stories."
Lancaster added: "We’re delighted to welcome Emma Southon to Hodder & Stoughton. We’ve long admired the way she blends great storytelling with in-depth research. She not only brings the history of Rome to life, but explores the darker recesses of the empire with rigour and fresh insight."