In Ancient Rome all the best stories have one thing in common : murder. Romulus killed Remus to found the city; Caesar was assassinated to save the Republic; Caligula was butchered in the theatre; Claudius was poisoned at dinner; and Galba was beheaded in the forum. But what did killing really mean in a city where gladiators fought to the death to sate a crowd? In A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Emma Southon examines real-life homicides from Roman history to explore the Empire's unique culture of crime, punishment, and violence, taking us inside how ordinary Romans viewed life and death and what it means to be human.