Not Built in a Day | Emma Southon

Not Built in a Day: How Slavery Made the Roman Empire

Extended Synopsis

From acclaimed historian Emma Southon comes a groundbreaking history of Ancient Rome that explores how the empire was built, fueled, and shaped by its enslaved people. When Julius Caesar conquered Gaul, he boasted that he killed a million Gauls and enslaved a million more—reflecting the fundamental truth that Rome could not function without slavery underpinning every single part of its economy.

Without the millions of people snatched from their homes in the aftermath of war, kidnapped from streets, sold into slavery as punishment, or born into bondage, Rome’s great aqueducts, temples, coins, infrastructure, and luxury marble palaces could never have been built. Not Built in a Day takes readers into the invisible spaces of the Roman Empire, from the fields of wheat providing daily bread to the gladiators, guards, miners, and builders who sustained the state. It traces how people entered, experienced, and left slavery, covering slave revolts, the complex realities of enslaved people who themselves owned enslaved people, and the lives of those finally freed to choose their own destinies.

About the Author

Emma Southon is an ancient historian and the acclaimed author of A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. She holds a PhD in ancient history and specializes in bringing wit, expertise, and fresh perspectives to the realities of Roman life.

Reader Targeting

• Readers of ancient history, classical studies, and social histories of the Roman Empire.
• Fans of accessible, engaging historical non-fiction by authors like Emma Southon and Mary Beard.
• Students and scholars examining the economic, structural, and human foundations of antiquity.

Bibliographic & Physical Specifications

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Not Built in a Day about?
It is a historical examination by Emma Southon exploring how institutionalized chattel slavery served as the foundational economic and structural engine of the Roman Empire.

Who is the author of the book?
Emma Southon, an ancient historian and author of A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.

What topics does the book cover?
The book examines how enslaved people powered Rome's economy, infrastructure, military, and daily life, as well as slave revolts, the lives of freed individuals, and the complex realities of ancient chattel slavery.