Author Description

Think your job is bad? At least you're not stomping laundry in buckets of pee, scrubbing hides in clouds of rancid flesh, or standing by with a bucket while a senator vomits his way through dinner. The Worst Jobs in Ancient Rome: A Hilarious History of Rome's Dirtiest, Smelliest, and Most Miserable Jobs takes you far from marble temples and heroic legions to explore the empire's truly grimy underside. This is history with all the polish scraped off - funny, grotesque, and strangely relatable. Meet the fullers, who scrubbed togas in urine; the quarry slaves, who broke rocks (and spirits) under a blazing sun; and the sponge-stick attendants, who managed Rome's communal toilets with a vinegar bucket and a dead-eyed stare. From executioners and corpse collectors to gladiator snack sellers, this book shines a torch on the men and women whose thankless work kept the Eternal City running - while ensuring nobody wanted to sit next to them at dinner. Packed with dark humor, quirky details, this is history for readers who like their past served with a wink and a wince. Equal parts funny and stomach-turning, it will make you laugh, gag, and feel grateful for your own day job - no matter how bad Monday mornings get.