Read by Gay Lopes

Where empire rose, mercy fell. In No Place for Mercy, ancient Rome is unmasked-not as the marble-clad cradle of civilization, but as a brutal stage where sex, violence, and power played their most calculated roles. With a piercing lens, this provocative and deeply researched work reveals how sexual violence was not only a consequence of conquest but a deliberate tool of political manipulation and imperial propaganda. From the mythologized Rape of the Sabine Women to the whispered scandals of imperial courts, No Place for Mercy exposes how Rome's leaders wielded control over bodies as a means to control the narrative, transforming victims into symbols and violence into spectacle. Drawing from primary sources, inscriptions, and visual art, this groundbreaking book explores how Roman elites exploited sexual violence to define citizenship, masculinity, and moral order. It challenges romanticized visions of antiquity and forces us to confront the uncomfortable truths beneath Rome's glorious facade. Bold, unflinching, and urgently relevant, this is history that speaks to today's conversations about power, gender, and the weaponization of sexuality. For scholars, students, and anyone who dares to ask what lies beneath the empire's polished stone, No Place for Mercy is an essential and unforgettable read

Mode of access: World Wide Web