One of the all-time greats

As a junior in college, I enrolled in Freedom in Rome taught by Dr. Fears at The University of Oklahoma. These stories, and Fears skill and passion as a lecturer, have stayed with me for many years. I’m thrilled to find this series on Audible, and I highly recommend these.

Twenty years later, I just visited Rome for the first time, and these stories stayed with me. I’m so grateful for the memories.

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Choose a different course

Do yourself a favor and go with Garrett Fagan's The History of Ancient Rome or Rome and the Barbarians by Kenneth Harl.

I have gone through several of the Great Courses on Roman history and have always been impressed, but Professor Fears did a terrible job with this one. This course is riddled with exaggerations and impositions of modern sensibilities and ideas onto historical figures.

He massively distorts the Stoic philosophy, presenting it as something much more familiar and attributing to it ideas that were developed by the early Christian church and others by Scottish and French Enlightenment philosophers.

He also treats the Roman concept of religion as if it were much the same as modern monotheism when in fact it was something entirely different, a blend of anthropomorphic polytheism and animism.

At one point he refers to Augustus as the Messiah, implying that this was how he was understood by contemporaries. In fact, the word Messiah does not mean 'savior', as Fears claims, but rather refers to a specific prophecy in the Hebrew bible and means "anointed one". For the Hebrews at the time to call Augustus this would have been unthinkable to them, and the Romans at the time would have no idea what such a term meant.

Fears takes the most sensationalist reports from historical sources, as well as long debunked myths (like that the Romans sewed the Carthaginian fields with salt so nothing would grow there ever again) and presents them unquestioned as historical facts.

His word choice is repetitive and on more than one occasion one can hear the producers giggling in the background when Fears makes a joke.

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Captivating Biography

Any additional comments?

Hands down one of the most thrilling historical courses I've ever listened to. The description of the Second Punic War makes me wonder why Hollywood hasn't tackled it yet. The war with Hannibal shows just how close Rome came to being eradicated. Had Hannibal fully pressed his advantages Rome may have been a historical footnote and we'd all be speaking a Phoenician derivative.

The sections on Julius Caesar were also extremely well done. The course ends with the philosopher King, Marcus Aurelius, the last of the "Five Good Emperors". His decision regarding succession is given a strong rebuke by Professor Fears.

The first lecture is done in a style a little different from the rest, so let the course build up. Once Hannibal starts crossing those Alps, you'll be hooked!

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Professor Fears is a joy, listening to him is fun.

Would you listen to Famous Romans again? Why?

Yes, the information is easy to follow, and fun to hear

What other book might you compare Famous Romans to and why?

And book by W.E.B Griffin.

What does Professor J. Rufus Fears bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His voice, it makes one think a friend of Caesar is telling the story.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

I'm going to buy more from him

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Not Enough Biography, Too General, and No Women?!

These lectures purport to "retell the lives of the remarkable individuals," but they aren't really biographical... They're much more about political history -- the kind of thing you could hear about in any other source about Roman history -- and very surface level, non-rigorous political history at that. To take an example, the lecture on Hadrian mentions his lover Antinoos only once, and calls him a "beloved friend," which is just not acceptable in a biography of Hadrian.

There are also no women covered in this lecture... Not one. If this were called "Roman Emperors" that could be excused, but surely Livia is a famous Roman. Or, since there's one on Hannibal (not a Roman), one on Cleopatra would've been a great addition.

In the beginning, he's passionate enough that you get swept up and let his imprecisions slide, but even his enthusiasm wanes in the later half.

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Outstanding portraits of the Great Romans

What made the experience of listening to Famous Romans the most enjoyable?

The narrator (a college lecturer, actually) approaches his subject with infectious enthusiasm and an excellent grasp on the dramatic details of the lives, triumphs and and machinations of these great men. The anecdotes are excellent and well chosen, and they never stray away from the central thread- that these were the people who moved the world by their will.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Famous Romans?

The story of the Gracchi - Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus- the lecturer imbues his subjects with life, and you get to feeling the peril that they are willing to endure in order to save and shape Rome. And Hannibal- that was one of my favorite lectures. Hannibal and his foil, Scipio Africanus, was a wonderfully well-done piece. I could feel Hannibal's bone-deep hate of Rome and Scipio's implacable decision to stamp him out utterly.

Which character – as performed by Professor J. Rufus Fears – was your favorite?

Can I say all of them? His channeling of Cicero is pretty fabulous. The section on Scipio (the first) is wonderful, too.

Any additional comments?

I thoroughly enjoyed this course. I learned a lot, and intend to pursue Roman history more completely via these Great Courses and other work (as they weren't entirely covered in my education).

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A great introduction for the novice

What did you love best about Famous Romans?

The author's enthusiasm and approach to his subject.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Famous Romans?

I couldn't specify one moment.

What about Professor J. Rufus Fears’s performance did you like?

His enthusiasm for his subject.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

The greatness of Rome...

Any additional comments?

I thought the author did a good job making his subject enjoyable and approachable. Some of his lectures might be too simple for people who have already studied Roman history though.

This course would make a great primer for The History of Rome by Fagan course that is also available on Audible.

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Great series

listened to this one 3 times now and better every time. My favorite professor in the great courses series.

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This is how history should be taught

Wonderful lecturer and great storytelling. I loved how he showed the parallels between the Roman empire and our current political and social behaviors. In the beginning of each lecture he took few minutes to recap the previous lecture which is helpful if you don't listen on daily basis.

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Dr. Fears is the best!

Nobody teaches and entertains like Dr. Rufus Fears. His enthusiasm for his subject and for history are refreshing.

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