A Grand Tour of the Roman Empire by Marcus Sidonius Falx

Marcus Sidonius Falx's account of his Grand Tour of the Roman Empire thrills from start to finish. Departing from Rome, he sets off on an expedition around the Mediterranean, showing us the highlights, and some of the lowlights, of the Roman world. He explores the cosmopolitan university at Athens and the backwaters of rural Scythia. He enjoys a healing spa in Pergamum and visits the site of one of Alexander the Great's battles. Travelling through Judaea, he climbs the great rampart at Masada and sees the ruined temple at Jerusalem before setting off for a Nile trip, from the sights of Luxor to the huge library in Alexandria. He watches an Isis initiation rite in Carthage, before crossing the pillars of Hercules into Hispania where he revels in the dancing girls of Gades (Cadiz). A tour through Gaul finds him feasting with nobles and watching the secret rites of the local Druids. He then crosses to Britannia, where he suffers the worst that provincial entertainment has to offer and longs for Rome. After a journey along the Rhine enlivened by encounters with savage German tribes, he returns to the imperial capital. Alongside the gripping narrative of his adventures Falx gives practical insights and tips about how to cope with the typical perils facing the modern traveller, from storms and pirates to bandits and bedbugs, along with advice on how to plan, what to do and see, and how to find accommodation, sustenance, and entertainment. The guide is an essential companion for all imperial travellers. It also gives even the most sedentary barbarian readers the sense they have experienced life in the empire at first-hand. It is a must-read for every citizen.