How to Survive the Roman Empire, by Pliny and Me: The Complete Series 1-3

The BBC Radio 4 Comedy Drama

By: Hattie Naylor

Narrated by: Joanna Scanlan, Kieran Hodgson, full cast, Mia Soteriou, Matthew Gravelle, Nigel Barrett, Ewan Bailey

Length: 3 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

Kieran Hodgson stars as Pliny the Younger in Hattie Naylor’s engaging drama charting the fortunes of a household in Ancient Rome.

The Emperor Domitian has informers everywhere; no-one is safe. He rules Rome with a rod of iron, and is dangerously unstable and paranoid. In the snake-pit of Imperial Rome, all Pliny the Younger wants to do is get his letters ready for publication.

Except if he, his mother Marcella, their Greek cook Doris (who narrowly missed out on becoming the next Oracle at Delphi), and Venta, their slave with secretarial skills have any chance of surveying, they are going to have to negotiate a political minefield, keep their eyes peeled for spies and, most of all, not do anything to annoy the Emperor.

Easier said than done.

Cast and credits

Pliny the Younger………………..Kieran Hodgson
Venta………………………………..Nigel Barrett
Marcella……………………………Joanna Scanlan
Doris the Cook…………………Mia Soteriou
Regulus……………………….Matthew Gravelle
Lucipor…………………………Ewan Bailey
Produced by and directed for radio by Kate McAll
Written by Hattie Naylor

©2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2018 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

A good way to pass time

The story told by the slave as narrator. It is captivating series of stories. I won't spoil the story but I do suggest you listen to it.

great story line

this story had so much humor the narrator's were fantastic it's hard to choose my most favorite moment there were so many

Fun Lighthearted historical fiction

This is a very fun take on Roman historical fiction. I felt I learned quite a bit about daily life and some political events in Rome which is great and interesting, but mostly it was just fun and well acted. Great listen at night.

Good story

Good acting and sound effects. The story was pretty engaging for easy listening. The story was funny at the beginning but became more serious as it progressed so the comedy label faded which disappointed me since that is why i bought this. The sample also emphasized a funny scene.... I also wish they wouldn't play the music at the end and beginning of every single 13-minute chapter.

Highly entertaining use of Pliny the Younger

This story, drawn around the letters of Pliny the younger, is fun, interesting and a good use of Pliny's cultural context. The performance of all characters is superior in quality. Even the music is good.

Entertaining Lindsey Davis wannabe

This as an enjoyable three hours requiring little mental or emotional involvement. Lindsey Davis does it better and with more depth, but sure, why not? There’s always room for one more.

Funny and enjoyable but needs a trigger warning

For attempted sexual assault. It's just a brief thing at the end of chapter five, maybe thirty seconds long, but it exists and I don't want anyone to be surprised. It's generally a very funny story, and I greatly enjoyed and recommend it, but there is that tiny little blip (probably added for realism, it's not treated lightly) and I know that's a trigger for some folks.

As for the rest, the main character has a good sense of humor and I had a lovely listen. I picked up a bit of what ancient Rome actually was like, too. The sample is a very good reflection of what the whole thing is like. If you liked the sample, you'll like the whole audiobook