Laughter in Ancient Rome"Superbly acute and unashamedly complex."The Telegraph "Rich and provocative."Times Literary Supplement "An engaging exploration."The New Yorker "The phenomenal Ms. Beard has written another cracking book, one of her best."The Independent What made the Romans laugh? Was ancient Rome a carnival, filled with practical jokes and hearty chuckles? Or was it a carefully regulated culture in which the uncontrollable excess of laughter was a force to feara