Ben Hur vs Lays of ancient Rome: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Rome, History
Ben Hur
A bestseller since 1880...The classic saga of the Roman EmpireFrom a thrilling sea battle to its famous chariot race to the agony of the Crucifixion, this is the epic tale of a prince who became a slave and by a twist…
vs
Lays of ancient Rome
Lays of Ancient Rome is an 1842 collection of narrative poems, or lays, by Thomas Babington Macaulay. Four of these recount heroic episodes from early Roman history with strong dramatic and tragic themes, giving the…
The verdict
- Ratings are close across the board — any is a safe pick by score.
- Lays of ancient Rome is the quickest read — about 1 hours vs 10 for Ben Hur.
- Ben Hur has the widest readership — 38510 ratings behind its score.
How to choose
Scores by source
| Ben Hur | Lays of ancient Rome | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 4.0 (38510) | 4.1 (7) |
| Hardcover | 3.7 (30) | 4.0 (1) |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (32) | 4.0 (27) |
Reception
| Ben Hur | Lays of ancient Rome | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 38510 | 27 |
| Editions | 201 | 176 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 29314 | 4 |
| Pages | 560 | 95 |