Lays of ancient Rome vs Spartacus: Which Should You Read?

Both live on shelves: Rome, History

Cover of Lays of ancient Rome

Lays of ancient Rome Thomas Babington Macaulay · 1800 ★★★★☆ 3.9 95 pages · ≈ 1 h 46 m · Demanding Find on Amazon

vs

Cover of Spartacus

Spartacus Howard Fast · 1951 ★★★★☆ 3.9 363 pages · ≈ 6 h 43 m · Moderate Find on Amazon

The verdict

Ratings are close: 3.9 vs 3.9 — either is a safe pick by score.
Lays of ancient Rome is the quicker read — about 1 hours vs 6 for Spartacus.
Spartacus is the easier read (Moderate), Lays of ancient Rome more demanding (Demanding).

Side by side