The fascinating history of how a single village community in the Italian peninsula became one of the most awesome imperial powers the world has ever known
"A wonderful new textbook for my course on the Roman republic to Augustus. Fills a yawning gap. Nothing comparable exists."--William Turpin, Swarthmore College"Fresh, comprehensive, and up-to-date, this volume will meet a long-standing need among undergraduates and general readers for a new, stand-alone survey of Roman history. The authors strike a judicious balance between lively and well-paced narrative and thoughtful treatments of institutional and thematic topics. All in all, this is a tour de force of historical synthesis and a benchmark for the field."--Nathan Rosenstein, Ohio State University"At long last, we have a thorough, clearly written, well-informed, eminently sensible introduction to Roman History. Many of us have been waiting quite a long time for the appearance of such a book."--Thomas McGinn, Vanderbilt University
"A wonderful new textbook for my course on the Roman republic to
Augustus. Fills a yawning gap. Nothing comparable exists."--William
Turpin, Swarthmore College
"Fresh, comprehensive, and up-to-date, this volume will meet a
long-standing need among undergraduates and general readers for a
new, stand-alone survey of Roman history. The authors strike a
judicious balance between lively and well-paced narrative and
thoughtful treatments of institutional and thematic topics. All in
all, this is a tour de force of historical synthesis and a
benchmark for the field."--Nathan Rosenstein, Ohio State
University
"At long last, we have a thorough, clearly written, well-informed,
eminently sensible introduction to Roman History. Many of us have
been waiting quite a long time for the appearance of such a
book."--Thomas McGinn, Vanderbilt University
In this scholarly yet readable account, historian Boatwright and others trace Rome's rise from a small village to a vast empire. They argue that warfare led to Rome's domination of the central and western Mediterranean during the third and fourth centuries B.C.E. and that this period also saw the "development of the political systems of the classical Roman Republic, which would eventually govern much of the Mediterranean world." One such system was the Senate, which began as an advisory body but, over time, took the lead in war and diplomacy. After Julius Caesar, the authors contend, there was a "grudging acknowledgement that some form of monarchy was the only practical safeguard against ruinous personal rivalries," and so began the rule of the emperor. The authors also briefly cover cultural aspects of Rome's society, commenting on its forms of entertainment, diet, slavery, and class structure. Also examined are Rome's notable achievements: its imperial army that helped move Rome from an agrarian to commodity economy; the growth of its cities, which was made possible by incredible feats of engineering; and Roman law, which is often regarded as "one of [the empire's] greatest accomplishments." Recommended for all libraries.-Isabel Coates, CCRA-Toronto West Tax Office, Mississauga, Ont. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
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