The Romans: From Village to Empire - Softcover

Boatwright, Mary T.; Gargola, Daniel J.; Talbert, Richard J. A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0195118766 ISBN 13: 9780195118766

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2004

Synopsis

How did a single village community in the Italian peninsula eventually become one of the most powerful imperial powers the world has ever known? In The Romans: From Village to Empire, Mary T. Boatwright, Daniel Gargola, and Richard J.A. Talbert explore this question as they guide readers through a comprehensive sweep of Roman history, ranging from the prehistoric settlements to the age of Constantine.
Vividly written and accessible, The Romans traces Rome's remarkable evolution from village, to monarchy, to republic, and eventually to one-man rule by an emperor whose power at its peak stretched from Scotland to Iraq and the Nile Valley. Firmly grounded in ancient literary and material sources, the book describes and analyzes major political and military landmarks, from the Punic Wars, to Caesar's conquest of Gaul and his crossing of the Rubicon, to the victory of Octavian over Mark Antony, and to Constantine's adoption of Christianity. It also introduces such captivating individuals as Hannibal, Mithridates, Pompey, Cicero, Cleopatra, Augustus, Livia, Nero, Marcus Aurelius, and Shapur. The authors cover issues that still confront modern states worldwide, including warfare, empire building, consensus forging, and political fragmentation. They also integrate glimpses of many aspects of everyday Roman life and perspective--such as the role of women, literature, entertainment, town-planning, portraiture, and religion--demonstrating how Rome's growth as a state is inseparable from its social and cultural development.
Ideal for courses in Roman history and Roman civilization, The Romans is enhanced by almost 100 illustrations, more than 30 maps (most produced by the Ancient World Mapping Center), and 22 textual extracts that provide fascinating cultural observations made by ancient Romans themselves.

About this title

About the Author:

Mary T. Boatwright is at Duke University. Daniel Gargola is at University of Kentucky.

From Publishers Weekly:

The rise and fall of Rome as an ancient world power continues to fascinate, especially in a world where people often draw comparisons between the Roman Empire and the United States in the 21st century. In an elegantly written and beautifully crafted study, three recognized historians of ancient Rome provide a first-rate and definitive history of the city from its prehistory to its rise and fall as the ancient world's dominant power. Drawing on a wide range of primary sources, Boatwright and her coauthors recreate the bustling commerce of the earliest villages of Italy in the eighth century B.C., the rapidly shifting political fortunes of leaders in the move from monarchy through republic to empire and the compelling personalities of poets and emperors. Since much of Roman history is the history of its leaders, the authors devote a good deal of attention to the lives and works of men ranging from the Gracchus twins (Tiberius and Gaius) to Pompey, Caesar and Nero. History comes alive in the many illustrations accompanying the text. In addition, each chapter features boxed excerpts from primary sources that illumine particular historical events. A time line, a glossary of important Roman terms and a selected reading list of primary sources increase the value of this magnificent volume, which anyone interested in the history of Rome will return to over and over.
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About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0195118766
• ISBN 13: 9780195118766
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 544