Charles Freeman

The World of the Romans Charles Freeman

The World of the Romans covers one of the most fascinating and complex civilizations the world has ever known. Ancient Rome has had an enduring fascination for more than two thousand years. At the height of its power, at the end of the 2nd century AD, the Roman empire stretched as far north as Britain and Germany and as far east as the Euphrates river. In total about one hundred million people were subject to the rule of Rome, including the heirs of ancient civilizations, such as the Phoenicians, Egyptians, and Greeks, as well as wandering unsettled tribes and peoples of the desert. This volume offers a new, accessible, and uniquely broadranging introduction to this extraordinary civilization. A narrative text covers the main elements in the rise and fall of the Roman republic and empire, the cultures it sought to dominate, and its legacy. Also covered is the social history underlying the grandeur of Rome: attitudes to the environment of country and town; the status of women, children, and old people; the mix of peoples brought about by the huge army; the luxuries of the wealthy and the desperation of the poor; all enhanced by the personal accounts of the people of the time.
The World of the Romans provides a comprehensive history of a culture whose legacy remains deeply embedded in Western civilization.