The Romans: From Village to Empire

"The Romans is currently the best textbook on Roman history available in English."--Walter Scheidel, Stanford UniversityHow 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, Second Edition, Mary T. Boatwright, Daniel J. Gargola, Richard J.A. Talbert, and new coauthor Noel Lenski explore this question as they guide students through a comprehensive sweep of Roman history, ranging from the prehistoric settlements to the fall of the empire in 476. Addressing issues that still confront modern states worldwide--including warfare, empire building, consensus forging, and political fragmentation--the authors also provide glimpses into everyday Roman life and perspective, demonstrating how Rome's growth as a state is inseparable from its social and cultural development.Vividly written and accessible, The Romans, Second Edition, traces Rome's remarkable evolution from village, to monarchy, to republic, to one-man rule by an emperor--whose power at its peak stretched from Scotland to Iraq and the Nile Valley--to the empire's fall in 476. Firmly grounded in ancient literary and material sources, the text 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 through Constantine's adoption of Christianity. Featuring two new chapters (13 and 14), the second edition extends the book's coverage through the rise of Christianity, the growth of the Barbarian threat, the final years of the empire, its fall in 476, and, finally, to its revival in the East as Byzantium. This edition also combines chapters 1 and 2 into one--"Archaic Italy and the Origins of Rome"--and integrates more material on women, religion, and cultural history throughout.Ideal for courses in Roman history and Roman civilization, The Romans, Second Edition, is enhanced by two new 8-page, 4-color inserts and almost 100 extensively captioned illustrations. It also includes more than 30 ancient maps, revised and improved under the supervision of coauthor Richard J. A. Talbert, and textual extracts that provide fascinating cultural observations made by ancient Romans themselves. A new Image Bank CD contains PowerPoint-based slides of all the photos and maps in the text.

Table of Contents:
1. ARCHAIC ITALY AND THE ORIGINS OF ROME 2. REPUBLICAN ROME AND THE CONQUEST OF ITALY 3. THE BEGINNINGS OF A MEDITERRANEAN EMPIRE 4. ITALY AND EMPIRE 5. ITALY THREATENED, ENFRANCHISED, DIVIDED 6. THE DOMINATION OF SULLA AND ITS LEGACY 7. END OF THE REPUBLIC: CAESAR'S DICTATORSHIP 8. AUGUSTUS AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE ROMAN WORLD 9. THE EARLY PRINCIPATE (A.D. 14-69): THE JULIO-CLAUDIANS, THE CIVIL WAR OF 68-69, AND LIFE IN THE EARLY EMPIRE10. INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE PRINCIPATE: MILITARY EXPANSION AND ITS LIMITS, THE EMPIRE AND THE PROVINCES (69-138)11. ITALY AND THE PROVINCES: CIVIL AND MILITARY AFFAIRS (138-235) 12. THE THIRD-CENTURY CRISIS AND THE TETRARCHIC RESTABILIZATION 13. THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY AND THE GROWTH OF THE BARBARIAN THREAT (324-395) 14. THE FINAL YEARS OF THE WESTERN EMPIRE AND ROME'S REVIVAL IN THE EAST Timeline Glossary Principal Ancient Authors Art Credits Gazeteer Index

Review :
"The Romans is currently the best textbook on Roman history available in English."--Walter Scheidel, Stanford University "This text is a very straightforward and organized full-length treatment of Roman history. It balances historical narrative with excellent explanations for terms and concepts that are unfamiliar to students . . . it succeeds marvelously at reaching its audience."--Vanessa B. Gorman, University of Nebraska-Lincoln "This is the best textbook on Roman history that I have read. It is very well conceived, thorough, and well written. While the different voices and interests of the four contributors are indeed 'detectible' in the textbook's different sections, it is obvious that a great deal of effort has been expended to make the whole work cohere. The maps are excellent and the captions for the well-chosen illustrations are really helpful to the reader."--Guy MacLean Rogers, Wellesley College "The Romans presents a unified narrative voice despite having been written by four authors. The narrative flows seamlessly throughout the text from beginning to end. In addition, the maps and their captions are both useful and informative."--Debra L. Nousek, University of Western Ontario "This is a very good introduction to ancient Roman history. It is clear and engaging, and the numerous pedagogical devices are well conceived and quite helpful for the beginner."--Carlos F. Norena, University of California, Berkeley "The Romans, in general, is of outstanding quality. It provides a coherent narrative of Roman history with a strong emphasis on the development of the Roman state. The writing style is extremely clear and lively, making for an engaging read."--Denise Demetriou, Michigan State University "This is the best textbook for students coming to Roman history for the first time. Its main qualities are an attractive and varied presentation, balance in the material, and readability . . . the writing style is attractive and clear."--Brian McGing, Trinity College, Dublin