The World of Rome

A brilliant survey of the conquests and culture of the Romans from 133 BC to AD 217—an era of unparalleled power when Rome made its greatest impact on the world. In this fresh, original interpretation of Roman history and culture, a distinguished classical scholar surveys the people and events that shaped the Roman Empire—the greatest structure of imperial government the world has ever known. Michael Grant re-creates the life and the era with its vital mixture of Italian, Greek, Near Eastern, and barbarian influences and its startling incongruities—citizen and slave, art and astrology, circus and senate, decadence and devoted patriotism. He portrays the dynamic culture which generated Roman literature, philosophy, and law, and shows how imperial administration and ideas of citizenship became the basis for the future nation-states in the western provinces. He sums up his fascinating study with a salute to Rome, the paterfamilias of the western world. “Scholarly and exciting . . . After reading this illuminating account of the prevalent conditions, beliefs and superstitions, we feel that we know how the ordinary people really lived and felt.”—New York Times Book Review With more than 150 illustrations.