Oxford University Press
How did a single village community in the Italian peninsula eventually become one of the most powerful imperial powers the world has ever known? Classical studies professor Boatwright and her co-authors explore this question as they guide students through a comprehensive sweep of Roman history. This 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. 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.