A Brief History of the Romans / Edition 2

by Mary T. Boatwright, Daniel J. Gargola, Noel Lenski, Richard J.A. Talbert

Overview

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 A Brief History of the Romans, 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. Firmly grounded in ancient literary and material sources, the text analyzes major political and military landmarks, from the Punic Wars through Constantine's adoption of Christianity. It also features thirty historical maps revised under the supervision of coauthor Richard J. A. Talbert, almost 100 illustrations, and textual extracts that provide fascinating cultural observations made by ancient Romans themselves.

Package this book with Now Playing: Studying the History of Ancient Greece and Rome Through Film for FREE! To order, contact your Oxford Sales Representative and use package ISBN 978-0-19-934334-8.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199987559
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	10/11/2013
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	396
Sales rank:	499,406
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Mary T. Boatwright is Professor of Ancient History and Director of Graduate Studies at Duke University.

Daniel J. Gargola is Associate Professor of History at the University of Kentucky, Lexington.

Noel Lenski is Associate Professor of Classics at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Richard J. A. Talbert is William Rand Kenan, Jr., Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Table of Contents

*=New to this Edition, Maps, Figures, Plates, Preface to the Second Edition, Preface to the First Edition, Acknowledgments, Notes to the Reader1. Archaic Italy and the Origins of RomeItaly and the Mediterranean WorldItaly Before the City, Greeks and Phoenicians in the Central MediterraneanThe Rise of Cities, Beginning of Writing, Appearance of an Elite, Cities and Monumental Architecture, Warfare in the Orientalizing and Archaic Periods, Social and Economic OrganizationGreeks and Etruscans, Greek Cities of Southern Italy and Sicily, EtruscansThe Emergence of RomeThe Romans and Their Early HistoryTABLE 1.1 Dates of Rome's Kings According to VarroSOURCE 1.1 Romulus Finds Rome (Plutarch)Politics and Society under the KingsRome and the Latins2. Republican Rome and the Conquest of ItalyThe Early Republic, Rome and Its Neighbors in the Fifth Century, Struggle of the Orders, Fall of Veii and the Sack of RomeThe City and Its Institutions in the Fourth Century, Officials, Senate, Assemblies of CitizensTABLE 2.1 Roman AssembliesThe City, Its Gods, and Its PriestsRome and Central Italy, Warfare and the Civic OrderSOURCE 2.1 A Formal Surrender to Rome, Rome in Latium and Campania, Samnite Wars, Wars in Central and Northern Italy, Conquest of the SouthWar and the Roman State3. The Beginnings of a Mediterranean EmpireThe Notability of a Mediterranean Empire, SOURCE 3.1 Triumph of Scipio Africanus (Appian)Wars with Carthage, First Punic War (264-241), Second Punic War (218-201)SOURCE 3.2 Rome's Reaction to Defeat at Cannae (Polybius)A Mediterranean Empire, Governors, Provinces, and Empire, Spain, Greece and Asia Minor, North Africa4. Italy and EmpireSenators, Officials, and Citizen AssembliesItaly and the Consequences of EmpireChanging Relations Between Rome, Its Municipia, and Allies, Romans and Italian ElitesSOURCE 4.1 Scipio Africanus' Army Loots Carthago Nova (Polybius), Demographic and Economic ChangesRoman Politics and the Mid-Second Century, Scipio Aemilianus, Tiberius GracchusSOURCE 4.2 Tiberius Gracchus Urges Romans to Support his Land-Assignment Scheme (Plutarch)5. Italy Threatened, Enfranchised, DividedChanges in Roman SocietyWar with Jugurtha (112-105)Italy Threatened from the North (113-101)Changes in the Roman ArmyMarius' Career in Roman PoliticsSOURCE 5.1 Marius' Bid for the Consulship (Sallust)Sixth Consulship of Marius and Second Tribunate of Saturninus (100)Administration of the ProvincesTribunate of Livius Drusus (91)Social War (91-87)Tribunate of Sulpicius Rufus (88)Sulla's First March on Rome (88)Cinna's Rule (87-84)Sulla's Second March on Rome (83-82)6. The Domination of Sulla and Its LegacySulla's Proscriptions (82-81)Sulla the Dictator and His Program (82-81)Verdicts on Sulla's ProgramSOURCE 6.1 Cicero's Defense of Sextus RosciusLepidus' Rising and Its Aftermath (78-77)Challenge from Sertorius in Spain (80-73)Spartacus' Slave Revolt (73-71)Consulship of Crassus and Pompey (70)Pompey Frees the Mediterranean of Pirates (67)Threat from King Mithridates VI of Pontus and Sulla's Response (87-85)Campaigns of Lucullus and Pompey Against Mithridates (74-63)Roles of Crassus and Cicero in Rome (65-63)Catiline's Rising (63-62)7. End of the Republic: Caesar's DictatorshipPompey's Return from the East (62)Pompey and Political Stalemate in RomePartnership of Pompey, Crassus, and CaesarCaesar's First Consulship (59)Clodius' Tribunate (58)Cicero's Recall and the Renewal of the Triumvirate (57-56)Caesar's Campaigns in Gaul (58-51)Death of Clodius and Pompey's Sole Consulship (52)Prospect of Civil War (51-49)Causes and Consequences of Caesar Crossing the Rubicon (January 49)Civil War Campaigns (49-45)Caesar's Activity as Dictator (49-44)Caesar's Impact upon the City of RomePolitical Prospects for Rome and for Caesar8. Augustus and the Transformation of the Roman WorldReactions to the Assassination of Caesar (44-43)Emergence of a Second Triumvirate (43)Battle of Philippi (42)Perusine War (41-40)Elimination of Sextus Pompey and Lepidus (39-36)SOURCE 8.1 Laudatio TuriaeAntony in the East (42 onwards)"The Republic Restored"Second Settlement (23)The Roman Family in the Augustan PeriodSuccessionTABLE 8.1 The Julio-Claudian FamilySenate and EquitesArmySOURCE 8.1 Oath of LoyaltyThe Empire and Its ExpansionCity of RomeAttitudes Outside RomeAugustus: Final Assessment9. The Early Principate (A.D. 14-69): The Julio-Claudians, the Civil War of 68-69, and Life in the Early EmpireThe Julio-Claudian Emperors: Civil Government and Military ConcernsTiberius (14-37)Gaius (Caligula) (37-41)Claudius (41-54)Nero (54-68)Civil War in 68-69Economic and Social Change: Army"Beneficial Ideology"Cities and ProvincesDiversity: Women, Local Languages, and CultureReligious Practices and PrinciplesImperial Cult10. Military Expansion and Its Limits: the Empire and the Provinces (69-138)Institutionalization of the PrincipateVespasian (69-79)Titus (79-81)Domitian (81-96)A New, Better Era? Nerva (96-98)Trajan (98-117)TABLE 10.1 The Antonine FamilyHadrian (117-138)SOURCE 10.1 Hadrian Inspects Troops at Lambaesis, NumidiaRoman Cities and the Empire's PeoplesTheaters and ProcessionsCircuses and Chariot RacingThe Amphitheater and Gladiatorial GamesOther Urban Amenities and Education11. Italy and the Provinces: Civil and Military Affairs (138-235)Antoninus Pius (138-161)SOURCE 11.1 A Greek Provincial Praises Roman CitizenshipMarcus Aurelius (161-180)Commodus (176-192, Sole Augustus after 180)TABLE 11.1 The Severan FamilySeptimius Severus (193-211)Caracalla (198-217, Sole Augustus after 211)Macrinus (217-218)Elagabalus (218-222)Severus Alexander (222-235)Roman LawRoman CitizenshipSOURCE 11.2 Grant of Roman Citizenship (Tabula Banasitana)Rome and ChristianitySOURCE 11.3 Pliny, Trajan, and Christians12. The Third-Century Crisis and the Tetrarchic RestabilizationMid-Third CenturyAurelian (270-275)Diocletian's Tetrarchy (284-305)Dissolution of the Tetrarchy (305-313), and the Rise of Constantine (306-324)SOURCE 12.1 Galerius' Edict of TolerationAdministration Reorganization Under the Dominate* 13. The Rise of Christianity and the Growth of the Barbarian Threat (324-395)Constantine: A Christian EmperorThe Sons of Constantine (337-361): The Power of DynastyTABLE 13.1 The Constantinian FamilyJulian (361-363): A Test of the Christian EmpireSOURCE 13.1 Julian Attempts to Bring Paganism into Line with ChristianityJovian, Valentinian I, and Valens (363-378)Gratian, Valentinian II, and Theodosius I (379-395)New Elites for the EmpirePaganism and ChristianitySOURCE 13.2 The End of Pagan Sacrifice* 14. The Final Years of the Western Empire and Rome's Revival in the EastThe Theodosian Dynasty Down to the First Sack of Rome (395-410)TABLE 14.1 The Theodosian FamilyThe Fall of the Western Empire (410-476)SOURCE 14.1 The Gothic King Athaulf's Shifting Attitude Toward RomeThe Growth of a Byzantine Empire in the East (408-491)A Christian CultureWomen's Power in Late AntiquityThe "Decline and Fall" of the Roman Empire, Timeline, Glossary, Art Credits, Gazetteer, Index

Editorial Reviews

"The quality of the text is first rate—exactly what I would expect from these authors."—Christopher Haas, Villanova University

"Clear and readable, with good headings for ease of use by students and instructors alike. There is a good balance between text and visual material. The maps are, of course, fantastic."—Andrew Gallia, University of Minnesota

From the Publisher