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<p>Introduction 1</p> <p>About This Book 2</p> <p>Foolish Assumptions 2</p> <p>How This Book Is Organised 3</p> <p>Part I: Romans – the Big Boys of the Ancient World 3</p> <p>Part II: Living the Good Life 3</p> <p>Part III: The Rise of Rome 4</p> <p>Part IV: When Romans Ruled the World 4</p> <p>Part V: Throwing the Empire Away 4</p> <p>Part VI: The Part of Tens 5</p> <p>Icons Used in This Book 5</p> <p>Where to Go from Here 6</p> <p><b>Part I: Romans – The Big Boys of the Ancient World 7</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 1: The Romans: Shaping Their World and Ours 9</b></p> <p>Being Roman 10</p> <p>The Roman national identity 10</p> <p>The Roman myth of destiny 11</p> <p>Roman history, blow by blow 11</p> <p>Discovering the Romans 15</p> <p>Great ruins and ruined cities 15</p> <p>The survival of Roman books 16</p> <p>Bringing the Romans home: Roman artifacts 18</p> <p>Roman excavations: The Pompeii sensation 19</p> <p>What the Romans Did for Us 20</p> <p>The Roman image of power 21</p> <p>Language 23</p> <p>Law ‘n’ order 24</p> <p>Philosophy 25</p> <p>The idea of city 26</p> <p>A Long Time Ago but Not That Far Away 28</p> <p><b>Chapter 2: It’s the Cash That Counts: Roman Social Classes 29</b></p> <p>First Things First: The Roman Family 29</p> <p>Being on Top – Upper-crust Romans 31</p> <p>Nobles (Nobiles) 32</p> <p>Equestrians (Equites) 34</p> <p>Ordinary Citizens 34</p> <p>Roman citizens 35</p> <p>Latin citizens 36</p> <p>Everyone else: Provincials 37</p> <p>Are You Being Served? 38</p> <p>Slaves 38</p> <p>Freedmen 39</p> <p>Women and Children Last! 41</p> <p>Women 41</p> <p>Children 44</p> <p><b>Chapter 3: Stairway to the Stars: The Greasy Path to Power 47</b></p> <p>Roman Assemblies 48</p> <p>The Comitia Curiata (‘Assembly of the Divisions’) 48</p> <p>The Comitia Centuriata (‘Assembly of the Centuries’) 48</p> <p>The Concilium Plebis Tributum (‘Council of the Plebeians arranged by Tribes’) 49</p> <p>The Senate 51</p> <p>The Emperors 52</p> <p>The emperor’s titles 52</p> <p>Multitasking: The emperor’s jobs 54</p> <p>The line of succession 55</p> <p>Climbing to the Top 56</p> <p>A career ladder for senators 56</p> <p>The equestrian career ladder 59</p> <p><b>Chapter 4: Rural Bliss – Roman Dreamland 61</b></p> <p>The Roman Fantasy Self-image: We’re Farmers at Heart 62</p> <p>Life in the City; Dreams in the Country 63</p> <p>Escaping the city 63</p> <p>Buying and investing in land 64</p> <p>Villas: Bedrock of Roman Agriculture 67</p> <p>Here a villa, there a villa 67</p> <p>Imperial and giant estates 67</p> <p>Villas in the later years of the Empire 69</p> <p>A Quick Rural Reality Check 70</p> <p><b>Chapter 5: When We Were Soldiers 71</b></p> <p>Mastering the Universe: The Fighting Men 71</p> <p>Legions and legionaries 72</p> <p>The auxiliaries 75</p> <p>The Praetorian Guard: Rome’s garrison 77</p> <p>The fleet: Rome’s navy 77</p> <p>Having the Right Equipment 78</p> <p>Uniforms and weapons 78</p> <p>Artillery 79</p> <p>Holding the Fort 80</p> <p>Fort defences 80</p> <p>Fort buildings 81</p> <p>Marching camps 82</p> <p>Keeping the enemy out: Frontier fortifications 83</p> <p>The Late Army 84</p> <p>Dividing the army 84</p> <p>New forts for the late army 84</p> <p>The end of the Roman army in the West 85</p> <p><b>Part II: Living the Good Life 87</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 6: The Urban Jungle 89</b></p> <p>The Idea of City 89</p> <p>Rome: The urban template 90</p> <p>Improving the model city 92</p> <p>Copycat Romes 94</p> <p>Two Brilliant Ideas 95</p> <p>Concrete 95</p> <p>Arches and vaults 96</p> <p>The most famous architect – Vitruvius 97</p> <p>All Roads Lead to Rome 98</p> <p>Road-building basics 99</p> <p>Helping travellers: Road maps, itineraries, and more 100</p> <p>Imperial post (cursus publicus) 101</p> <p><b>Chapter 7: Making the Roman Machine Work 103</b></p> <p>Trade Around the Empire 103</p> <p>Ostia: The port of Rome 104</p> <p>International trade 104</p> <p>The merchants and guild system 106</p> <p>Goodies from Around the World 107</p> <p>Food, glorious food: The grain supply 108</p> <p>Mining for metals 109</p> <p>Money, Money, Money 110</p> <p>Propaganda coins 111</p> <p>Comparative values 112</p> <p>Inflation 112</p> <p>Turning on the Taps 113</p> <p>Getting water into cities: Aqueducts 114</p> <p>Wells and reservoirs 115</p> <p>Baths 116</p> <p>Getting rid of water: Rome’s sewers 117</p> <p>Keeping Well: Medicine 118</p> <p>Medical science in the Roman era 118</p> <p>Medicine for the masses 120</p> <p><b>Chapter 8: Entertainments: Epic and Domestic 121</b></p> <p>Introducing the Games 121</p> <p>Bonding the population 122</p> <p>The gaming calendar 122</p> <p>The Playing Fields: Arenas and Stadiums 123</p> <p>Building an arena 125</p> <p>The Colosseum 125</p> <p>Stadiums 126</p> <p>Fighting Men: Gladiators 128</p> <p>The gladiators: Who they were 129</p> <p>Schools for scoundrels 129</p> <p>The fear of gladiators 130</p> <p>Putting on a gladiatorial show 130</p> <p>Fighting Animals 131</p> <p>Supplying animals 132</p> <p>Animals in the arena 132</p> <p>Epic Shows and Mock Battles 133</p> <p>A Day at the Races – Chariot-racing 133</p> <p>Roman chariots 134</p> <p>The charioteers 134</p> <p>Fans 134</p> <p>Pantos and Plays: Roman Theatre 135</p> <p>Theatre floor plans 136</p> <p>Roman music 136</p> <p>Actors and impresarios 137</p> <p>The show must go on: Performances and oratory competitions 138</p> <p>A Night In: Entertaining at Home 139</p> <p>Party invite 140</p> <p>Tableware 141</p> <p>The menu 141</p> <p><b>Chapter 9: Divine Intervention 143</b></p> <p>Cutting a Deal: Roman Religion 144</p> <p>Divining the future 145</p> <p>Non-believers and charlatans 147</p> <p>Roman Temples and Shrines 149</p> <p>Classical temples 150</p> <p>Regional temples 151</p> <p>Shrines 151</p> <p>The Divine Mission: Roman Gods 152</p> <p>Public religion: Jupiter, Juno, Mars – the famous ones 152</p> <p>Household and family gods 155</p> <p>Emperor worship 156</p> <p>Integrating Gods from Elsewhere 157</p> <p>Joining Roman gods to foreign gods: Conflation 157</p> <p>Curiouser and curiouser: Mystery cults 158</p> <p>The Religion that Refused to Be Assimilated: Christianity 159</p> <p>Problems with Christianity 160</p> <p>Persecutions 160</p> <p>Tolerance and turning tables 161</p> <p>Burning and Burying: The Roman Way of Death 162</p> <p>Roman afterlife: The Underworld 162</p> <p>Cemeteries and graves 162</p> <p>Worshipping ancestors and burial feasts 164</p> <p><b>Part III: The Rise of Rome 165</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 10: Kings? No, Maybe Not – Republicans 167</b></p> <p>The Founding of Rome 167</p> <p>The myth 168</p> <p>The true story 169</p> <p>Early Rome: Hills with huts, and a very big sewer 169</p> <p>Rome’s neighbours 171</p> <p>The Magnificent Eight: The Kings (753–535 BC) 173</p> <p>Romulus (753–716 BC) 173</p> <p>Numa Pompilius (715–673 BC) 174</p> <p>Tullus Hostilius (673–641 BC) 175</p> <p>Ancus Marcius (641–616 BC) 175</p> <p>Tarquinius Priscus (616–579 BC) 175</p> <p>Servius Tullius (579–535 BC) 176</p> <p>Tarquinius Superbus (535–509 BC) 177</p> <p>The benefits of the Etruscan kings 177</p> <p>The Birth of the Roman Republic 178</p> <p>The new constitution 179</p> <p>Patricians vs plebs 180</p> <p>Conflict of the Orders: A Roman class war 181</p> <p>One law to rule them all – the Twelve Tables (450 BC) 182</p> <p>Plebs’ rights – the man with the trump card 183</p> <p><b>Chapter 11: This Town Isn’t Big Enough for All of Us – Seizing Italy 185</b></p> <p>Winning Over the Latin League (493 BC) 186</p> <p>Fights with the Etruscans 186</p> <p>The creation of the Latin League 187</p> <p>Rome: At odds with the Latin League 187</p> <p>Doing a deal with the Latins 187</p> <p>Crushing the local opposition 188</p> <p>Having the Gaul to Invade – 390 BC 189</p> <p>Getting sacked 189</p> <p>Changes at home 189</p> <p>Knocking out the Samnites 192</p> <p>The First Samnite War (343–341 BC) 192</p> <p>Meanwhile the Latins strike back 193</p> <p>The Second Samnite War (326–304 BC) 194</p> <p>Try, try, and try again: The Third Samnite War (298–290 BC) 195</p> <p>Now for the Rest of Italy 195</p> <p>Pyrrhus arrives to show who’s who 196</p> <p>By Jove, I think we’ve done it 197</p> <p><b>Chapter 12: Carthage and the First Two Punic Wars 199</b></p> <p>The Sicilian Story – the First Punic War (264–241 BC) 199</p> <p>The Mamertines play with fire 200</p> <p>Messana isn’t enough: Going for Sicily 201</p> <p>Battles and victory at sea: Becoming a naval power 201</p> <p>Setting the stage for the Second Punic War 203</p> <p>Staying busy in the interim: Capturing northern Italy 203</p> <p>The Second Punic War (218–202 BC) 204</p> <p>The amazing march of elephants 205</p> <p>The Battle of Lake Trasimene – 217 BC 206</p> <p>Catastrophe at Cannae – 216 BC 206</p> <p>Bloody and bruised, but still swinging 207</p> <p>Scipio in the nick of time 208</p> <p>The Battle of Zama – 202 BC 209</p> <p>Trouble in the East: The Macedonian Wars 209</p> <p>A bit of background: Philip V and Illyrian pirates 210</p> <p>The First Macedonian War (214–205 BC) 211</p> <p>The Second Macedonian War (200–197 BC) 211</p> <p>The Third Macedonian War (172–167 BC) 212</p> <p>The spoils of Greece (Achaea) 213</p> <p>The Secret of Success: The Comeback 214</p> <p><b>Chapter 13: While We’re at It – Let’s Conquer Everywhere Else, Too 215</b></p> <p>How the West Was Won 216</p> <p>First stop: Northern Italy 216</p> <p>Relaxing by the Riviera 216</p> <p>The Reign in Spain, 197–179 BC 217</p> <p>Conquering Spain’s tribes 217</p> <p>Return to war 218</p> <p>The destruction of Numantia 219</p> <p>Why the Spanish wars were different 219</p> <p>The Third Punic War (151–146 BC) 219</p> <p>Hannibal patches up Carthage 220</p> <p>The ambitions of Masinissa: Provoke Carthaginians 220</p> <p>Rome’s response: Wipe out Carthage! 221</p> <p>The final indignity: Salt on the wounds 221</p> <p>Mopping Up the East 222</p> <p>The ambitions of Antiochus III 222</p> <p>Cramping Antiochus III’s style 223</p> <p>Winning the lottery: Gaining Pergamon 224</p> <p><b>Part IV: When Romans Ruled the World 225</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 14: Reform and Civil War 227</b></p> <p>Crisis in Rome 227</p> <p>Power to the people! – Not 228</p> <p>The rise of the equestrians 229</p> <p>The trouble with allies 229</p> <p>A soldier’s tale 230</p> <p>Slaves to circumstance 231</p> <p>Enter the Gracchi 231</p> <p>Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus 232</p> <p>Gaius Gracchus 234</p> <p>The aftermath of the Gracchi 236</p> <p>Marius the New Man – and More Unrest 236</p> <p>Fighting the Jugurthine War 237</p> <p>The ‘Northmen’ advance 238</p> <p>Suppressing a slave revolt in Sicily 238</p> <p>Marius’s downfall 239</p> <p>Fighting Your Friends: The Social War (90–88 BC) 240</p> <p>Wrong-footing the allies 240</p> <p>Extending the franchise and ending the war 241</p> <p>Think the Unthinkable: A Roman Captures Rome – Sulla (88 BC) 241</p> <p>Taking Rome and settling Mithridates 242</p> <p>Marius and Cinna fight back 242</p> <p>I’ll be back: Sulla comes home 243</p> <p>Dictator of Rome 243</p> <p>Retiring alive and dying peacefully 244</p> <p>Well, They Started Out As Mates: The Age of the Generals 245</p> <p>Gnaeus Pompeius (Pompey) (106–48 BC) 246</p> <p>Marcus Licinius Crassus (c 115 to 53 BC) 248</p> <p>The most famous Roman of them all: Julius Caesar 248</p> <p>The Gang of Three: The First Triumvirate (60 BC) 249</p> <p>Building his power base: Caesar and the Gallic Wars 251</p> <p>Meanwhile back in Rome 252</p> <p>Renewing the Triumvirate 253</p> <p>Death of Crassus and the crumbling Triumvirate 253</p> <p><b>Chapter 15: Daggers Drawn – The Fall of the Republic 255</b></p> <p>Civil War 256</p> <p>Deadly deals 256</p> <p>Crossing the Rubicon (50 BC) 256</p> <p>Cutting off Pompey at the head (48 BC) 257</p> <p>Caesar: Leader of the Roman World 259</p> <p>Caesar’s new order 259</p> <p>Hey, we didn’t want a king! (44 BC) 260</p> <p>The fatal blow (44 BC) 261</p> <p>A hideous mistake and the rise of Mark Antony 262</p> <p>Picking Caesar’s heir: Mark Antony or Octavian? 264</p> <p>Octavian and the End of the Republic (44–43 BC) 265</p> <p>The second Gang of Three: The Second Triumvirate (43 BC) 266</p> <p>Blood, guts, and gods 266</p> <p>The Battle of Philippi 266</p> <p>The bust up starts 267</p> <p>Antony and Cleopatra 267</p> <p>Throwing down the gauntlet 268</p> <p>The Battle of Actium (31 BC) 268</p> <p><b>Chapter 16: Augustus and the Caesars – Plots, Perverts, and Paranoia 271</b></p> <p>Augustus (aka Octavian) and His Powers 272</p> <p>Restoring the Republic 272</p> <p>The Emperor who wasn’t an Emperor 273</p> <p>Augustus: The radical conservative 275</p> <p>Finding it brick and leaving it marble 276</p> <p>Sorting out the borders 277</p> <p>The disaster of AD 9 279</p> <p>A son, a son! My kingdom for a son! 279</p> <p>Augustus’s death 280</p> <p>Augustus’s Dynasty: Tiberius, Caligula,</p> <p>Claudius, and Nero (AD 14–68) 280</p> <p>Tiberius – part good, part bad, part pervert (AD 14–37) 281</p> <p>Making your horse a consul is a bad idea: Caligula (AD 37–41) 283</p> <p>The dribbling old halfwit done good: Claudius (AD 41–54) 286</p> <p>Where mother went wrong: Nero (AD 54–68) 289</p> <p>The Year of the Four Emperors (AD 68–69) 294</p> <p>Too old and too tight: Galba (AD 68–69) 294</p> <p>A man of many enemies: Otho (AD 69) 294</p> <p>The gluttonous emperor: Vitellius (AD 69) 295</p> <p>The rise of Vespasian 296</p> <p>Starting Well and Finishing Badly – the Flavians (AD 69–96) 296</p> <p>Mr Down-to-earth: Vespasian AD 69–79) 297</p> <p>The much-loved Titus (AD 79–81) 298</p> <p>Paranoid fly-killer: Domitian (AD 81–96) 300</p> <p><b>Chapter 17: The Five Good Emperors 303</b></p> <p>Nerva: A Good Stopgap (AD 96–98) 304</p> <p>Smart moves and good deeds 304</p> <p>Foiling plots and picking a successor 305</p> <p>Trajan: Right Man for the Job (AD 98–117) 305</p> <p>Trajan in Rome 306</p> <p>War with Dacia and Parthia 306</p> <p>Trajan’s legacy 308</p> <p>Hadrian, Artist and Aesthete (AD 117–138) 309</p> <p>A dodgy succession 309</p> <p>Hadrian in Rome 310</p> <p>Enough’s enough: Touring the provinces 310</p> <p>Growing ill in mind and body 312</p> <p>Choosing a successor 312</p> <p>Antoninus Pius: Nice and Vice-free (AD 138–161) 313</p> <p>Antoninus in Rome 313</p> <p>On the borders 314</p> <p>Smelling the Storm Brewing: Marcus Aurelius (AD 161–180) 314</p> <p>Appointing a partner 315</p> <p>Marcus the warrior 315</p> <p>Who comes next? Picking a successor 316</p> <p>The End of the Good Old Days 316</p> <p><b>Part V: Throwing the Empire Away 317</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 18: More Civil War, Auctioning the Empire, and Paranoid Lunatics 319</b></p> <p>I Think I’m Hercules: Commodus(AD 180–192) 319</p> <p>Commodus and the affairs of state 320</p> <p>Commodus the gladiator 321</p> <p>Plots against Commodus and his demise 321</p> <p>Pertinax: The 87-Day Wonder 322</p> <p>Reintroducing discipline 322</p> <p>Ticking off the soldiers 323</p> <p>Biting the dust 323</p> <p>Didius Julianus and Civil War 323</p> <p>Septimius Severus (AD 193–211) 324</p> <p>Securing the throne 325</p> <p>Dividing and ruling 326</p> <p>Severus’s death 328</p> <p>Not Living Up to Dad’s Expectations – Caracalla (AD 211–217) 328</p> <p>Getting rid of Geta and a host of others 329</p> <p>Universal citizenship (AD 212) 329</p> <p>Caracalla’s indulgences 330</p> <p>The end of Caracalla 330</p> <p><b>Chapter 19: The Age of the Thug – The Third Century’s Soldier Emperors 331</b></p> <p>The First Thug on the Throne: Marcus Opelius Macrinus 332</p> <p>How to take the throne 332</p> <p>How to lose popularity 332</p> <p>How to lose the throne 333</p> <p>Elagabalus (AD 218–222) 333</p> <p>Elagabalus’s god 335</p> <p>Elagabalus’s government 335</p> <p>Elagabalus’s women 335</p> <p>The end of Elagabalus 336</p> <p>Severus Alexander (AD 222–235) 336</p> <p>A little stability in a sea of chaos 337</p> <p>But not all is well 337</p> <p>The end of Alexander and Julia 338</p> <p>Blink and you’ll miss them: A slew of emperors who followed Alexander 338</p> <p>Valerian I (AD 253–260) and Gallienus (253–268) 339</p> <p>Valerian dies and a rebellion starts 340</p> <p>Events in the Palymrenes 340</p> <p>The Gallic Empire breaks away 340</p> <p>Gallienus’s death and the next emperor, Claudius II 341</p> <p>Aurelian (AD 270–275) 341</p> <p>Annihilating Palmyra 342</p> <p>The end of the Gallic Empire 342</p> <p>Aurelian at home 342</p> <p>The death of Aurelian 343</p> <p>Probus (AD 276–282) 344</p> <p>The End of the Principate 344</p> <p><b>Chapter 20: East Is East and West Is West: Diocletian and Constantine 347</b></p> <p>On the Case: Diocletian (AD 284–305) 348</p> <p>Four emperors are better than one: The Tetrarchy 348</p> <p>Repairing the broken Empire 349</p> <p>The Dominate: A new order 351</p> <p>The rebellion in Britain: Carausius 352</p> <p>Like all the best ideas: The Tetrarchy falls apart 353</p> <p>Constantine I, the Great (AD 307–337) 355</p> <p>Taking control of the West 356</p> <p>Issuing the Edict of Milan, 313 356</p> <p>East vs West: Fighting Licinius 357</p> <p>The Empire goes Christian 358</p> <p>Moving house: The capital goes to a new location 361</p> <p>Managing money 362</p> <p>Paranoia and the succession 362</p> <p>Constantine’s loving family – not! 363</p> <p>Constantius II (AD 337–361) 364</p> <p>The Magnentian Revolt 364</p> <p>Constantius II in power 366</p> <p>Resolving the Arian versus Catholic crisis 366</p> <p>Bringing Back Pagans: Julian II ‘the Apostate’ (AD 360–363) 366</p> <p>Turning back the clock 367</p> <p>Julian in charge 368</p> <p><b>Chapter 21: The Barbarians Are Coming! The End of Rome 369</b></p> <p>A Rundown of Barbarians 370</p> <p>Going Downhill – Barbarians at the Door 371</p> <p>Breaking the Empire into East and West 372</p> <p>Valentinian I in the West (AD 364–375) 372</p> <p>Valens in the East (AD 364–378) 372</p> <p>At Last! Someone Who Knows What He’s Doing: Theodosius I the Great (AD 379–395) 373</p> <p>Hiring the Visigoths 374</p> <p>Breaking it up again: Revolts 374</p> <p>Death of Theodosius 375</p> <p>Sacking Rome 375</p> <p>Stilicho: Buying off the Visigoths 375</p> <p>Alaric and the fall of Rome in 410 376</p> <p>Staggering On 377</p> <p>Attila the Hun (ruled AD 434–453) 378</p> <p>The murders of Aetius (AD 454) and Valentinian III (AD 455) 379</p> <p>The next few emperors and the rise of Ricimer 380</p> <p>The last emperor in the West:</p> <p>Romulus Augustus (AD 475–476) 381</p> <p>What Became of Rome’s Western Provinces 382</p> <p>In the East: The Byzantine Empire 383</p> <p>Religious tensions 383</p> <p>Justinian I (AD 527–565) 384</p> <p>The Great Schism of 1054 386</p> <p>The toll of the Crusades 387</p> <p>The fall of Byzantium 387</p> <p>The end of the ancient world 388</p> <p><b>Part VI: The Part of Tens 389</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 22: Ten Turning Points in Roman History 391</b></p> <p>Kicking out the Kings (509 BC) 391</p> <p>Creating the Twelve Tables (450 BC) 391</p> <p>Winning the Second Punic War (218–202 BC) 392</p> <p>The year 146 BC 392</p> <p>Augustus’s settlements with the Senate in 27 and 19 BC 392</p> <p>Breaking the link between the emperor and Rome (AD 68–69) 393</p> <p>Ending the tradition of conquest (AD 117–138) 393</p> <p>Dividing the Roman world (AD 284–305) 393</p> <p>The Edict of Milan (AD 313) 394</p> <p>The fall of Rome (AD 410) 394</p> <p><b>Chapter 23: Ten Interesting and Occasionally Good Romans 395</b></p> <p>Cincinnatus (519–438 BC) 395</p> <p>Scipio Africanus the Elder (236–185 BC) 395</p> <p>Marcus Sergius (late third century BC) 396</p> <p>Marcus Porcius Cato (234–149 BC) 396</p> <p>Gaius Gracchus (d 121 BC) 397</p> <p>Julius Caesar (102–44 BC) 397</p> <p>Augustus (63 BC–AD 14) 397</p> <p>Pliny the Elder (AD 23–79) 398</p> <p>Carausius (reigned AD 286–293) 398</p> <p>Sextus Valerius Genialis (late first century AD) 399</p> <p><b>Chapter 24: Ten (Mostly) Bad Romans 401</b></p> <p>Tarquinius Superbus (535–509 BC) 401</p> <p>Coriolanus (527–490 BC) 401</p> <p>Sulla (138–78 BC) 402</p> <p>Sergius Catilinus (d 63 BC) 402</p> <p>Gaius Verres (c 109–c 43 BC) 403</p> <p>Caligula (reigned AD 37–41) 403</p> <p>Nero (reigned AD 54–68) 403</p> <p>Commodus (reigned AD 180–192) 404</p> <p>Didius Julianus (reigned AD 193) 404</p> <p>Caracalla (reigned AD 211–217) 404</p> <p>Elagabalus (reigned AD 218–222) 405</p> <p><b>Chapter 25: Ten of Rome’s Greatest Enemies 407</b></p> <p>Hannibal (247–182 BC) 407</p> <p>Antiochus III (242–187 BC) 407</p> <p>Mithridates VI, King of Pontus (120–63 BC) 408</p> <p>Spartacus (fl 73–71 BC) 408</p> <p>Cleopatra VII of Egypt (69–31 BC) 409</p> <p>Vercingetorix (fl 52 BC, d 46 BC) 409</p> <p>Caratacus (d AD 43–51) 410</p> <p>Boudica (d AD 61) 410</p> <p>Simon Bar Cochba (fl AD 132–135) 411</p> <p>The German tribes 411</p> <p><b>Chapter 26: Ten (or So) Great Roman Places to Visit 413</b></p> <p>Rome and Ostia 413</p> <p>Pompeii and Herculaneum 414</p> <p>Ravenna 414</p> <p>Ephesus 414</p> <p>Aphrodisias 415</p> <p>Sbeitla 415</p> <p>Piazza Armerina 415</p> <p>Hadrian’s Wall 416</p> <p>Petra 416</p> <p>Dendara 416</p> <p>Bath 417</p> <p>Index 419</p>

<p><b>Guy de la Bédoyère</b> is a historian, archaeologist, and Roman expert. He is well known for his numerous books and appearances on UK TV, including Channel 4's <i>Time Team</i>.

<p><b><i>'A must for anyone interested in the Roman Empire and its impact on world history.'</i></b><br> <b><i>Tony Robinson, star of</i> Blackadder <i>and</i> Time Team</b> <p><b>Filled with fascinating facts about Roman society and culture</b> <p><b>Explore one of the most exciting eras in ancient history</b> <p>This entertaining and informative guide introduces you to the amazing world of ancient Rome and its emperors, epic wars, awesome architecture, heroes, and villains. With a complete rundown of Roman history alongside fascinating insights into the lives of everyday Romans, you'll discover the amazing people and events involved in the rise and fall of one of the greatest of all ancient civilisations and how its influence can still be felt around the world today. <p><b>Discover:</b> <ul> <li>How the Romans came to rule the world</li> <li>The lasting legacy of Roman society, culture, economics, and industry around the world</li> <li>The good, the bad, and the very bad Roman rulers</li> <li>Roman religion, beliefs, and worship</li> <li>How the Romans enjoyed themselves</li> </ul> <p>Explanations in plain English<br> 'Get in, get out' information<br> Icons and other navigational aids<br> Online Cheat Sheet<br> Top ten lists<br> A dash of humour and fun <p><b>Get smart!<br/> @www.dummies.com</b> <ul> <li>Find listings of all our books</li> <li>Choose from many different subject categories</li> <li>Browse our free articles</li> </ul>

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