The Romans

Description

"The Romans is currently the best textbook on Roman history available in English."--Walter Scheidel, Stanford University


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 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.

New to this Edition

• Timeline of the book has been expanded by about 150 years, down at least to the fall of the empire in 476
• Chapters 1 & 2 have been combined to form one chapter
• Chapters 13 and 14 are new
• Now features two 8-page full color inserts

Table of Contents

*=New to this Edition
Maps
Figures
Plates
Preface to the Second Edition
Preface to the First Edition
Acknowledgments
Notes to the Reader
About the Authors
1. ARCHAIC ITALY AND THE ORIGINS OF ROME
Italy and the Mediterranean World
The Evidence
Italy Before the City
Greeks and Phoenicians in the Central Mediterranean
The Rise of Cities
Beginning of Writing
Appearance of an Elite
Cities and Monumental Architecture
Warfare in the Orientalizing and Archaic Periods
Social and Economic Organization
Greeks and Etruscans
Greek Cities of Southern Italy and Sicily
Etruscans
The Emergence of Rome
The Romans and Their Early History
Table 1.1 Dates of Rome's Kings According to Varro
Source 1.1 Plutarch, Romulus
Politics and Society under the Kings
Rome and the Latins
2. REPUBLICAN ROME AND THE CONQUEST OF ITALY
The Early Republic
Rome and Its Neighbors in the Fifth Century
Struggle of the Orders
Fall of Veii and the Sack of Rome
The City and Its Institutions in the Fourth Century
Officials
Senate
Assemblies of Citizens
Source 2.1 Servius Tullius' Creation of the Census (Livy)
Table 2.1 Roman Assemblies
The City, Its Gods, and Its Priests
Source 2.2 The Roman Games (Dionysius of Halicarnassus)
Rome and Central Italy
Warfare and the Civic Order
Rome in Latium and Campania
Samnite Wars
Expansion of Roman Control Over Italy
Wars in Central and Northern Italy
Conquest of the South
War and the Roman State
3. THE BEGINNINGS OF A MEDITERRANEAN EMPIRE
Sources
The Nobility and the City of Rome
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
A Mediterranean Empire
Governors, Provinces, and Empire
Spain
Greece and Asia Minor
* Source 3.3 Popillius Laenas Forestalls Antiochus' Invasion of Egypt (Polybius)
North Africa
4. ITALY AND EMPIRE
Senators, Officials, and Citizen Assemblies
Italy and the Consequences of Empire
Changing Relations Between Rome, Its Municipia, and Allies
Roman and Italian Elites
Source 4.1 Scipio Africanus' Army Loots Carthago Nova (Polybius and Livy)
Demographic and Economic Changes
Roman Politics from the Mid-Second Century
Scipio Aemilianus
Tiberius Gracchus
* Source 4.2 Tiberius Gracchus Urges Romans to Support his Land-Assignment Scheme (Plutarch)
Gaius Gracchus
5. ITALY THREATENED, ENFRANCHISED, DIVIDED
Changes in Roman Society
War with Jugurtha (112-105)
Italy Threatened from the North (113-101)
* Source 5.1 A Spanish People Surrenders to Rome
Changes in the Roman Army
Marius' Career in Roman Politics
Source 5.2 Marius' Bid for the Consulship (Sallust)
Sixth Consulship of Marius and Second Tribunate of Saturninus (100)
Administration of the Provinces
Tribunate 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 (83-83)
6. THE DOMINATION OF SULLA AND ITS LEGACY
Sulla's Proscriptions (82-81)
Sulla the Dictator and His Program (82-81)
Senate
Tribunate
Equites, Courts
Citizens
Governors
Verdicts on Sulla's Program
Source 6.1 Cicero's Defense of Sextus Roscius
Lepidus' Uprising and Its Aftermath (78-77)
Challenge from Sertorius in Spain (80-73)
Source 6.2 Pompey's Letter from Spain (Sallust)
Spartacus's Slave Revolt (73-71)
Consulship of Crassus and Pompey (70)
Pompey Frees the Mediterranean of Pirates (67)
Threat from King Mithrades VI of Pontus
Sulla's Campaign Against Mithridates (87-85)
Lucullus' Struggle with Mithridates (74-67)
Pompey's Defeat of Mithridates (66-63)
Roles of Cassus and Cicero in Rome (65-63)
Caitline's Uprising (63-62)
7. END OF THE REPUBLIC: CAESAR'S DICTATORSHIP
Sources
Pompey's Return from the East (62)
Pompey and Political Stalemate in Rome
Partnership of Pompey, Crassus, and Caesar
Caesar'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)
Cicero's Governorship of Cilicia (51-50)
Civil War Campaigns (49-45)
Caesar's Activity as Dictator (49-44)
Caesar's Impact Upon the City of Rome
Political Prospects for Rome, and for Caesar
8. AUGUSTUS AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE ROMAN WORLD
Reactions to the Assassination of Caesar (44-43)
Emergence of a Second Triumvirate (43)
Battle of Philippi (42)
Source 8.1 Laudatio Turiae
Perusine War (41-40)
Elimination of Sextus Pompey and Lepidus (39-36)
Antony in the East (42 onwards)
Clash Between Antony and Octavian (36-30)
Octavian as Sole Ruler (30 Onwards)
"The Republic Restored"
Second Settlement (23)
The Roman Family in the Augustan Period
Succession
Table 8.1 The Julio-Claudian Family
Senate and Equites
Army
The Empire and Its Expansion
Source 8.2 Oath of Loyalty
Latin Literature in the Late Republic and Augustan Age
City of Rome
Attitudes Outside Rome
Res Gestae of Augustus
Augustus: Final Assessment
9. THE EARLY PRINCIPATE (A.D. 14-69): THE JULIO-CLAUDIANS, THE CIVIL WAR OF 68-69, AND LIFE IN THE EARLY EMPIRE
Sources
The Julio-Claudian Emperors: Civil Government and Military Concerns
Tiberius (14-37)
Source 9.1 Senatorial Decree Concerning the Elder Gnaeus Piso
Gaius (Caligula) (37-41)
Claudius (41-54)
Source 9.2 Claudius' Speech on the Admission of Gauls to the Senate
Nero (54-68)
Civil War in 68-69: Galba, Otho, Vitellius, and Vespasian
Economic and Social Change: Army
Economy
Intellectual Life
"Beneficial Ideology"
Cities and Provinces
Women
Diversity: Local Languages and Culture
Religious Practices and Principles
Imperial Cult
10. INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF THE PRINCIPATE: MILITARY EXPANSION AND ITS LIMITS, THE EMPIRE AND THE PROVINCES (69-138)
Sources
Institutionalization of the Principate
Vespasian (69-79)
Titus (79-81)
Domitian (81-96)
A New, Better Era?
Nerva (96-98)
Trajan (98-117)
Table 10.1 The Antonine Family
Hadiran (117-138)
Source 10.1 Hadrian Inspects Troops at Lambaesis, Numidia
Roman Cities and the Empire's Peoples
Theaters and Processions
Circuses and Chariot Racing
The Amphitheather, and Gladitorial Games
Other Urban Amenities
Education
State Religion and Imperial Cult
11. ITALY AND THE PROVINCES: CIVIL AND MILITARY AFFAIRS (138-235)
Sources
Antoninus Pius (138-161)
Marcus Aurelius (161-180) and Lucius Verus (161-169)
Source 11.1 A Greek Provincial Praises Roman Citizenship
Source 11.2 Morbidity and Mortality in the Roman Empire
Commodus (176-192, Ruling as Sole Augustus After 180)
Civil War and the Rise of Septimus Severus (193-211)
Table 11.1 The Severan Family
Source 11.3 Deification Ceremonies for Pertinax in Septimus Severus' Rome
Caracalla (198-217, Ruling as Sole Augustus After 211)
Macrinus (217-218)
Elagabalus (218-222)
Severus Alexander (222-235)
Roman Law
Roman Citizenship
Source 11.4 Grant of Roman Citizenship (Tabula Banasitana)
Rome and Christianity
Source 11.5 Pliny, Trajan, and Christians
12. THE THIRD-CENTURY CRISIS AND THE TETRARCHIC RESTABILIZATION
Sources
Mid-Third Century
Aurelian (270-275)
Diocletian, the Tetrarchy, and the Dominate (284-305)
Dissolution of the Tetrarchy (305-313), and the Rise of Constantine (306-324)
Source 12.1 Galerius' Edict of Toleration (April 311)
Administrative Reorganization Under the Dominate
Source 12.2 The Tetrarchs Introduce Their Edict on Maximum Prices
* 13. THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY AND THE GROWTH OF THE BARBARIAN THREAT (324-395)
Sources
Constantine: A Christian Emperor
The Sons of Constantine (337-361): The Power of Dynasty
Table 13.1 The Constantinian Family
Julian (361-363): A Test of the Christian Empire
Source 13.1 Julian Attempts to Bring Paganism into Line with Christianity
Jovian, Valentinian I, and Valens (363-378)
Gratian, Valentinian II, and Theodosius I (379-395)
New Elites for the Empire
Paganism and Christianity
Source 13.2 The End of Pagan Sacrifice
* 14. THE FINAL YEARS OF THE WESTERN EMPIRE AND ROME'S REVIVAL IN THE EAST
Sources
The Theodosian Dynasty to the First Sack of Rome (395-410)
Table 14.1 The Theodosian Family
The Fall of the Western Empire (410-476)
Source 14.1 The Gothic King Athaulf's Shifting Attitude toward Rome
The Growth of a Byzantine Empire in the East (408-491)
A Christian Culture
Source 14.2 Holy Land Pilgrimage and the Cult of Relics
Women's Power in Late Antiquity
The "Decline and Fall" of the Roman Empire
Timeline
Glossary
Principal Ancient Authors
Art Credits
Gazeteer
Index