In Search of the Romans (Second Edition)

Description

In Search of the Romans is a lively and informative introduction to ancient Rome. Making extensive use of ancient sources and copiously illustrated with photographs, drawings, maps and plans, now for the first time in colour, its opening two chapters guide the reader through the events of Roman history, from the foundation of the city to the fall of the empire. Subsequent chapters introduce the most important aspects of the Roman world: the army and the provinces, religion, society, and entertainment; the final two chapters focus on Pompeii and Herculaneum, the two cities destroyed by Vesuvius. New to this edition are sections on the Augustan principate, on the Roman army, on life in the provinces and on engineering innovations, while the existing text is revised throughout. The narrative includes descriptions of many individuals from the Roman world, drawn from a variety of social settings. Activity boxes and further reading lists throughout each chapter aid students' understanding of the subject. Review questions challenge students to read further and reflect on some of the most important social, political and cultural issues of ancient Rome, as well as to compare them with those of their own society. The new edition is supported by a website that includes images, maps and timelines, further reading and related links.

James Renshaw teaches Classics at Godolphin and Latymer School, UK. His books include In Search of the Greeks (2nd edn, Bloomsbury, 2015) and he is General Editor of the suite of books for OCR Classical Civilisation and Ancient History (Bloomsbury, 2017).

Since its initial publication in 2012, I have recommended In Search of the Romans as my first choice for introductory courses on Roman civilization... this revised second edition makes smart changes and useful improvements, making it a necessary update for every classroom. -- Robert Gurval, Associate Professor of Classics, University of California, Los Angeles, USA The real achievement of this book is how it covers a huge range of topics in such a detailed yet unintimidating manner. It doesn't shy away from challenging concepts, and pushes the reader to engage with ancient material and think carefully about important questions. The presentation of the second edition is especially impressive. -- Rebecca Usherwood, Assistant Professor in Late Antique and Early Byzantine Studies, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland