Roman Empire: A Very Short Introduction

The Roman Empire was a remarkable achievement. It had a population of sixty million people spread across lands encircling the Mediterranean and stretching from drizzle-soaked northern England to the sun-baked banks of the Euphrates in Syria, and from the Rhine to the North African coast.

It was, above all else, an empire of force - employing a mixture of violence, suppression, order, and tactical use of power to develop an astonishingly uniform culture. Describing the astonishing logistical feats, the politics, and the oppression, which the Romans used to rule their vast empire, this concise book looks at the daily lives of the empire's people: both those in Rome as well as those living in its furthest colonies.

Religion, culture, social structure, and law and order all played an important part in maintaining the empire. Roman Empire VSI brings the empire right up to date, examining how it has been considered and depicted since the eighteenth century, from the comparisons which the British made with their own empire, to the latest Hollywood blockbuster films.

The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly.