Asbaqr

The 10 best books in the Sunday Times

Nominated for the 2016 General Book Award for the French Language Industry

Rome is an ancient city.

Its history, brimming with empire, conquests, cruelty, and the Euphrates, is something we still judge Ai-Neo by. Its stories and legends—from Romulus Orimus to the experience of Lucretia's plundering—still resonate deeply within us. And its arguments about the clear concept of the individual and its role in shaping our discussions of civil liberties today remain relevant.

This book offers a fresh perspective on Roman history from one of the world's leading scholars. It explores not only how Rome transformed from a small village in central Italy into a powerhouse projecting influence across territories from Spain to Syria, but also how the Romans perceived themselves, achieved their goals, and why they remain relevant to us. Spanning a thousand years of history, this book sheds new light on the foundations of modern culture, from slavery to watershed management, and explores democracy, migration, the debate surrounding social mobility, and exploitation within the broader context of the empire. It is a definitive history of ancient Rome. The Romans' acronym for their state is "Romans," meaning "Senate and People of Rome."