History of Rome

In this, his most ambitious and comprehensive book to date, Michael Grant recreates the evolution of this astonishing city and community, describing in detail the individuals and events that made Rome a political and cultural conqueror and defining the circumstances of her eventual decline and fall.
He portrays not only the cynosures of the Roman world, such as Caesar, Augustus, and Constantine, but also lesser-known figures, reassessing their impact upon both the character of Roman society and the development of her empire. Rome's artistic achievements, especially in literature, architecture, sculpture, and painting, are discussed in depth and the economic and social conditions of hfe for the ordinary subjects of the empire fully explained. The changing relationships between Rome and the peoples of its provinces are closely examined, as is the ultimate disintegration or transformation of the western empire. This is a unique book, encompassing all aspects of one of the most fabulously rich and diverse civilizations in history.