The complete idiot's guide to the Roman Empire

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Part 1: ALL ROADS LEAD TO ROME

1. Dead Culture, Dead Language, Dead Emperors: Why Bother? Learn different perspectives for approaching Rome and the Romans, and grasp the periods of Roman history and literature

2. Roma FAQ: Hot Topics in Brief-Get some quick responses to frequently asked questions about Rome and the Romans, and learn where else to look in this book for more information

3. How Do We Know? Discovering the Romans-Discover what remains of Rome, as well as some of the ways that we know who the Romans were, what they did, and what they thought

4. Club Mediterrania: Rome in the Context of Other Civilizations-Put early Rome in context by finding out about other ancient civilizations that preceded and influenced it

5. Seven Hills and One Big Sewer: Rome Becomes a City-Learn how Rome, under the kings, developed from a group of villages at a crossing on the Tiber in a city, and how this early formation influenced Roman culture

Part 2: ROME WASNʼT BUILT IN A DAY: THE ROMAN REPUBLIC (509-27 B.C.E.)

6. On Golden Pond: Rome Conquers Italy and the Mediterranean-Follow Romeʼs conquests of Latium, Italy, and the Mediterranean to become a vast empire reaching from the Near East to Spain

7. Letʼs Conquer ... Ourselves! The Roman Revolution and the End of the Republic-Learn how Romeʼs political and cultural forces combined to create interval tensions that eventually brought about a series of civil wars and ended the Republic

8. Rome, Rome on the Range: Romans at Home-Take a look at Roman culture at its most basic level, the family, and how the Romans conceived of themselves as a part of this unit. Youʼll also learn about Roman women and slaves. 9. The Romans Among Themselves-Here youʼll get a picture of Roman class divisions and how the Romans operated among themselves in politics, the army, and the law courts

10. The Romans at Large-Discover the Romans among other people, and how people outside of Rome belonged to the Roman systems of alliances and citizenship. Youʼll also enter the world of Roman commerce, business, and work

11. Literature and Culture of the Republic-Follow the rise of Latin literature from the importation of Greek slaves and Latin translations of Greek works to the full development of Latin as a literary language

12. If They Build I: Roman Engineering-Learn how the Romans built for success, and their achievements in constructing roads, buildings, bridges, aqueducts, and machines of war

Part 3: EMPIRE WITHOUT END: ROMAN IMPERIAL HISTORY

13. Easing into Empire-See how Augustus and his few intimates transformed the Republic under his Principate into an empire, and how the way he did things set the stage for the dynastic struggles to come

14. All in the Family: The Julio-Claudian Emperors-Learn about the first dynasty of Rome, and follow the careers of some of the most famous and infamous of all the emperors

15. The (Mostly) Good Emperors: The Flavians to Marcus Aurelius-See how the Flavians reestablished order after Neroʼs fall, and how a line of adopted emperors established Rome on a more secure basis during the time of its greatest power

16. The (Mostly) Not-So-Good Emperors: Commodus to Aurelian-Follow the decline and near break-up of Rome in a period of civil unrest, imperial crisis, and barbarian invasions. 17. Divide and (Re)Conquer: Diocletian to Constantine-Learn how the emperor Diocletian reestablished order, and how his solutions to rule led to Constantine the Great, who established Constantinople as a new capital and a triumphant Christianity as Romeʼs state religion

18. Barbarians at the Gates: The Fall of the Western Empire-Discover in what way Rome ʺfellʺ in the west, and how the barbarian invasions changed and challenged what survived

Part 4: ROMAN IMPERIAL LIFE AND CULTURE

19. Roman Mass Culture of the Imperial Period-Meet the Roman urban culture that grew during the Empire to unite broadly disparate regions and left a lasting imprint upon the world

20. (Un)Protected Sects: Religions, Tolerance, and Persecutions-Investigate the ways in which Rome persecuted threatening religious orders and sects in the context of Roman attitudes toward religion and personal belief

21. Cogito Ergo Sum: The Life of the Mind-Discover the literature of the Empire, and the wide variety of writers, poets, and theologians who published in both Greek and Latin during the Silver Age and Late Antiquity, including the development of Christian sacred texts

22. Thatʼs Entertainment! Public Spectacles-Thrill and chill to the Roman games: chariot racing, theatrical productions of every description, and the macabre arena games for which the Romans are especially known. Part 5: WHERE DID THE ROMANS GO?

23. And the East Goes On-Follow Romeʼs legacy in the east through Justinianʼs attempt to reclaim the Empire to the sack of Constantinople by the Crusades and then the Turks

24. Nothing Quiet on the Western Front-Learn how Romeʼs legacy in the West developed though the concept of reinventing the Roman Empire in the west, the Crusades, and Latin literatureʼs influence on western thought

APPENDIXES

A: Timeline

B: Finding the Romans on Earth and in Cyberspace

C: Lights, Camera, Action! A Short List of Rome and Romans in Film

D: Glossary