RomeinthearchaicagewasaminorsatellitebetweentheEtruscanandGreekworld.ThisbooktracestheexpansionofRomaninfluencefirstwithinItaly,thenaroundtheMediterraneanworldandfinally,atbreakneckspeed,deepintoEurope,outtotheAtlantic,alongtheedgeoftheSaharaanddowntheRedSea.Buttherehadbeenotherempiresthathadexpandedrapidily:whatmadeRomeremarkablewasthatitmanagedtosustainitspositionforsolong.Rome’sFallposeslessofamysterythanitssurvival.Understandinghowthishappensinvolvesunderstandingthebuildingblocksofimperialsociety--slavery,cities,theeconomy--andalsothechaoticnarrativeofgrowth,civilwar,stability,neardisasterandthenamanageddownsizing.Rome.Anempire’sstorytellsthestoryofRomeinchaptersthatalternatewithexaminationofkeyfeaturesofRomansociety.Thisneweditionisbasedontheverylatestresearch,includingstudiesofclimatechangeandecology,anddealsatgreaterlengththanthefirsteditiondidwiththelaterRomanempire,andwiththematerialcultureofempire.
