Ancient Rome - by William E Dunstan (Paperback)

About the Book

Ancient Rome masterfully synthesizes the vast period from the origins of Rome to the end of antiquity, seamlessly weaving a panoramic view of how the Romans gradually imposed their rule from Britain to Arabia. William E. Dunstan's compelling narrative balances political and cu...

Book Synopsis

Ancient Rome masterfully synthesizes the vast period from the second millennium BCE to the sixth century CE, carrying readers through the succession of fateful steps and agonizing crises that marked Roman evolution from an early village settlement to the capital of an extraordinary realm extending from northern Britain to the deserts of Arabia. A host of world-famous figures come to life in these pages, including Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Augustus, Livia, Cicero, Nero, Hadrian, Diocletian, Constantine, Justinian, and Theodora. Filled with chilling narratives of violence, lust, and political expediency, this book not only describes empire-shaping political and military events but also treats social and cultural developments as integral to Roman history. William E. Dunstan highlights such key topics as the physical environment, women, law, the roles of slaves and freedmen, the plight of unprivileged free people, the composition and power of the ruling class, education, popular entertainment, food and clothing, marriage and divorce, sex, death and burial, finance and trade, scientific and medical achievements, religious institutions and practices, and artistic and literary masterpieces. All readers interested in the classical world will find this a fascinating and compelling history.

Review Quotes

"Will Dunstan's texts are always a pleasure to read and his Ancient Rome is enjoyable as well. The book is a delightful balance between the coverage of topics required of a text and the human elements of history included in the narrative that make history fun to explore." --Richard Cusimano, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

"An excellent text: thorough and readable, balanced and inclusive. The strength of the book lies in Professor Dunstan's adept mingling of political and military history with cultural, social, and literary histories of Rome. An undergraduate text cannot divorce one for the rest if students are to gain a through understanding of the Roman world." --William J. O'Neal, University of Toledo

About the Author

William E. Dunstan is a visiting scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and teaches at North Carolina State University.