Roman World - Annotated by David Cherry (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The 57 documents in this sourcebook introduce readers to many of the major topics of Roman history, from the period of the Twelve Tables (c.451 BC) to the later Roman empire. Each of the selections has been chosen for its historical significance and intrinsic interest, and is introduced and annotated by the editor.

From the Back Cover

The fifty-sweven documents in this sourcebook introduce readers to many of the major topics of Roman history, from the period of the Twelve Tables (c.451 BC) to the later Roman empire: the structure of Roman society, slavery, the position of women and the nature of family life, farm-management and agricultural practices, scientific and medical knowledge, political and religious life, the military, and the non-Roman world beyond the frontiers. Each of the selections has been chosen for its historical significance and intrinsic interest, and is introduced and annotated by the editor. Extended selections from works such as Petronius' 'Satyricon' and Suetonius' biography of the mad emperor Caligula allow readers to encounter the events and personalities of the era at first hand, while maps, suggestions for further reading, and a chronological table aid interpretation.

The collection will be of interest to anyone who wants to understand the nature of the Roman world. It is an ideal supplement for narrative survey courses or can be used independently as a theme-based approach to Roman history.

Review Quotes

"The great virtue of Cherry's book is that the [chapter] selections are long enough to give the reader a feel not only for the topic at hand but also for the Roman way of thinking. The volume, in all, presents an excellent starting point for the study of Rome and the Romans." Jeanne Neumann O'Neill, Davidson College

"This collection will be of much use to students and to those wanting a rapid insight into Greco-Roman civilisation." Daedalus

About the Author

David Cherry is Associate Professor of History at Montana State University, Bozeman. He is the author of Frontier and Society in Roman North Africa (1998) and has recently updated A History of Rome by Marcel Le Glay, Jean-Louis Voisin and Yann Le Bohec (2nd edition, Blackwell, 2000).