Ancient Rome
A Military and Political History

This volume is a short yet comprehensive political and military history of ancient Rome.

Christopher S. Mackay (Author)

9780521809184, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 24 January 2005

460 pages
23.9 x 16.5 x 3.3 cm, 0.79 kg

'The style is lively, and the intended readership will no doubt benefit from this book.' L'Antiquité Classique

A short and comprehensive political and military history of ancient Rome, from the origins of the city in the Italian Iron Age, until the deposition of the last emperor in 476 AD. Outlining Rome's absorption of the Italian peninsula, Christopher Mackay explains how this conquest provided the Romans with the man power that allowed them to conquer the Mediterranean in a mere half-century. Mackay details how the military responsibilities of empire undermined the political institutions of the Republic and how the Imperial adoption of Christianity as the state religion, as well as the military and economic pressures of the third and fourth centuries, eventually led to the downfall of the western empire through invasion. Illustrated with the relevant art works from Rome's long history, this volume will serve as a timely and up to date overview of one of the most extraordinary civilizations of human history.

Part I. Obscure Beginnings, to 264 B.C.: 1. Foundations and kingdoms, to ca. 507 B.C.
2. Domestic history of the Early Republic, ca. 507 B.C.–ca. 287 B.C.
3. Conquest of Latium and Italy, ca. 507 B.C.–264 B.C.
Part II. Conquest of the Mediterranean, 264 B.C.–146 B.C.: 4. Struggle with Carthage, 264 B.C.–146 B.C.
5. Wars in the East, 215 B.C.–146 B.C.
6. Conquest of Spain 218 B.C.–134 B.C.
7. Effects of the conquests on Rome
Part III. Collapse of the Republic, 133 B.C.–27 B.C.: 8. Assault on the oligarchy, 133 B.C.–81 B.C.
9. Restored oligarchy, 81 B.C.–59 B.C.
10. Caesar and the end of republican government, 59 B.C.–44 B.C.
11. Conflict of the warlords, 44 B.C.–27 B.C.
12. Politics in the Late Republic
Part IV. The Principate, 27 B.C.–A.D. 235: 13. Augustus and establishment of the Principate, 31 B.C.–A.D. 14
14. Julio-Claudian Dynasty, A.D. 14–A.D. 68
15. Civil war and the Flavian Dynasty, A.D. 68–A.D. 96
16. Pinnacle of the Principate, A.D. 96–A.D. 192
17. Civil war and the Severan Dynasty, A.D. 193–A.D. 235
18. Institutions of the Principate
Part V. The Late Empire, A.D. 235–A.D. 476: 19. Military and dynastic crisis, A.D. 235–A.D. 284
20. Rise of Christianity
21. Diocletian and the restoration of imperial authority, A.D. 284–A.D. 305
22. Civil war and the triumph of Constantine and Christianity, A.D. 305–A.D. 337
23. Heyday of the Christian Empire, A.D. 337–A.D. 395
24. Demise of the Empire in the West, A.D. 395–A.D. 476
Epilogue: Survival and transformation of the Empire in the East after A.D. 476.

Subject Areas: Military history [HBW], Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA], European history [HBJD]