The Ancient Romans

by Chester G. Starr

Book Overview

A companion to The Ancient Greeks, this text focuses on the principal Roman historical figures and their epochs--from Hannibal and Julius Caesar to Saint Augustine--and discusses the significance of the Roman people's development in Western history. The Greek and Etruscan heritage of the Romans, Roman art, architecture and engineering, and the development of politics and law are also discussed. The volume is also enhanced by readings and quotations...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0195014545
• ISBN13: 9780195014549
• Release Date: November 1971
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 1.12 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 8.9" x 5.9"

Customer Reviews

Enjoyed

As this was the text book for a classical civilization course I took, I found that this book was pleasantly readable, unlike most college texts. It was detailed enough so that it almost read like a novel at times, yet covered over 1000 years in the history of Rome so that it served as a good knowledge base. In addition, I enjoyed the fact that it took the knowledge one step further and analyzed WHY certain events occured (eg. the fall of the Western Roman Empire and why the East survived). I find many history texts that simply focus on WHAT occured and don't get into more detail. I liked how Starr divided Roman History into four units, with each section revolving around a central and important figure in Roman history (Hannibal,Caesar,Hadrian,St. Augustine). I found the "Roman Life" sections after each Unit to be a little bland at times, but the sections that were good were well written to hold my interest. I am very intrigued with ancient Roman history, and I found this text to be a worthwhile book, for academics or leisure.