The Roman Empire: Second Edition

by Colin Wells

Book Overview

This sweeping history of the Roman Empire from 44 BC to AD 235 has three purposes: to describe what was happening in the central administration and in the entourage of the emperor; to indicate how life went on in Italy and the provinces, in the towns, in the countryside, and in the army camps; and to show how these two different worlds impinged on each other. Colin Wells's vivid account is now available in an up-to-date second edition.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0674777700
• ISBN13: 9780674777705
• Release Date: August 1995
• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.23 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

A Great Book For A General Overview

Beginning from the military take over of Rome by Julius Caesar, through Octavian and Trajan to the eventual end of centralized government in the 3rd and 4th centuries, this book neatly organizes the material chronologically while not losing the reader in a hodge-podge of names, places, and events. Dr. Colin Wells does a fantastic job of explaining the culture of the Roman Empire both in Italy and throughout the many provinces (most notably Africa, Egypt, Asia Minor, Germania and Britannia). A overtly general book on the period, this historical work is great for the reader that is unfamiliar with the time period and simply wants a thorough discussion on the Roman Empire that touches on all the major topics while not getting too bogged down in the nitty gritty details. Points of contention among researches are raised with Dr. Wells providing his opinion on the matters while still acknowledging the dissenting view. Finally, the book does a really good job of capturing the feel of Rome during this time. The more enjoyable parts of the book are when he explains the cultural aspects of the Roman Empire: what life was like as a plebian, the Bay of Naples as a senatorial resort for the very rich or life as a legionnaire on the banks of the Rhine or the Danube. While he does cater to a more British audience (this book was written while Dr. Wells was teaching as an adjunct professor at Cambridge) I highly recommend it as a great "starter" book for those interested in learning about the Roman Empire.

Excellent Further Reading

This is a great book on the early empire. Wells covers the time from the fall of the republic concentrating on the reign of Augustus to about the time of Commodus. He does a very good job of explaining the time of Trajan and Hadrian and how the empire was consolidated and at peace for an extended period of time. There is a good balance of the life of the Emperors, everyday life in Rome and the provinces, the army, and the senate. The best thing about this book is the 41 page further reading section. This has been my main source to reference for books on ancient Rome. It is not just an annotated bibliography; Wells has topical sections like Roman coinage, imperial cult, treason, financial administration, town planning, Jewish sources, etc. and in each section lists recommended books. There are also ten pages of maps, plates, and a useful timeline. An excellent book to get you started on reading about the early Roman Empire.

Good overview of the empire and excellent bibliography

Prof Wells does good work in giving a panoramic view of the empire from Augustus' reign and on. This does a fine job as a refresher on the Roman Empire since Wells has incorporated the most contemporary of discoveries in his latest edition. As always it never hurts to have background knowlege of the Roman Republic before reading this, but it's not essential. What is especially great about Well's "Roman Empire" is the narrative bibliography. These are unfortunately rare today in most histories. Well's bibliography alone will point readers interested in Rome in the right direction for further reading or study. Clearly written, well researched and well done.

Outstanding and complete

This is an excellent concise yet complete history of the Roman Empire from Caesar to the start of its long decline. A strength of the book is that Wells limits himself to a manageable 300 year scope. This book is very readable and excellently organized into alternating chapters of political and social history. Wells does a good job of pointing out newer scholarship and areas where there are differences of opinion - he doesn't just give you his version. He also does a good job noting his primary sources. The index is excellent there is also a very cool thematic bibliography that is very helpful to people doing research papers on this era. This book is rigorous yet readable, enjoyable yet scholarly. I would recommend it to both serious students of the Roman Empire as a handy reference book on the stuff you already know and also to any person just interested in learning about Rome as a good book to start out with.

Excellent introduction, without being superficial

This is probably the best introduction one can read about the Roman Empire, since the author not only gives the conventional information (such as the lives of the individual emperors, etc) but also provides analytical and critical comments from a broader historical perspective.