The Romans

by R.H. Barrow

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140201963
• ISBN13: 9780140201963
• Release Date: September 1975
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.
• Age Range: 14 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 9 and higher

Customer Reviews

remarkable

With an almost crafty sense of organization and a deep knowledge of historical record,Barrow compresses into this short book an understanding of Roman mores that volumes twice its' size do not achieve.At the end of this account,we are face to face with a Roman farmer as he shoulders his plow, and we know him.It's a stunning moment for the reader An extra delight is John Williams' novel "Augustus", winner of the 1973 National Book Award and recently reissued by Vantage.

A glimpse of the Roman soul ...

Why do we remember Rome?. What made it great?. R. H. Barrow answers these questions and many more in a little book of 224 pages, that somehow manages to provide the reader not only a great deal of information but also entertaining reading material. 'Romans' isn't a profound study of exactly how Romans contributed to literature, jurisprudence, architecture, or what were the characteristics of their daily life. Notwithstanding that, it allows us to learn a little bit of all that, motivating the reader to go on reading about the diverse subjects. According to Barrow, the Romans built a different kind of Empire, one inspired by a law that they created, and imposed on themselves. The author follows the process from the early days to the fall of the Empire, taking especial care to point out the clash between new and old habits, and how that made an impact on the kind of Empire Rome was. Of course, that is only part of what 'Romans' is about: it also allows you to understand what pietas, humanitas, libertas, mores, auctoritas, fides, severitas, gravitas and constantia meant for the Roman citizen, thus giving you at least a glimpse of his soul. In my opinion, this book is especially noteworthy because it aims to explain what kind of men were behind the greatness of Rome, therefore looking at the issue from the right point of view. History is made by men, and you can only understand it if you at least try to learn what motivated them at a given time. Barrow knew this, and tried to share it with us. For that, I heartily recommend this book to you :) Belen Alcat