Examines how the Roman Empire linked Western Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa into a commercial and political unit based on their cities. Macaulay visits historical sites throughout the once great Roman Empire, and tells how the structures were built and used. In animated segments, he tells the story of the construction and conflicts of a fictional Roman City in the newly conquered territory of Gaul. Includes visits to Pompeii, Herculaneum,...

"Rome in the East provides an illustrated study of the influence of Near Eastern culture on the Roman world, which overturns received wisdom about Rome as the bastion of European culture. In this controversial and provocative study Warwick Ball presents the story of Rome in the light of Rome's fascination with the East. He explains Rome's obsession with the Eastern world as a fascination of the new world for the old, of the mundane for the exotic,...

Tells about the lives of ordinary Roman citizens and slaves. The lodgings and workshops, bars and baths of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Rome itself are explored as they follow in the footsteps of an average tradesman and his wife. Topics include hygiene, work, recreation, marriage, slavery, and the inequity between rich and poor.

"Twenty-five-hundred years ago, civilizations around the world entered a revolutionary new era that overturned old order and laid the foundation for our world today. In the face of massive social changes across three continents, radical new forms of government emerged; mighty wars were fought over trade, religion, and ideology; and new faiths were ruthlessly employed to unify vast empires. The histories of Rome and China, Greece and India--the stories...

The epic tale of the bold gladiator slave Spartacus (Douglas), the woman who believed in his cause, and the power-hungry Roman general who challenged his convictions.

This is the first book to describe the intimate relationship between Latin literature and the politics of ancient Rome. Until now, most scholars have viewed classical Latin literature as a product of aesthetic concerns. Thomas Habinek shows, however, that literature was also a cultural practice that emerged from and intervened in the political and social struggles at the heart of the Roman world. Habinek considers major works by such authors as Cato,...

Traces the story of how ancient cultures envisioned artificial life, automata, self-moving devices and human enhancements, sharing insights into how the mythologies of the past related to and shaped ancient machine innovations.