Veni, Vidi, Vici - Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Romans but Were Afraid to Ask

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The Romans left a long-lasting legacy and their influence can still be seen all around us - from our calendar and coins, to our language and laws - but how much do we really know about them? Help is at hand in the form of Veni, Vidi, Vici, which tells the remarkable, and often surprising, story of the Romans and the most enduring empire in history. Fusing a lively and entertaining narrative with rigorous scholarship, Veni, Vidi, Vici breaks down each major period into a series of concise nuggets that provide a fascinating commentary on every aspect of the Roman world - from plebs to personalities, sauces to sexuality, games to gladiators, poets to punishments, mosaics to medicine and Catullus to Christianity. Through the twists and turns of his 1250-year itinerary, Peter Jones is a friendly and clear-thinking guide. In this book he has produced a beguiling and entertaining introduction to the Romans, one that vividly brings to life the people who helped create the world we live in today.

Also by Peter Jones Vote for Caesar Classics in Translation

Published in Great Britain in 2013 by Atlantic Books, an imprint of Atlantic Books Ltd. Copyright© Peter Jones, 2013 The moral right of Peter Jones to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. Every effort has been made to trace or contact all copyright holders. The publishers will be pleased to make good any omissions or rectify any mistakes brought to their attention at the earliest opportunity. 10 9 8 7 6543 2 1 A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Hardback ISBN: 978-l-84887-903-4 Ebook ISBN: 978-l-78239-020-6 Designed by Carrdesignstudio.com Printed and bound by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY Atlantic Books An Imprint of Atlantic Books Ltd Ormond House 26--27 Boswell Street London WClN 3JZ www.atlantic-books.co. uk

COl-�TEl�TS Maps

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Introduction

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I Lost in the Myths of Time From Aeneas to Romulus, Remus and Rome

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7r3-ro9 Be Not a Roman in Sight, but Rome in Our Sights The Early Kings

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What It Meant to be Roman (I) From Rape to Conquest

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39

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What It Meant to be Roman (II) The Rise of the Republic

63

V

810-146Bc Their Finest Hour Carthaginians, Hannibal and Empire

83

VI

146-78BC

The Problem with No Solution From the Gracchi to Sulla

VII

113

81-44Bc

The End of a World Pompey and Caesar

137

VIII 44BC-AD 14 Rising from the Ashes The First Emperor - Augustus

IX

183

AD 14-96

Bedding Down Together Emperor and People

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219

AD 96-191.

Bread and Circuses Empire without End?

XI

279

AD 193-476

Germans, Huns and the Fall of the Roman West

321

J{II AD 1-430 The Growing Revolution Church and State

353

Bibliography

378

Index

382

MAPS Mi_\yian Bridge

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