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Christopher Kelly

The Roman Empire: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) Paperback – Illustrated, 24 Aug. 2006

by Christopher Kelly (Author)

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The Roman Empire was a remarkable achievement. It had a population of sixty million people spread across lands encircling the Mediterranean and stretching from drizzle-soaked northern England to the sun-baked banks of the Euphrates in Syria, and from the Rhine to the North African coast. It was, above all else, an empire of force - employing a mixture of violence, suppression, order, and tactical use of power to develop an astonishingly uniform culture.

This Very Short Introduction covers the history of the Empire from Augustus (the first Emperor) to Marcus Aurelius, describing how the empire was formed, how it was run, its religions and its social structure. It examines how local cultures were "romanised" and how people in far away lands came to believe in the emperor as a god. The book also examines how the Roman Empire has been considered and depicted in more recent times, from the writings of Edward Gibbon, to the differing attitudes of the Victorians and recent Hollywood blockbuster films.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

ISBN-10

0192803913
ISBN-13

978-0192803917
Edition

Illustrated
Publisher

OUP Oxford
Publication date

24 Aug. 2006
Language

English
Dimensions

17.53 x 0.99 x 11.23 cm
Print length

168 pages
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From the Publisher

very short introductions, diverse topics, students, scholars, analysis, facts

Product description

Review

This mervellous little book...succeeds in sketching the remarkable way in which the Roman Empire spread across Europe... ― Barbara Finney, The Journal of Classics Teaching

"...the author has succeeded admirably. This is no cop out - themes are chosen sensibly and well presented. This book does what it says on the cover... This book is intellectual, yet accessible, well written, stimulating, original, and essential for those who wish to gain a rapid overview of the subject without getting bogged down." ― Dr Mark Merrony, Minerva

About the Author

Christopher Kelly is University Lecturer in Classics, Director of Studies in Classics, and Senior Tutor of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He regularly writes for the Times Literary Supplement, he is an editor of the Proceedings of the Cambridge Philological Society, and has contributed major chapters to the Cambridge Ancient History, The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Constantine, and to Harvard University Press' Late Antiquity: A Guide to the Postclassical World. His monograph, Ruling the Later Roman Empire was published by Harvard in 2004.

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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ OUP Oxford; Illustrated edition (24 Aug. 2006)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 168 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0192803913
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0192803917
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 17.53 x 0.99 x 11.23 cm

Best Sellers Rank: 96,050 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 43 in Classical Greek & Roman Archaeology
- 49 in Early British & Roman Britain History
- 91 in Academic Philosophy

Customer reviews:
170 ratings

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Customer reviews

5 star		64%
4 star		24%
3 star		8%
2 star		2%
1 star		2%

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Student

Not an introduction

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 June 2021

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This is not an introduction. I don’t know much about ancient history, but as I will start a history degree very soon I thought I’d give this a go. However, I couldn’t read more than about 30 pages because it just made no sense. If you don’t know anything or much about the Roman Empire this is not for you.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Patzie

Lovely little book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 June 2021

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Lovely little book, as described.

Helpful

Jon Chambers

Slim but powerful Introduction

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 January 2008

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This excellent introduction to the Roman Empire is succinct and selective rather than superficial. Its compass ranges from the iconography of the Imperial cult to contemporary perceptions of Rome in the cinema.

Far from being a conventional, political history centred on the Roman elite, Kelly is most impressive when trying to recreate the ordinary lives of the silent and all but invisible majority, who have left no historical trace and only the faintest of impressions in the archaeological record. He is especially interesting and perceptive when writing about elusive topics like population studies within the Empire. Hard evidence on such matters is, naturally, very scant. Kelly uses statistical models and contemporary demographic studies of the developing world to reach his conclusions, some of which are startling - for example, the life expectancy at birth for emperors who died from natural causes between the 1st and 7th centuries: 26.3 years (no greater, therefore, than the life expectancy of people in much poorer and less privileged social groups).

This slim volume manages to be authoritative, concise and thought-provoking. Anyone wanting to investigate further, meanwhile, can make good use of its extensive bibliography.

13 people found this helpful

Helpful

Roman empire

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 November 2006

Verified Purchase

This is a brilliant introduction to this topic. It is no way dry or dull to read and gives great insight into Roman life and how they administered their empire. It looks at symbols in Roman architecture and how they are used to increase the legend of the empire and emperor, as well as link into local tradition to prevent dissent. It also looks at local life and households, as well as Christians and their martyrdom in the Colosseum. You can find out what aspects of the empire intrigue you most before going on to the massive range of books out there that are more specific. Simply superb.

Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.

8 people found this helpful

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Katie

Short Introduction to the Roman Empire

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 April 2017

Verified Purchase

It is interesting as a basic introduction could have had more sources though I think

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 November 2017

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Great little book, pity about the microscopic print ... its a little uncomfortable to read.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 May 2013

Verified Purchase

This is a very helpful and interesting book. My only observation is that it is rather on the small side, that is, it fits well into holiday luggage! Take your reading specs!!

One person found this helpful

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Mrs KT Degroot

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 November 2015

Verified Purchase

great product well packed prompt delivery Thanks!

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