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The Roman Empire: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions) Paperback – Illustrated, 24 Aug. 2006
Christopher Kelly (Author) See search results for this author |
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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-100192803913
- ISBN-13978-0192803917
- EditionIllustrated
- PublisherOUP Oxford
- Publication date24 Aug. 2006
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions17.53 x 0.99 x 11.23 cm
- Print length168 pages
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"...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
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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)
- Customer reviews:
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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.
Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.