The Roman empire during the period framed by the accession of Septimus Severus in 193 and the rise of Diocletian in 284 has conventionally been regarded as one of 'crisis'. Between 235 and 284, at least eighteen men held the throne of the empire, for an average of less than three years, a reckoning which does not take into account all the relatives and lieutenants with whom those men shared power. Compared to the century between the accession of Nerva and the death of Commodus, this appears to be a period of near unintelligibility. The middle of the century also witnessed catastrophic, if...
The Roman empire during the period framed by the accession of Septimus Severus in 193 and the rise of Diocletian in 284 has conventionally been regard...
In its first few centuries, Rome grew from a minor settlement on the Tiber River to the most powerful city-state in all of Italy. This book maps the drivers of Rome's expansion and takes stock of its successes within a highly competitive environment. It notes what the city-state owed to its neighbors and identifies the key characteristics, such as a powerful ruling elite, stable political institutions, openness to outsiders, and intense militarism, that contributed to Rome's ascendance and shaped its monarchy and republic.
In its first few centuries, Rome grew from a minor settlement on the Tiber River to the most powerful city-state in all of Italy. This book maps th...
