The transformation of Rome from a small central Italian city-state into the sole Mediterranean superpower has long proved fascinating and controversial. At its height the Roman Empire extended from Britain in the North to Libya in the South and from Spain in the West to Syria in the East. It has impressed not only by its extent but also by its longevity.
Andrew Erskine examines the course and nature of Roman expansion, focusing on explanations, ancient and modern, the impact of Roman rule on the subject and the effect of empire on the imperial power. All these topics have created a...

The transformation of Rome from a small central Italian city-state into the sole Mediterranean superpower has long proved fascinating and controversial. At its height the Roman Empire extended from Britain in the North to Libya in the South and from Spain in the West to Syria in the East. It has impressed not only by its extent but also by its longevity.
Andrew Erskine examines the course and nature of Roman expansion, focusing on explanations, ancient and modern, the impact of Roman rule on the subject and the effect of empire on the imperial power. All these topics have created a...