The Oxford History Of The Roman World

Interesting and informative

Very good series- I like the way different chapters are focussed on different aspects of the history but as always some writers are better than others (others being too academic with the better ones writing simply but in good depth)

Currently reading this book and have thus far discovered a number of new historical features that I and many others wouldn't have been aware of

This is supposed to be the companion volume to Greece and the Hellenistic world, with cross-references. _____ By what quirk of editorial logic is it not also available for Kindle??? ______

new book, protected well and value compared to competitors.

Good read if your into Roman history

This book does not, as the description states "trace(s) the rise of Rome from its origins as a cluster of villages to the foundation of the Empire and its consolidation in the first two centuries CE ". It is instead a collection of essays, not exactly forming a chronological or thematic whole which discusses from various perspectives, the Roman world in that era. The essays presuppose at least some knowledge of the Roman world since references to people, places and events abound, and are far too numerous to be entered into with any specificity. It is up to the reader to have some advance understanding of the broader context into which people and events are discussed. Chapter 4, for example, looking at the decline of the Republic points to the fall of Carthage, Rome's most formidable foe as a possible cause of moral and ethical laxity. This is told in passing and only a cursory prior reference to Carthage is made, and little comment thereafter! We should know in advance that Sulley was a dictator at that time, though we are given no other clue regarding his rise nor rule. I could imagine the individual essays being used in adjunct to history classes, where appropriate, but I have a hard time placing where this text, exactly, belongs, for the average reader. I suppose for someone who knows the narrative, who's done their reading in the history, these essays could provide a bit more granularity, and do not need to be read as a whole, but rather approached chapter by chapter, as interest dictates. A look at the table of contents will help clarify what I mean. For the reader interested in a general history of Rome and the Roman world who may not have a very strong background in the subject matter, I doubt very much that this is a good place to start.

great

very philisophical nibeliy

Ce lit avec plaisir.

Too dry and academic especially on the first few chapters about Rome's beginnings and government. Written by various experts, no wonder you can't count on a consistently enjoyable elucidation of a specific topic; I skipped or didn't finish most of the chapters ('Virgil' and 'Roman Historians' are good though). Compared to 'Greece and the Hellinistic Period' (which I thoroughly enjoyed), this one is a borefest.

The Oxford History of the Roman World is, first and foremost, an excellent edition and a perfect primer for the lay-historian and undergraduate. I am not denying that fact (though in this case I wish it was possible to give this book 4 1/2 stars, but nevertheless...); what I will do now, however, is go into a bit more detail about the positives and negatives of this broad history. Being The Oxford HISTORY of the Roman World, one logically starts with the pure historiography. It is very good indeed, but, unlike the Oxford History of Greece (a superior volume), the pure history stops about mid-way through the book and is replaced with more specific chapters dealing with literature, philosophy, religion, art and architecture. All of these are fascinating, in particular literature and philosophy, but the history of the later Imperial times becomes somewhat muddled due to no chapter dedicated solely to the background of the period. This is disappointing, even more so because it certainly could have been done: the final chapter, Envoi: Taking Leave of Antiquity, is an excellent chapter on, among other things, the (very) general history of the fifth century Roman Empire (up to its collapse in 476 AD by the Goths), and the Cambridge authority who wrote it, I feel, could have easily written a larger chapter on solely the history of the Imperial period to be slotted into it's appropriate place. Unfortunately that is not the case and the volume, in this regard, is left feeling naggingly incomplete. The chapters on philosophy and literature, as I have said, are excellent (philosophy, I feel, more interesting.) Like the Greek history had its chapter dedicated to Homer, so does the Roman history have a chapter dedicated to Virgil - both are fascinating. The philosophy component is excellent, but I felt it was underrepresented in this volume. It had a large presence in the Greek edition and I found it enthralling reading. The chapters on art and architecture were interesting indeed, but there were too many and they were too lengthy. Art and architecture for the casual historian is important but perhaps too specialised a field to have such a large presence in the general history of a period. They would do better to be either cut down in length and number or saved for another, more comprehensive, volume. As they stand they are interesting; but it leaves me wondering what they left out to include these (perhaps my missing history of later Imperial Rome!) Overall, this is an excellent volume and a great primer for those wishing to understand ancient Rome from it's foundations to the collapse of the Western Empire. For all its faults I couldn't bear to give it four stars - four and a half would have been perfect but, alas, that cannot be done. So I give it five. As always, the bibliography and further reading sections are excellent, as are the maps and the overall quality of the book's construction. Enjoy (and I won't hold it against you if you skip the Art and Architecture essays!). You won't regret it.

A gift for my grandson who is just starting to study Latin . My first language other than my mother-tongue was Latin and it provided the foundation for the study of other languages, romance and others. Since I am forever grateful to my teachers for the introduction into the Roman World I wish for my grandson the same unforgettable journey .