Roman Civilization: Selected Readings: The Republic & the Augustan Age, Vol 1

by Naphtali Lewis (Editor), Meyer Reinhold (Editor)

Naphtali Lewis and Meyer Reinhold's "Roman Civilization" is a classic. Originally published by Columbia University Press in 1955, the authors have undertaken another revision which takes into account recent work in the field. These volumes consist of selected primary documents from ancient Rome, covering a range of over 1,000 years of Roman culture, from the foundation of the city to its sacking by the Goths.

The selections cover a broad spectrum of Roman civilization, including literature, philosophy, religion, education, politics, military affairs, and economics. These English translations of literary, inscriptional, and papyrological sources, many of which are available nowhere else, create a mosaic of the brilliance, the beauty, and the power of Rome.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Roman History, Reference, Ancient History, Textbooks

674 pages, Paperback

First published December 15, 1989

Reviews

[postmodern putin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A superb collection of primary source literature offering readers a firsthand encounter with the major events of the Roman world up to the death of Augustus — through the words of the men who witnessed, shaped, and endured them. Particularly valuable are the epigraphic fragments recovered by modern excavators, documents rarely assembled in a single volume, which give the collection a depth no single text alone could achieve. What Lewis and Reinhold bring most to the table is their range: drawing from multiple perspectives across the historical timeline, they illuminate the administrative, domestic, provincial, and political dimensions of Roman life in considerable detail. If the volume has a shortcoming, it is the sparse treatment of military history — the behind-the-scenes politics receive far more attention than the battles and campaigns that shaped them. A minor complaint against an otherwise indispensable work. Essential reading for anyone serious about the Roman world.

[Julia Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

a textbook type book. collection of a bunch of primary sources. often too long just give me a good summary

[hannah rosenman · Rating 4 out of 5]

some light reading 🥳

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

good source documents

[Hildegart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a treasure trove of primary sources from the Roman Republic!! I will pick up this book and start reading it just to read it and see what thoughts were back then.

[Vasile]

Great!

[Annabelle]

This was for schooool. (why did I rate this? who knows anymore) *for school