The Neverending Empire: The Infinite Impact of Ancient Rome

by Aldo Cazzullo

From the international bestselling author and notable journalist Aldo Cazzullo comes a brilliantly researched and extremely accessible journey through the history and legacy of the Roman Empire.

“The only way to narrate over a thousand years of history is to understand what it has left us. To tell the reasons, the things and the stories, thanks to which Roman civilization is alive”.

From its mythical foundations and epic construction to its enduring historical and cultural impact, the ancient Roman Empire has long fascinated readers across the world. In The Neverending Empire esteemed Italian journalist Aldo Cazzullo describes an exciting new historical perspective: that the Roman Empire never fell. In fact, its influence reaches further and deeper than ever.

Beginning with the origins of Rome, and the literary myth of Aeneas and Romulus, Cazzullo takes the reader on a page-turning voyage through ancient history, bringing to life the most captivating moments and characters of a dominant Empire: the republican age, with heroic men and women willing to die for their country. The adventure of coup plotters like Catiline and revolutionaries like Spartacus, the slave who inspired rebels of every age. The extraordinary stories of Julius Caesar and Octavian Augustus, two of the greatest leaders to have lived.

Cazzullo goes on to draw fascinating parallels between the ancient and modern world, revealing how Rome lives on, across every facet of life and society. The ancient Romans have inspired poets, and artists, from Dante to Hollywood. They have dictated the rules of war, architecture, language and law. They have inspired America’s democratic influence and the digital revolution led by Mark Zuckerberg, a great admirer of Emperor Augustus: the first man to lead a multi-ethnic community of people who didn’t know each other but shared language, images and culture.

From the Napoleonic to the British regimes, the ideas and philosophies of ancient Rome have been much imitated, but never surpassed. This is the remarkable story of an enduring Empire. An Empire that never died. An Empire that lives on, forever.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published April 15, 2025

Reviews

[Larry (LPosse1) · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ — Solid, Accessible Roman History

The Never Ending Empire is a solid and approachable read for anyone looking to get a broad overview of Roman history. It felt a bit like “Roman History Light” — a greatest-hits collection that touches on many of the major events and themes without diving too deeply into any one topic.

The author, with his background in journalism, writes in a very clear and engaging style. That journalistic touch brings a fresh perspective and occasionally yields some sharp insights. You can tell he’s used to telling stories for a wide audience, which makes this book easy to follow — at least for most of it.

However, I did find myself a bit lost toward the end, when the book veered into a long discussion of film and pop culture representations of Rome. The many movie references felt a little too scattered and distracted from the overall arc of the book. Still, it’s a worthwhile read for those new to the topic or looking for a refresh on the highlights of Roman history
This book would have been awesome if it was the first Roman history book I’d ever read!

[Rob Duxbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good basic information and introduction. Do like and agree with the premise of the book.

[April · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you know nothing about Rome, this might be useful, but if you know anything at all it is mostly so much of a oversimplification that it’s downright wrong in places. (Constantine probably went into the Milvian Bridge with the Chi-Ro not the cross, but one makes a better story even if the sources don’t bear it out.) The tenses in this are also wild (maybe translated from Italian), with a lot of stuff that should not be in present tense. It’s interesting to see an Italian point of view on some things, but this is a poorly organized collection with no more research than an elementary level. If you can name 5 emperors, skip it.

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just OK. But disappointing.

[Ronja · Rating 2 out of 5]

Viel versprochen, wenig gehalten

Der Buchrücken hat sich wirklich vielversprechend angehört – doch was folgt, ist leider eine große Enttäuschung.

Drei Viertel des Buches bestehen fast ausschließlich aus einer Nacherzählung der römischen Geschichte, mit besonderem Fokus auf Cäsar und Augustus. Wer sich auch nur oberflächlich mit dem Thema beschäftigt hat, wird hier kaum Neues finden. Statt spannender Analysen oder frischer Perspektiven bekommt man eher einen Schulbuch-ähnlichen Überblick serviert.

Im letzten Viertel versucht der Autor dann krampfhaft, Verbindungen zur Gegenwart herzustellen – leider ziemlich plump. Die angeblichen „modernen Bezüge“ erschöpfen sich in Anekdoten über Asterix und Obelix oder dem Kleopatra-Film mit Liz Taylor. Das wirkt weder fundiert noch überzeugend.

Hinzu kommt der Stil: Das Buch ist alles andere als flüssig geschrieben. Ich musste mich regelrecht durchquälen – kein Lesegenuss.

Fazit: Viel Potenzial wurde hier verschenkt. Wer sich für Rom interessiert, sollte lieber zu anderer Lektüre greifen.

[William Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just completed my perusal of Aldo Cazzullo's "The Never Ending Empire: The Infinite Impact of Ancient Rome" (examined here in the form of an ARC graciously provided to me by the publisher, Harper 360). The book examines the Roman Empire through a few of its major leaders, principally in the period of transition from Republic to Empire, and through a fascinating and anecdotally rich discussion of the ways in which our perceptions of Ancient Rome might vary substantially from the reality on the ground. This is accomplished by looking at the ways in which it and our perceptions of it, flawed as they often might be, are manifested in everything from our popular culture to our technology. This discussion is the heart of the book. Framing Rome's cultural significance with reference to mythology, literature and technology goes a long way towards explaining somethings about our own society and our belief systems. Slow going at first, it quickly hits its stride as it presents an accessible survey of Roman history and culture and places those events in juxtaposition to our existing value systems. Recommended for all collections.

[Hamza Usman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my pick for my trip to Rome; I wanted to really dive into the immense history and deepen my appreciation of the historical sites I was visiting.
This book is great insofar as being concise, readable and a speed rush through the top highlights of Roman history. I wish it would linger a little longer or elaborate a bit further on some historical eras but you can’t have everything.

I also appreciated how the author consistently ties points back to the premise of Rome having never ended; the section on cinema was fun too. The language and politics discussed is, naturally, superficial but interesting.

All that said, I could barely stand the incessant bootlicking and reverence of the empire. It felt at times the atrocities simply weren’t given the requisite gravity and attention in favor of more licking.

Overall it was a bit of a trudge near the end, and I was consistently annoyed by the adulation.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book argues that the Roman Empire never truly fell, its influence permeating history and shaping modern society. The author explores Rome’s origins, key figures like Caesar and Augustus, and Rome’s enduring legacy in art, law, politics, and technology. This insightful book is full of interesting information, some of which I haven’t seen in other sources.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Gary Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book summarizing the Roman Empire and its influence on the modern world. For anyone wanting to understand the history of the Roman Empire without needing to read volumes of works this is a must read!

[Mustafa Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poorly written at times but still recommend for a quick introduction to Rome from an Italian author.

[Sean Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Τῆς δὲ ζημίας μεγίστη τὸ ὑπὸ πονηροτέρου ἄρχεσθαι ἐὰν μὴ αὐτὸς ἐθέλη ἄρχειν

[Christophe · Rating 2 out of 5]

A short, and slight, overview of the history and the lasting influence of the Roman Empire, written by a fan of Julius Caesar.

[Kevin Godoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

é bom mas atropela muito a história e as vezes a escrita é confusa… porém traz coisas muito interessantes sobre Roma

[JEAN-PHILIPPE PEROL · Rating 4 out of 5]

A l heure où la France est dirigé par un Président qui situe les racines de son histoire entre la Courlande et la Podolie, Cazzulo nous rappelle avec maitrise, humour et intelligence, que l'héritage de Rome est toujours ce qui constitue l'essence de notre langue et de notre civilisation. Tout autour de la Mediterannée, et au delà dans tout le monde occidental, il nous montre comment Rome influence encore nos artistes, nos politiques, nos religieux, nos militaires et nos rois de la tech. Et même si les imaginaires d Asterix ou de Maximus sont bien loin des réalités historiques, la ville eternelle n est en fait jamais tombée, continue à travers la deuxième et la troisième Rome, et alimente encore nos rêves.