Ancient Rome: An Introductory History

by Paul A. Zoch

The events and personalities of ancient Rome spring to life in this history, from its founding in 753 B.C. to the death of the philosopher-emperor Marcus Aurelius in A.D. 180. Paul A. Zoch presents, in contemporary language, the history of Rome and the stories of its protagonists?such as Romulus and Remus, Horatius, and Nero-which are so often omitted from more specialized studies. With an eye detail, Zoch guides his readers through the military campaigns and political developments that shaped Rome’s rise from a small Italian city to the greatest imperial power the world had ever known. We witness the long struggle against the enemy city of Carthage. We follow Caesar as he campaigns in Britain, and we observe the ebb and flow of Rome’s fortunes in the Hellenistic East. Writing with the belief that such stories contain moral lessons that are relevant today, Zoch presents a narrative that is both entertaining and informative. An afterword takes the history to the fall of the Roman Empire in the West in A.D. 476.

Genres: History, World History, Classics

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Michael F · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unexceptional but readable and informative overview of Roman history from the founding of the city to the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, with particular focus on the tumultuous declining years of the republic. Recommended as a quick introduction or refresher on this fascinating period.

[Ella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of good information, but was kind of dry.

[adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

meh..quite serviceable as an overview of the history of Rome from 753 bc - ad 476, with coverage of many of the most famous legends of early rome, a recital of the Livian propaganda on Rome's expansion into an imperial power, and a focus on the biographical anecdotes provided by Plutarch, gossip from suetonius, and farfetched tidbits related by the author(s) of the historia augusta. as such, this work is suitable for middle school students seeking an introduction to the history of rome. however, this is not a serious work of history, and even middle school students will wonder at its negligent omission neglects ofmany important aspects of ancient rome, especially the near absence of women.

[R Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little primer on Roman history and culture for the new learner.

[Ron Orr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid intro to Roman history.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the writing but the editing was poor

[Chris Shor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing.