9780131100831

As the only single volume, comprehensive, thematic-chronological Roman reader available, this volume presents a selection of historical documents from the founding of Rome to its fall. It is designed to provide enthusiasts of history and civilization with a balanced selection of readings illustrating the social, cultural, political and military history of Rome. Visual Documents provide a unique view of explanatory essays. The volume examines Rome of the kings, culture of the Roman Republic, war and warfare in the Republic, society and culture in the Republic, The Roman Revolution, Augustus and the Principate, Roman peace, religion and culture in the Roman Empire, daily life in the Roman Empire and the transformed empire. For those interested in a thorough, readable look at the social and cultural history of Rome.

Preface

x

Rome of the Kings

1

(18)

The Founding of Rome

6

(2)

The Superiority of the Roman Constitution

8

(1)

Romulus

8

(1)

The Importance of Rome's Geographic Site

9

(1)

The Sabine Women

10

(1)

Romulus' Governing Strategy: The Patres and the Auspices

10

(1)

Numa Pompilius, Second King of Rome

11

(1)

Numa's Religious Reforms

12

(1)

Tullus Hostilius and Ancus Marcius

12

(1)

Tarquin the Elder

13

(1)

Servius Tullius

14

(1)

The Centuriate Assembly

14

(1)

The Balanced Constitution

15

(1)

Tarquin the Proud: The Monarchy Ends in Tyranny

16

(1)

Lucius Brutus the ``Liberator'': ``No One is a Mere Private Citizen when the Liberty of his Fellow Citizens is at Stake''

16

(3)

Political Culture of the Roman Republic

19

(30)

Order and Liberty: The Monarchy and the Republic

24

(3)

The Importance of Concord: Secession and Concession

27

(3)

Values that Made Rome Great

30

(7)

The Roman Constitution According to Polybius

37

(5)

Getting Elected

42

(4)

Techniques for Absorbing Non-Romans into the State

46

(3)

War and Warfare in the Republic

49

(27)

Roman Views of their Enemies: Celts and Samnites

54

(3)

Annoying Greeks: ``Incompetent to manage their own affairs but thinking themselves competent to dictate war and peace to others.''

57

(1)

Roman Dedication: Decius Mus at the Battle of Sentinum (295 B.C.)

58

(1)

The Roman Army in the Second Century B.C.

59

(6)

Quarreling Consuls: The Dangers of Divided Command

65

(1)

A Draftee's Viewpoint: The Speech of Spurius Ligustinus

66

(3)

Roman Militarism: The Sack of Carthage

69

(3)

The Triumphal Parade of Aemilius Paullus

72

(4)

Roman Society and Culture in the Republic

76

(26)

The Twelve Tables: Rome's First Law Code

84

(4)

Roman Religion

88

(2)

Augury in Action: The Choice of Numa

90

(1)

``Secret Rites Performed at Night'': The Bacchanalian Conspiracy

91

(3)

Patricians and Plebeians, Patrons, and Clients

94

(1)

Patria Potestas and Materna Auctoritas: The Power of Fathers and Mothers over their Children

95

(2)

Marriage: Legalities and Realities

97

(1)

``A Wife without a Dowry is Under her Husband's Thumb''

98

(1)

``Sell Worn-Out Oxen . . . Old and Sick Slaves''

99

(1)

The Economics of Farming

100

(2)

The Roman Revolution

102

(31)

A Survey of the Revolution

112

(3)

Greed Unlimited and Unrestrained Corrupted and Destroyed Everything

115

(1)

Social and Economic Conditions: The Gracchi

116

(3)

Politicians and Generals Out of Control

119

(2)

Soldiers Out of Control

121

(4)

Social and Cultural Changes: ``The Beginnings of Foreign Luxury''

125

(1)

``He Mocked All Greek Culture and Learning''

126

(1)

In Defense of Public Service

127

(1)

Cicero on the Decadence of the Roman Elite

128

(1)

Women of the Late Republic: Standing Up to the Triumvirs

129

(1)

Sempronia: A Woman of the Late Republic

130

(3)

Augustus and the Principate

133

(23)

A Contemporary's Estimate of the Young Octavius

141

(1)

The Res Gestae: What Augustus Wanted Posterity to Think of Him

141

(5)

A Senator's Estimate of Augustus

146

(2)

Reaction to Augustus' Moral Reforms

148

(1)

The Succession

149

(1)

Imperial Women

150

(3)

Augustan Literature

153

(3)

The Roman Peace

156

(31)

``Nations by the Thousands . . . Serve the Masters of the Entire World'': What Held the Roman Empire Together

166

(3)

``They Make a Desert and Call It Peace'': A View of Rome from the Provinces

169

(2)

The Alternative: ``If the Romans Are Driven out What Else Can There Be Except Wars Among All These Nations?''

171

(1)

Training Soldiers

172

(1)

Foreigners in the Roman Army

173

(1)

Making It in the Ranks

173

(1)

Making It at Rome The Career of an Emperor: Septimius Severus

174

(2)

A Celt Makes Good

176

(1)

A Roman View of Foreign Competition

176

(1)

Provincial Administration: Hands-On Style

177

(2)

How Patronage Worked

179

(1)

Slaves Running the Empire

180

(1)

Obligations of the Rich: The Philanthropy of Pliny

181

(1)

The Contributions of Freed Slaves

181

(1)

Getting Along Together: The Role of Citizenship

182

(1)

The Role of Law

183

(1)

The Law in Action

184

(3)

Religion and Culture in the Roman Empire

187

(30)

Civic Religion

193

(1)

The Ideology of Paganism

194

(1)

The Divine Emperor

195

(2)

Rural Religions and Superstitions

197

(1)

A Holy Man Stops a Plague at Ephesus

198

(1)

Jesus of Nazareth

199

(4)

Paul of Tarsus

203

(1)

Paul's View of Christian Marriage

204

(1)

Christian Practice

205

(1)

Pliny's Encounter with Christianity

206

(2)

Rabbinic Judaism

208

(2)

Judaism of the Diaspora

210

(2)

Divination, Astrology, Magic

212

(1)

Moral Behavior for the Philosophical Pagan

213

(4)

Daily Life in the Roman Empire

217

(28)

Peasant Life

224

(1)

City Life: How the Urban Lower Classes Coped

225

(3)

The Upper Classes: Technology and the Good Life

228

(2)

Leisure: Gymnasia, the Baths, the Circus, the Arena

230

(5)

Daily Life as Seen Through the Law Codes

235

(3)

Family Life

238

(7)

The Transformed Empire

245

(19)

``Now Declining into Old Age'': A Review of Roman History from a Late Empire Viewpoint

253

(1)

New Founders of Rome: Diocletian and Constantine

254

(1)

Constantine and Christianity

255

(1)

The Majesty of Emperors: Desires and Realities

256

(4)

The Emperor and the Barbarians

260

(1)

Christianity Rome and Classical Culture: A Different Vision

261

(2)

Organization and Ideology

263

(3)

Determining Church Doctrine

266

(1)

The Pagan Response

267

(5)

The Hellenization and Romanization of Christianity

272

(2)

Monasticism

274

(1)

The Fall of Rome

275

Maps and Visual Sources

The Geography of Italy

2

(23)

The Forum

25

(37)

The Roman Marching Camp

62

(8)

The Mediterranean CA. 200 B.C.

70

(33)

Roman Holdings in Italy CA. 200 B.C.

103

(19)

The Secret Ballot at Rome

122

(17)

The Augustan Peace

139

(18)

The Roman Empire

157

(39)

The Roman Temple

196

(36)

Baths

232

(32)

The Basilica

264

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The aim of this reader is to provide students of history and civilization with a balanced selection of texts illustrating the social, cultural, political, and military history of Rome from the time of the kings to late antiquity. At times the richness of the material was overwhelming, but more often than not, the accidental survival of individual sources limited choice to a handful of texts. In selecting the documents I had the help of a large number of colleagues and friends who assisted at various stages in the preparation of the book. My thanks goes in particular to Steve Chrissanthos, Kate Porteus, Lee Reams, Chris Rasmussen, Brigette Russell, and Mehmet Yavuz, all of whom either read portions of the book, contributed suggestions or both. I am especially grateful to my son Garrett who read the entire manuscript with great care and offered many keen and helpful insights. Prentice Hall reviewers contributed numerous useful suggestions: John K. Evans, University of Minnesota; Valerie French, American University; Dave Hood, California State University, Long Beach; Fred Lauritsen, Eastern Washington University and Cheryl Riggs, California State University, San Bernadino. Finally, I would like to thank Charles Cavaliere, Executive Editor at Prentice Hall, who recommended the format for this book and helped it forward at every stage. Unless otherwise noted the translations are my own. D. Brendan Nagle

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The Roman World Sources and Interpretation

The Roman World Sources and Interpretation

0131100831

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