The Old Roman World : the Grandeur and Failure of Its Civilization.

A comprehensive survey recounts Rome's rise through conquest and military organization, describing major campaigns, rival wars, and civil struggles that transformed political power. It outlines the empire's material magnificence — cities, monumental architecture, roads, aqueducts, commerce, agriculture, and population — and offers a guided account of public and private urban life. Separate chapters examine artistic production and Greek influences, the evolution of republican institutions into imperial rule, and the development of jurisprudence and legal practice. The account connects administrative and military strengths with growing social tensions and constitutional breakdowns to explain how great achievements coexisted with forces leading to decline.