Synopses & Reviews
Neil Faulkner's dynamic and provocative new history proves that there is a fresh, exciting new perspective to be found
Compelling.History Today
A thrilling and often coruscating fusion of narrative with scholarship. The Romans have rarely before seemed quite so terrifying.
Tom Holland, author of Rubicon: the Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic (2004)
This unashamedly partisan book is a must for anyone who wants to be challenged and outraged by our familiar image of Rome's contribution to world history.
Guy de la Bédoyère, co-presenter of Channel 4s Time Team
The Roman Empire is widely admired as a model of civilisation. In this compelling new study, Neil Faulkner argues that it was, on the contrary, a ruthless system of robbery and violence. War was used to enrich the state, the imperial ruling classes and favoured client groups. In the process millions of people were killed or enslaved.
Within the empire, the state and the landowning elite creamed off taxes and rents from the countryside to fund their army, their towns, and their villas. The mass of people slaves, serfs, poor peasants were the victims of the exploitation that made the empire possible. This system, riddled with tension and latent conflict, contained the seeds of its own eventual collapse from the outset.
Neil Faulkner works as a freelance lecturer, editor, writer, excavator and occasional broadcaster. His previous books include The Decline and Fall of Roman Britain (2004); Apocalypse: The Great Jewish Revolt against Rome, AD 66-73 (2002); and Hidden Treasure: Digging up Britains Past (written to accompany the BBC archaeology series in 2003).
Synopsis
A major new single volume history of the greatest empire of antiquity, which challenges the orthodox view that Rome was a bringer of civilisation.
This controversial book presents Rome as an exploitative, violent and unstable system
It tells how Rome's search for plunder to feed itself led eventually to a self-destructive process that ate away at the system's socio-economic foundations
Covers the rise and fall in one comprehensive volume
The Roman Empire is widely admired as a model of civilisation. In this compelling new study Neil Faulkner argues that in fact, it was nothing more than a ruthless system of robbery and violence. War was used to enrich the state, the imperial ruling classes and favoured client groups. In the process millions of people were killed or enslaved.
Within the empire the landowning elite creamed off the wealth of the countryside to pay taxes to the state and fund the towns and villas where they lived. The masses of people - slaves, serfs and poor peasants - were victims of a grand exploitation that made the empire possible. This system, riddled with tension and latent conflict, contained the seeds of its own eventual collapse.
Archaeologist and historian Neil Faulkner works as a lecturer, writer, editor and professional broadcaster. He has worked as excavation director for Time Team and is an Honorary Lecturer at the Institute of Archaeology at the University College of London.
His previous books include The Decline and Fall of Roman Britain(2004) and Apocalypse: the Great Jewish Revolt against Rome, AD66-73(2004) and Hidden Treasures, which accompanies the BBC series.
Synopsis
The Roman Empire is widely admired as a model of civilisation. In this compelling new study Neil Faulkner argues that in fact, it was nothing more than a ruthless system of robbery and violence. War was used to enrich the state, the imperial ruling classes and favoured client groups. In the process millions of people were killed or enslaved.
Within the empire the landowning elite creamed off the wealth of the countryside to pay taxes to the state and fund the towns and villas where they lived. The masses of people slaves, serfs and poor peasants were victims of a grand exploitation that made the empire possible. This system, riddled with tension and latent conflict, contained the seeds of its own eventual collapse.
Synopsis
A major new single volume history of the greatest empire of antiquity, which challenges the orthodox view that Rome was a bringer of civilisation.
This controversial book presents Rome as an exploitative, violent and unstable system
It tells how Rome's search for plunder to feed itself led eventually to a self-destructive process that ate away at the system's socio-economic foundations
Covers the rise and fall in one comprehensive volume
Synopsis
A thrilling and often corruscating fusion of narrative with scholarship. The Romans have rarely before seemed quite so terrifying.Tom Holland, author of Rubicon: th
e Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic (2004).
In this dramatically provocative new account the Roman Empire is a bloodthirsty capitalist superstate whose plutocratic stakeholders bled dry untold millions of slaves and serfs, and ethnically cleansed millions more, only to implode exhausted by its merciless policy of ruthless expansionism. Dr Faulkner, for whom Augustus was 'a truly disgusting man', never sits on the fence - this unashamedly partisan book is a must for anyone who wants to be challenged and outraged by our familiar image of Rome's contribution to world history.Guy de la Bédoyère, co-presenter of Channel 4s Time Team.
The Roman Empireis widely admired as a model of civilisation. In this compelling new study Neil Faulkner argues that in fact it was a ruthless system of robbery and violence. War was used to enrich the state, the imperial ruling classes and favoured client groups. In the process millions of people were killed or enslaved.
About the Author
Archaeologist and historian Neil Faulkner works as a lecturer, writer, editor and professional broadcaster. He has worked as excavation director for Time Team and is an Honorary Lecturer at the Institute of Archaeology at the University College of London.
His previous books include The Decline and Fall of Roman Britain(2004) and Apocalypse: the Great Jewish Revolt against Rome, AD66-73(2004) and Hidden Treasures, which accompanies the BBC series.
Table of Contents
List of maps and plates
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Note on ancient monetary values
Maps
Prologue
1. The making of an imperial city-state, c 750-367 BC
2. The rise of a superpower, 343-146 BC
3. The Roman revolution, 133-30 BC
4. The Pax Romana, 30 BC-AD161
5. The decline and fall of the Western Roman Empire
Timeline
References
Bibliographical notes
Index and glossary