Description: The Cambridge Companion to the Roman Republic examines all aspects of Roman history and civilization from 509 to 49 B.C. The key development of the republican period was Rome's rise from a small city to a wealthy metropolis, which served as the international capital of an extensive Mediterranean empire. These centuries produced a classic republican political culture, closely associated with the growth of a world empire. They also witnessed the slow disintegration of republican government under the relentless and combined pressure of external commitments, growing internal dissension, and the boundless ambition of successful military leaders. In the second edition of this Companion volume, distinguished European, Canadian, and American scholars present a variety of lively current approaches to understanding the political, military, and social aspects of Roman history, as well as its literary and visual culture. The second edition includes a new introduction, three new chapters on population, slavery, and the rise of empire, and updated bibliographies and maps.
Brief description: Harriet I. Flower is Professor of Classics at Princeton University. The author of Ancestor Masks and Aristocratic Power in Roman Culture, The Art of Forgetting: Disgrace and Oblivion in Roman Political Culture, and Roman Republics, she has written on aspects of Roman history and drama, as well as Latin epigraphy.
Review Quotes: Praise for the first edition:
"This ... is a helpful textbook for students, providing a general survey of, and clear introduction to, many of the central issues of this period. I feel sure that many students and their teachers will find individual chapters in this volume a good starting point for the study of specific topics."
Scripta Classica Israelica