Book Review: Rome Victorious: The Irresistible Rise of the Roman Empire

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by Dexter Hoyos

New York and Oxford: Bloomsbury, 2019, 2023. Pp. xvi, 256+. Illus., maps, append., notes, biblio., index. $19.95 paper. ISBN: 1780762755

The Uniquiness of Roman Imperialism

Now available in paperback. When first published as a rather pricey hardcover in 2019, our reviewer wrote that Rome Victorious, "makes an excellent case for the uniqueness of Roman imperialism." The Romans were no more – nor less – aggressive, militaristic, treacherous, and brutal than other imperial powers of their day, but they were much more successful in building a sprawling and long lived empire, largely because,

"the Empire was essentially a conglomeration of self-governing cities, all relatively lightly ruled over by most emperors . . . . and, perhaps most importantly the regular extension of Roman citizenship, from the city's earliest times, gradually turned subjects into Romans who could take their place at the head of the state."

An important work for anyone with an interest in Roman history, Rome Victorious would make a good introductory read for those unfamiliar with the subject, and might profit anyone interested in understanding the dynamics of empire.

 

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Note: Rome Victorious is also available in hardcover and e-editions.

 

StrategyPage reviews are published in cooperation with The New York Military Affairs Symposium

www.nymas.org

Reviewer: A. A. Nofi   


Buy it at Amazon.com

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