The Roman Empire

Anno Urbis

This site is dedicated to bringing you information about the wonder that was the Roman Empire and how its legacy still shapes our history, our language, and the foundations of our society and its institutions. The Roman Empire endures!
roman empire


The City of Rome was traditionally founded in 753 B.C. by our calendar. The Romans measured their calendar from the foundation of the City, or "Anno urbis conditae". By their calendar, today is Anno Urbis ("The Year of the City") 2759.

Below you will find a number of texts and resources that will be of use to anyone interested in the Roman Empire. Currently the documents are presented in small readable segments which allow you to browse these text books online. We have also added a site wide search engine to make finding information about the Roman Empire easier. And we have introduced a forum where anyone interested in roman history or society can post ideas or ask questions. We also think that it would be interesting to have a "What if" or "Alternate History" section to discuss what might have happened if for example, Julius Caesar had heeded the warnings and escaped assassination, or if the Emperor Valens had won the battle of Adrianoples instead of the Roman Army being destroyed by the barbarian invaders. Our world would definitely be different today. This is where you can let your imagination reshape our history.

 

 

Roman Empire - Texts and Resources

  • Bulfinch's Age of Fable - an important reference work giving descriptions of Roman and Greek myths and their gods.
  • Ancient Rome - The Story of Rome's Foundation and early history, until the end of the Monarchy and establishment of the Republic.
  • The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - The Classic 6 Volume Work by Gibbon is presented in full online.
  • The Old Roman World: The Failure and Grandeur of Its Civilization - Beneath the pomp and pageantry, marble buildings and glory of empire, Rome was rotten to the core.
  • The Last of the Tribunes - A work of fiction by the author who gave us "it was a dark and stormy night ..."
  • A History of Rome During the later Republic and Early Principate - the title says it all.
  • Latin Authors - A small but growing collection of Roman authors such as Caesar, Horace and Cicero.
  • A Latin Reader - This introductory latin text introduces easy Latin phrases and passages from classical authors so you can practice your transalation skills.
  • Social Life at Rome at the Time of Cicero - A candid account of what it was like to live in Rome at its height. A treasure trove of information.
  • Roman History By Titus Livius - A classic history of Rome by one of its greatest authors. This is how the Romans saw themselves.
  • Ruins, or Meditations on the Revolutions of Empire - Not strictly just about Rome, but it has a lot to say about the fall of civilizations.
  • Roman Religion - A history of the development of Roman Religion from the earliest days Rome until the coming of Christianity.
  • The Story of Rome From the Earliest Times to the End of the Republic - How did Rome come to dominate the Italian peninsula.
  • Ancient Civilizations - The History of the Roman Empire's competitors: Greece, The Etruscans, The Parthian Empire and more ...
  • Suetonius's Lives of the Twelve Caesars - A candid biography of the twelve Caesars who shaped the fate of the Empire and the Western world we know today. Written by a contemporary.
  • Plutarch's Lives - The classic work by Plutarch, comparing the lives and characters of prominent Romans to Greek counterparts.
  • Life in the Roman World of Nero and Saint Paul
  • Julius Caesar
  • Atlas of the Roman Empire - excellent detailed maps of the principal provinces and regions of the Empire as well as neighbouring states. [New]

            More Texts About the Roman Empire ....

    • Roman Empire News


    The Afterlife

    ... the nature or substance of the soul seems neither to have been a natal day, nor to be exempt from death. Again, whether do any atoms of the soul remain in a dead body, or not? For if any remain and exist in the body, it will not be possible for the soul to be justly accounted immortal; since when she took her departure she was diminished by some lost particles. but if, when removed, she fled with all her parts so entirem that she left no atoms if her substance in the bodym whence do dead caracasses, when the viscera become putrid, send forth worms?



    Review: The Sirens of Surrentum
    Inspiring kids to read these days is no mean feat in the wake of crumbling educational systems. One is considered lucky if one's child buys into the global media hype of Harry Potter. Even luckier, supposedly, are those who start studying Elvish at the behest of Tolkien. I am not ...

    Alexander the Great by Paul Cartledge
    A review by "Ursus""The legacy of Alexander the Great should be apparent to any Romanophile. While there had been cultural diffusion occurring between East and West for some time, Alexander?s politico-military schemes radically facilitated the trend. The subsequent Greco-Oriental fusion of the Hellenistic era penetrated Rome, and through it Western ...

    Ovid - Life and Poetry
    Sometimes it seems remarkable Rome produced anything resembling high art. The proper role of an upper class male was service to the community in a legal and political capacity; those on lower rungs could content themselves with agriculture or commerce. Then of course for both sorts there was virtus; the ...

    Mercury and Hermes
    The deity Mercury had a temple on the Aventine and a festival celebrated on May 15th. Mercury, like Hermes, was the god of circulation - of people, goods and words. Under Greek influence it seems the two gods were linked early on, with the myths of Hermes being transferred to ...


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