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“For who is so indifferent or indolent as not to wish to know by what means the Romans succeeded in subjecting nearly the whole inhabited world to their sole government—a thing unique in history?”—Polybius, second century BCE

Ancient Rome gave rise to the Roman Empire, one of history’s greatest civilizations. It flourished for roughly five hundred years and encompassed more than twenty-five modern-day countries—including such remote (from Rome) places as Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, and England. It left an indelible mark on the world, shaping politics, laws, philosophy, and architecture, and giving us Roman numerals, the calendar, aqueducts, and concrete. Alongside the Greeks, the Romans laid the groundwork for Western civilization.

But what was Rome, and who were the Romans? From the foundation myths of a beloved city to the decline of the Roman Empire, Ross King’s vivid narrative spans more than a thousand years of Ancient Roman history—and elucidates why the Romans still matter to us today. King introduces the emperors and warriors, the madmen and upstarts, and the artists and gladiators responsible for empire’s rise, its reign—and its ruin.