Introduction to the Romans

the long version

The Roman Empire died out nearly 1500 years ago, but unlike other civilizations in the world which are long forgotten and have passed into obscurity, a legacy of the Romans is still with us today. Their language, law, literature, customs, technology, and architectural styles have passed into our own everyday lives. As well as the "invisible" legacy, the Romans left us many buildings and monuments, some ephemeral ruins, others whole cities, which still survive right across the Empire, from Scotland to Syria. We can still wonder at Roman feats of engineering, art, and architecture, from the soaring aqueducts to the exquisitely worked jewelry. This book looks at many fascinating aspects of everyday life for the Romans two centuries ago, in towns, the countryside, and the army -- the clothes people wore, their jewelry, food, religious beliefs, the entertainment they enjoyed, and how they traveled across their vast Empire, to expand and control it. The text is beautifully illustrated with a wealth of evocative and informative pictures, which bring the exciting past alive and put it into its context. - Jacket flap.