The Reach of Rome: A Journey Through the Lands of the Ancient Empire, Following a Coin

by Alberto Angela, Gregory Conti (Translator)

Overview

In this unconventional and accessible history, Italian best-seller Alberto Angela literally follows the money to map the reach and power of the Roman Empire. To see a map of the Roman Empire at the height of its territorial expansion is to be struck by its size, stretching from Scotland to Kuwait, from the Sahara to the North Sea. What was life like in the Empire, and how were such diverse peoples and places united under one rule? The Reach of Rome explores these questions through an ingenious lens: the path of a single coin as it changes hands and traverses the vast realms of the empire in the year 115. Admired in his native Italy for his ability to bring history to life through narrative, Alberto Angela opens up the ancient world to readers who have felt intimidated by the category or put off by dry historical tomes. By focusing on aspects of daily life so often overlooked in more academic treatments, The Reach of Rome travels back in time and shows us a world that was perhaps not very different from our own. And by following the path of a coin through the streams of commerce, we can touch every corner of that world and its people, from legionnaires and senators to prostitutes and slaves. Through lively and detailed vignettes all based on archeological and historical evidence, Angela reveals the vast Roman world and its remarkable modernity, and in so doing he reinforces the relevance of the ancient world for a new generation of readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780847841288
Publisher:	Rizzoli
Publication date:	10/15/2013
Pages:	412
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Alberto Angela hosts Italy’s most popular history and science television programs. He is the author of A Day in the Life of Ancient Rome, previously translated into English.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Rome: Where It All Begins 3

London: Roman Inventions 17

Paris: When It Was Smaller than Pompeii 49

Trier: Making the Nectar of the Gods 60

Beyond the Rhine: Battling the Barbarians 79

Milan: Women's Liberation 107

Reggio Emilia: Humor, Seduction, and Adultery 138

Rimini: A Delicate Operation 150

The Tiber: Coming into Rome by Water 175

Rome: The Center of the World 184

Circus Maximus: The Secrets of Ben Hur 211

Ostia: The Real Tower of Babel 251

Spain: Rome's Gold 267

Provence: Beware of Brigands 281

Baia: Luxury and Licentiousness 298

The Mediterranean: Adventure on the Sea 315

Africa: An Empire Without Racism 324

Egypt: Tourists of the Classical World 342

India: Beyond the Borders of the Empire 361

Mesopotamia: An Encounter with Emperor Trajan 366

Ephesus: Marble for the Empire 382

Back to the Eternal City: A Journey Through Time 402

Conclusion 407

Acknowledgments 412

Editorial Reviews

Though tracing a coin is a rather unconventional way to outline the history of an empire, author Alberto Angela had good reason to do so. Admired in his native Italy for his ability to bring history to life through narrative, Alberto Angela opens up the ancient world to readers who have felt intimidated by the category or put off by dry historical tomes. By focusing on aspects of daily life so often overlooked in more academic treatments, The Reach of Rome travels back in time and shows us a world that was perhaps not very different from our own.” -Italian Tribune

"Using a coin to map the reach and power of the Roman Empire, Alberto Angela introduces readers to the ancient world, offering new insights into its people and territories, and deciphering what it really meant to live in the empire. The author examines aspects of daily life through the lens of a single coin...bringing us face-to-face with the real people of that era." -i-ItalyNY

“This lovely rendering of history is a hearty companion across the ancient empire “from Scotland to Kuwait, from Portugal to Armenia.” Our excursion follows a coin across the Empire for a few years as it passes through many hands, generating a payload of priceless information about day-to-day life in a world long gone. Be sure to join this glorious expedition by an author who shows us the money on the march!” –Celtic Connection
 

From the Publisher