M. is not new to textbook writing, having produced a textbook for Greek history (Ancient Greece, 2nd ed. 2013), but one does not usually think of him as a Roman historian. A textbook project in a field with which one is not usually associated may daunt some but that should not disqualify him from tackling the goal of a Roman history textbook since he has been teaching Roman history courses for decades. His textbook is written in an affable style that students of any background will find approachable. That on top of its entirely affordable price makes the book a success.
The book is organised along predictable chronological lines, except the first two chapters. M. explains in the introduction that he tends in his classes to rely on having his students read sources so the book is written with an eye towards augmenting rather than replacing the ancient texts, thus he admits some topics will be delved more deeply into than others. The introduction also lays out the chronological path, an overview of Roman history and the background for who the Romans were. M. then picks up Chapter 1 with a discussion of Roman values, family and religion. It is a good way to start since the way the rest of the book is organised it would have left no room for discussing these topics, which he does most ably. The reader gets a good sense of these fundamental components of Roman culture without getting lost in minutiae.
The rest of the book follows the chronological passage of Roman history. Chapter 3 covers from the founding of the city to the founding of the Republic, including the constitution. M. uses the legends of Rome to highlight what these tales provided for the Romans and what they tell us about them. M. then moves on to the period from 500 down to 130 b.c., smiting an immense swathe of wars and imperialism in a mere 20 pages. Such a pace is swift indeed, but is possible when analysis of the causes and results is limited or omitted entirely. Readers will get exposure to those discussions when they read the ancient texts such as Polybius or Livy – M. provides the background or framework on which to hang the sources. Despite all this external conflict, the chapter also covers the internal ramifications of such expansion and the resulting Gracchan reforms. The period down to the assassination of Caesar takes a mere 20 more pages in Chapter 5. The number of personalities covered increases and M. spends more narrative time in Rome. As an overview this chapter works, and like the previous chapter leaves room for analysis and discussion in class.
The imperial period begins in Chapter 6 as Augustus has a chapter all to himself. The second triumvirate merits one page and then the rest of this chapter is devoted to discussing the reforms and how Augustus attended to the needs of Rome, and a brief excursus on art and literature. The next chapter covers to the end of the pax Romana. M. gives attention to every individual emperor, but does so in the context of how they maintained or detracted from stability and the practices of predecessors. He does give limited closer attention to the finances and the changes of the pax Romana. The following chapter adds Christianity to the mix, covering its origins and placing it in religious and historical context before closing with a couple of pages devoted to the changes in the third century.
The final two chapters treat Late Antiquity. Chapter 9 ushers the reader swiftly along from Diocletian to the early-fifth century. In the longest and most detailed treatment of culture since Chapter 2, M. provides another extensive discussion of Christianity and how it evolved in this period, ending with monasticism. The final chapter discusses the fate of the later empire from the late-fourth century to Justinian's reign. As with other chapters, the narrative format follows a chronological sequence that is standard by now for this period, including invasions, sacks, division and the continuation of a Roman empire centred on Constantinople.
The ancillary elements of the textbook are useful. There are 30 black-and-white images illustrating a variety of individuals and cultural values. Each chapter includes a clear timeline. The thirteen maps are clear and traditional, but unfortunately lack topographic indications other than rivers and do not reflect recent work on ancient coastlines. A list of suggested readings follows the final chapter. This list has the benefit of including ancient sources and compilations as well as secondary works. The variety of such readings leaves it open to teachers to choose the sort of compilation they wish.
Every textbook has its strengths and weaknesses. The strengths of this book are its style, clarity and price. M.'s writing style carries the reader along and invites further exploration. The chapters are clear and well arranged internally to get the significant points across. He never intended to cover Roman history in detailed depth. M. stated in the introduction his intention to provide an overview that invited readers to explore the primary sources and particular topics that interested them. The book is intended to be supplemented by outside readings; the price is extremely low permitting one to assign a large source compilation as a supplement and still keep the total price down. One can complain that there is not more analysis or more attention to material culture, but this book is not that kind of textbook. If that is the book you seek then you will have to find a different volume. If, on the contrary, you seek a well-written, clear history of ancient Rome that will encourage or require a reader to do extra reading to tackle the historical debates and ancient views, then it is a good choice.
