This brilliant text covers the broad span of the influence of the Roman Empire beginning from a small settlement and leading to its greatest extent. When at its height, Rome's influence extended from the Scottish border in the north, to Syria in the east, Spain in the west, and North Africa in the south. This book covers the key cultural, political, and military events that shaped the development of the Roman world and which led to its rise as the dominant power of the Mediterranean world. The rich photography, well organised maps, and visually appealing textual layout make this work attractive, approachable, and useful. This work not only tells the stories of famous generals, emperors, and kings, but also of the common person, the enslaved and the marginalised. These stories are brought to life through illustrations, maps, artifacts, and eyewitness accounts. The broad scope of the text – from art, history, military conquests, architecture, and engineering feats all spanning more than a millennium – serves as a wonderful introduction and overview for anyone interested in Rome and its influence. This text could serve as a nice overview for introducing students to individual episodes or topics of Roman history or culture, particularly as a supplement in introductory Latin courses.