Boatwright, Mary T., et al. The Romans: From Village to Empire, 2d ed. 2012. An excellent survey of Roman history that emphasizes everyday life as well as political developments.
Bradley, Keith R. Slavery and Rebellion in the Roman World, rev. ed. 1998. Analyzes how the hardships of slavery led to slave revolts.
Canfora, Luciano. Julius Caesar: The Life and Times of the People’s Dictator. 2007. Provides a new interpretation of Caesar that puts him fully into the context of his times.
Cornell, T. J. The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars. 1995. Extremely influential study that led to a major rethinking of early Roman history.
Eckstein, Arthur M. Mediterranean Anarchy, Interstate War, and the Rise of Rome. 2006. Places the rise of the Roman Republic in the context of the wars of contemporary Hellenistic states.
Evans, J. K. War, Women, and Children in Ancient Rome. 2000. Provides a concise survey of how war affected the home front in wartime.
Forsythe, Gary A. A Critical History of Early Rome from Prehistory to the First Punic War. 2005. Uses archaeological findings as well as written sources to examine the political, social, and religious developments of early Rome.
Haynes, Sybille. Etruscan Civilization: A Cultural History. 2005. Deals with cultural history, giving special emphasis to Etruscan women.
Holland, Tom. Rubicon, the Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic. 2003. Gives a lively account of the disintegration of the republic from the Gracchi to Caesar’s death.
Matz, David. Daily Life of the Ancient Romans. 2008. A brief but valuable account of the ordinary things in Roman life.
Miles, Richard. Carthage Must Be Destroyed: The Rise and Fall of a Civilization. 2011. A lively narrative of the rise and fall of Carthage, based on early sources and archaeological evidence.
Murell, John. Cicero and the Roman Republic. 2008. Looks at the late republic through Cicero’s life and political career.
Warrior, Valerie. Roman Religion. 2006. A relatively brief study that examines the actual practices of Roman religion in their social contexts.
DOCUMENTARIES
Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire (BBC, 2006). A six-part docudrama; each part focuses on a turning point, with one on the Gracchi and another on Julius Caesar.
Great Generals of the Ancient World: Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Julius Caesar (History Channel, 2006). Three-part set examining the military careers, battles, and personalities of the most successful generals in the ancient world.
Lost Worlds: The Etruscans (Discovery Channel, 2002). An examination of Etruscan society and culture centering on the unexpected discovery of a 2,500-year-old Etruscan ship filled with artifacts.
Secrets of Lost Empires: Roman Bath (Nova, 2000). In Turkey Nova re-creates a working Roman bath, complete with hot tubs, cold plunges, and underfloor heating, using original techniques and examining the social context of public baths.
FEATURE FILMS AND TELEVISION
Rome (HBO and BBC, 2005, 2007). British-American historical-drama television series set in the transition from republic to empire, with real historical figures and invented characters.
Spartacus (Stanley Kubrick, 1960). Oscar-winning epic tells the story of the slave revolt led by Spartacus; starring and produced by Kirk Douglas, who considered the movie in part a response to McCarthy-era blacklisting.
WEB SITES
Aquae Urbis Romae. An interactive cartographic history of Roman hydraulic systems and their impact on the urban development of Rome, including aqueducts, fountains, sewers, bridges, and conduits. www3.iath.virginia.edu/waters/
LacusCurtius: Into the Roman World. Primary and secondary resources on ancient Rome, including photographs, inscriptions, maps, and links to other Roman Web sites. penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/home.htm
Mysterious Etruscans. Informative, well-illustrated Web site with information on Etruscan language, art, religion, and lifestyle. www.mysteriousetruscans.com/