Aldrete, Gregory S. Daily Life in the Roman City. 2004. Reveals the significance of ordinary Roman life in the cities of Rome, its port Ostia, and Pompeii.
Campbell, Brian. War and Society in Imperial Rome, 31 B.C.–A.D. 284. 2002. Shows how Roman warfare and military life influenced and was influenced by Roman society.
Clark, Gillian. Christianity and Roman Society. 2004. Surveys the evolution of Christian life among Christians and with their pagan neighbors.
D’Ambra, Eve. Roman Women. 2006. Treats the lives of women of all social ranks.
Everitt, Anthony. Augustus: The Life of Rome’s First Emperor. 2007. A lively biography that traces Augustus’s rise to power.
Freeman, Charles. A New History of Early Christianity. 2010. A survey of the first four centuries of Christianity, written for a general audience.
Joshel, Sandra R. Slavery in the Roman World. 2010. An overview of Roman slavery, designed for students.
Knapp, Robert. Invisible Romans. 2011. A view of Roman life that focuses on ordinary men and women: soldiers, slaves, laborers, housewives, gladiators, and outlaws.
Kyle, Donald G. Sport and Spectacle in the Ancient World. 2007. Examines the nature and meaning of sports from Mesopotamia through Rome, including running races, fighting, and chariot racing.
Nutton, Vivian. Ancient Medicine. 2005. A comprehensive analysis of health and disease that examines different approaches to medicine and the role of physicians.
Potter, David, and David J. Mattingly. Life, Death, and Entertainment in the Roman Empire, 2d ed. 2010. Discusses family and gender, slavery, food, religion, and entertainment.
Roth, Jonathan P. Roman Warfare. 2010. Surveys arms, tactics, strategy, and logistics from republican to imperial times.
Woolf, Greg. Becoming Roman: The Origins of Provincial Civilization in Gaul. 2000. Examines how and why a blended culture emerged in the Roman provinces.
DOCUMENTARIES
From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians (PBS, 1998). A four-part documentary exploring the life and death of Jesus and the transformation of Christianity from a small group to an established church. With commentary by theologians, archaeologists, and historians on many key issues.
The Roman Empire in the First Century (PBS, 2001). A four-part documentary that examines the building of the Roman Empire, highlighting ordinary people as well as emperors.
Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire (History Channel, 2008). A thirteen-part documentary, with re-enactments — especially of battle scenes, power struggles, and lavish banquets — that trace Rome from the second century B.C.E. to the fifth century C.E.
FEATURE FILMS AND TELEVISION
Ben-Hur (William Wyler, 1959). The story of a fictional Jewish merchant condemned to the galleys who becomes a champion chariot racer and witnesses the crucifixion of Jesus; includes an amazing chariot-race sequence and spectacular sets.
Gladiator (Ridley Scott, 2000). The Academy Award–winning historical epic about a Roman general who becomes a gladiator and avenges the murder of his family by a power-crazy emperor.
I, Claudius (BBC, 1976). A highly acclaimed fictionalized version of the political intrigue in the first century, told from the viewpoint of the emperor Claudius; with Derek Jacobi and Patrick Stewart.
WEB SITES
Rome Reborn: A Digital Model of Ancient Rome. Three-dimensional digital models by an international team of scholars illustrating the urban development of ancient Rome; includes a fascinating video tour of the streets of Rome in 320 C.E. www.romereborn.virginia.edu/
Vindolanda Tablets Online. A highly unusual find of wooden writing tablets from the second century C.E., discovered at the Roman fortress of Vindolanda behind Hadrian’s Wall in Britain, reveals many aspects of non-elite Roman society and military life. The site includes text images, transliterated texts, English translations, and historical background. vindolanda.csad.ox.ac.uk/