Suggested Reading and Media Resources

• 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, including the social and family lives of slaves, 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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/