Reading list for Roman history

From NovaRoma

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1 A course in Roman history
2 General
3 Early Rome
4 Roman Life and Society
5 Intellectual History
6 Rome and the Provinces
7 Reference
8 Primary Sources
- 8.1 Titus Livius

[edit] A course in Roman history

This section is based on MIT's OpenCourseWare "The Ancient World: Rome, Spring 2005".

[edit] Textbook

The Romans: from village to empire

Boatwright, M.T., et al.. (2004). New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195118758

A very readable undergraduate text with up to date scholarship. Contributed by Agricola

[edit] Recommended Texts

The Golden Ass

Apuleius. (1999). Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0192838881

Translated with introduction and notes by P. G. Walsh.

The Rise of Rome: Books 1-5

Livy. (1999). Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0192822969

Translated with introduction and notes by T. J. Luce.

Roman Lives

Plutarch. (1999). Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 019282502X

Translated by Robin Waterfield with introduction and notes by Philip A. Stadter.

Lives of the Caesars

Suetonius. (2000). Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0192832719

Translated with introduction and notes by Catharine Edwards.

The Annals of Imperial Rome

Tacitus. (1996). London: Penguin Books. ISBN 0140440607

Translated with introduction by Michael Grant

[edit] Additional Readings

Roman Civilization. 3rd ed. Vol. 1

Lewis, Naphtali, and Meyer Reinhold, eds.. (1990). New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0231071302

Paperback

Roman Civilization. 3rd ed. Vol. II

Lewis, Naphtali, and Meyer Reinhold, eds.. (1990). New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0231071329

Paperback

Histories, Book 6

Polybius. (1922). Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.

Translated by W. R. Paton.

As the Romans Did: A Sourcebook in Roman Social History 2nd ed.

Shelton, Jo-Ann, ed.. (1997). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 019508974X

Letters (selections)

Cicero. (1909). New York: P. F. Collier and Son.

Translated by Evelyn Shuckburgh.

Res Gestae Divi Augusti: The Achievements of the Divine Augustus

Augustus. (1967). London: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0198317727

With introduction and commentary by P. A. Brunt, and J. M. Moore. (Read a version of this text online.)

Apocolocyntosis

Seneca. (1984). Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521288363

Eden, P. T., ed.

"Taxes and Trade in the Roman Empire (200 BC - AD 400)."

Hopkins, Keith. (n.d.) Journal of Roman Studies 70 (1980): 101-125..

Letters of the Younger Pliny

Pliny, the Younger, Betty Radice (Translator). (1963). New York: Penguin Classics. ISBN 0140441271

Reissue edition.

Letters of the Younger Pliny

Pliny, the Younger. (n.d.)

edited by Heinrich Keil, translated by John Benjamin Firth. Download this text from Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/3234

[edit] General

The Oxford History of the Roman World

J. Boardman, J. Griffin, O. Murray. (2001). ISBN 0192802038

Paperback

[edit] Early Rome

Etruscan Life and Afterlife : A Handbook of Etruscan Studies

Larissa Bonfante (Editor). (1987). ISBN 0814318134

While it doesn't specifically deal with Classical Rome, the Etruscans were important contributors to the Roman conception of death, religion, and the afterlife. An important foundational work.

International Law in Archaic Rome: War and Religion

Alan Watson. (1993). ISBN 0801845068

This excellent resource is essentially about the Fetiales, the priests whose duties included the maintenance of international relations; treaties, declarations of war, etc. A must-read for anyone aspiring to become a member of the Fetiales. (FVG)

The Classical Foundations of Modern Historiography

Arnaldo D. Momigliano, Riccardo Di Donato. (1992). ISBN 0520078705

Sather Classical Lectures, No 54

The Foundation of Rome: Myth and History

Alexandre Grandazzi, Jane Marie Todd. (1997). Cornell University Press. ISBN 080143114X

"The Foundation of Rome is one of the few intelligent books on the subject, neither hypercritical nor visionary; its particular strength lies in the skillful interweaving of modern historiography and ideology with ancient history."--Jerzy Linderski, University of North Carolina

History of Earliest Italy

Massimo Pallotino, Martin Ryle, Kate Soper. (1991). University of Michigan. ISBN 0472100971

Jerome Lectures 17th

The Beginnings of Rome

T. J. Cornell. (1995). Routledge. ISBN 0415015960

This beautifully written study is the most comprehensive study of Rome from 753 BC to 264 BC. It is an important synthesis of the many developments in research over the last couple of decades. It adheres closely to the available sources, dealing with economic, social, literary and religious history, as well as telling the story of internal politics and foreign policy. A major student text.

[edit] Roman Life and Society

Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome

Lesley and Roy Adkins. (Updated edition March 2004). ISBN 0816050260

Hard Cover. An invaluable guide to daily life in Rome, from the earliest days of the Regal era to the 6th century. See also the Dictionary of Roman Religion by the same authors. Also available in paperback: ISBN 0195123328.

[edit] Intellectual History

Intellectual Life in the Roman Republic

Elizabeth Rawson. (1984). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 0801828996

Emotion, restraint, and community in ancient Rome

Robert A. Kaster. (2005). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195140788

[edit] Rome and the Provinces

War, women, and druids : eyewitness reports and early accounts of the ancient Celts

Philip Freeman. (2002). University of Texas. ISBN 0292725450

Rome in the East : the transformation of an empire

Warwick Ball. (2000). Routledge. ISBN 0415113768

great on archeology & religion

[edit] Reference

A Dictionary of the Roman Empire

M. Bunson. (1995). ISBN 0195102339

Paperback. Provides a good overview of many topics, and has in-depth articles on some others. A good place to begin researches on specific topics, with bibliographical source information included. (FVG)

The Oxford Classical Dictionary

A. Spawforth (Ed.). (2003). ISBN 0198606419

(3rd ed. revised S. Hornblower (Ed.), Hardcover. The standard reference work on the entire classical world.

The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Rome

Christopher Scarre, Chris Scarre. (1995). Penguin. ISBN 0140513299

The Penguin Historical Atlas series is famous for being clear and concise, and the Ancient Rome volume is no exception. Don't expect too much in-depth analysis, but the plethora of illustrations and maps make it a worthy addition to any Roman library. (FVG)