The Roman civilization is probably the single most important civilization in the history of the planet. Its expansion defined Europe. Its constitution shaped societies from Russia in the east to the United States and Latin America in the west. Not even its conquerors were immune to the superior Roman culture.

In this new captivating history book, you'll learn all you need to know about Roman institutions and politics. But our focus will be on the captivating stories and curious personalities of the Roman emperors, politicians, and generals-from Romulus, Caesar, Augustus, Trajan, and Hadrian, to Constantine, Justinian, and Belisarius.

Equally important (and perhaps even more interesting) are the stories of influential women-mothers, wives, and lovers, from Cleopatra and Agrippina, to Theodora and Zoe with the Coal-Black Eyes-whose schemes often redirected the course of history.

Topics covered in Ancient Rome: A Captivating Introduction to the Roman Republic, The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, and The Byzantine Empire include:

• The Seven Kings of Seven Hills: the Foundation of Rome and Its First Rulers
• The Early Republic
• The Punic Wars and Mediterranean Dominance: The Middle Republic
• Decay, Corruption, and Civil Wars: The Late Republic
• Gaius Julius Caesar, Crossing the Rubicon, and Death that Shook the City
• The Rise of First Roman Emperor
• Early Roman Empire: Princeps Augustus and Julio-Claudian Dynasty
• The Flavian Dynasty
• The Nerva-Antonine Dynasty
• Late Empire
• The Empire of Constantine
• Constantinian Dynasty
• Decline and Fall of the Western Roman Empire
• The Byzantine Millennium
• And much, much more!