In The Romans, Kevin M. McGeough approaches the centuries-long story of Rome thematically, exploring its geography, history, economics, social structures, material culture, and intellectual achievements. The book not only addresses such topics as historical personalities, forms of government, and religion, but also coinage, administrative organization, festivities, the art of leisure, death and burial rituals, and much more. Each chapter provides an up-to-date summary of our knowledge of Roman civilization. Here, for example, are reports on a recent discovery of a complete ship found during the construction of the Naples subway; findings from the excavations of the Temple of Castor and Pollux in Rome; the discovery of a previously unknown emperor, thanks to a beachcomber's find of a huge stash of Roman coins; and a look at the controversy over the purported Ossuary of James, which seemed at first to offer archeological confirmation of the biblical story of Jesus. In-depth, up-to-the-minute, and fully accessible, The Romans is an ideal introduction to a fascinating and complex culture.

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Kevin McGeough is Assistant Professor of Archaeology at The University of Lethbridge. He is an editor of the ABC-CLIO Encyclopedia of World History, and is series editor for The Intimate Lives of Ancient People.