In this lively and very readable history of the Roman Empire from its
establishment in 27 BC to the barbarian incursions and the fall of Rome
in AD 476, Kershaw draws on a range of evidence. He examines
extraordinary personalities such as Caligula and Nero and seismic events
such as the conquest of Britain and the establishment of a 'New Rome' at
Constantinople and the split into eastern and western empires. Along the
way we encounter gladiators and charioteers, senators and slaves,
fascinating women, bizarre sexual practices and grotesque acts of
brutality, often seen through eyes of some of the world's greatest
writers.