The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (C.1000-264 Bc) - Paperback

by Tim Cornell (Author)

Using the results of archaeological techniques, and examining methodological debates, Tim Cornell provides a lucid and authoritative account of the rise of Rome.

The Beginnings of Rome offers insight on major issues such as:

• Rome's relations with the Etruscans
• the conflict between patricians and plebeians
• the causes of Roman imperialism
• the growth of slave-based economy.

Answering the need for raising acute questions and providing an analysis of the many different kinds of archaeological evidence with literary sources, this is the most comprehensive study of the subject available, and is essential reading for students of Roman history.

Back Jacket

The beginnings of Rome, once thought to be lost in the mists of legend, are now being revealed by an ever-increasing body of archaeological evidence, much of it unearthed during the past twenty-five years. This new material has made it possible to trace the development of Rome from an iron-age village to a major state which eventually outstripped its competitors and became a Mediterranean power. The study of this period raises acute questions of historical method, demanding analysis of many different kinds of archaeological evidence in conjunction with literary sources. Professor Cornell uses the results of up-to-date archaeological techniques and takes current methodological debates into account. The Beginnings of Rome offers new and often controversial answers to major questions such as Rome's relations with the Etruscans, the conflict between patricians and plebeians, the causes of Roman imperialism and the growth of a slave-based economy.

Author Biography

T.J. Cornell is Professor of Ancient History at the University of Manchester.