Packed with illustrations and special features, this book distils centuries of history into a highly readable overview of Ancient Rome, enhanced with the voices of Romans in their own words. Starting with an introduction exploring the intriguing origins of the ancient Romans, the authors then look more closely at what made this civilization so unique, choosing topics such as the city, empire and citizenship, the army, trade and engineering, religious and domestic life, spectacles and entertainment.Making full use of the rich resources and images of the British Museum, the authors show how ancient Rome was able to play such a major role in the subsequent development of Western culture, through to its legacy in the modern Western world. Each chapter has its own substantial annotated bibliography in addition to a comprehensive general list of books and web resources. Further reference tools include a list of international museum collections, chronologies and a general index. This book will appeal to a wide range of general readers, museum visitors, undergraduate students and life-long learners.