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The Roman Empire: Second Edition

In 1995, Colin Wells published the second edition of his 1984 book, The Roman Empire, with the express goals of including newer theories, updating the “Suggestions for Further Reading” section, and correcting various editorial mistakes. The purpose of the book was to provide an overview of the early to mid-Roman Empire (44 BCE-235 CE) for college-level students. The first four chapters focus on Augustus and the beginnings of the empire. Chapters five through eight look at the political and cultural changes to the empire after Augustus’s death in the 1st century CE. Chapters nine and ten focus on the 2nd century, and chapter eleven studies the empire under Commodus to Maximinus. The odd-numbered chapters advance the overarching political narrative of the empire, and the even-numbered chapters delve deeper into topics not covered in that narrative.

Wells draws out a clear narrative of the political history of the Roman Empire.

In organizing his book this way, Wells draws out a clear narrative of the political history of the Roman Empire, from how Augustus needed to find a precedent for his new powers in Republican law to Caracalla inheriting the throne solely because he was Septimius Severus’s son. The even-numbered chapters, such as chapter six on the army and the provinces, offer worthwhile insights into the culture and society of the empire that supplement the broader narrative well; their true value is in being read individually.

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