Introduction to Roman History
Roman History Books for Beginners and Where to Start?
As someone who may not have the deepest knowledge of Roman history, maybe you’ve watched a few films, the odd documentary, but it has your attention and you want to learn more. Where do you start with a history that is so grand and complex?
When you think of Ancient Rome, there are so many things that will come to mind. From Julius Caesar to Marcus Aurelius, the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire, and the history is covering such a long period of time. It can be quite daunting.
I have listed three books, which is far from an exhaustive list, as a place to start. Beginning with Tom Holland’s PAX: War and Peace in Rome’s Golden Age, published in 2023. As an introduction to Roman history, this is a great place to start as it’s an easily readable and digestible book, which is ideal. Due to the simple language and well-described events, the reader will be able to properly follow the narrative and not be sidetracked by old terms or complex phrasing.
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PAX is separated into two parts: War (Part One) and Peace (Part Two). This is quite appropriate as this expresses key themes throughout Roman history and the legacy it has left. Whenever Rome is discussed, it is always either in the context of turmoil or conquest, fitting into the theme of ‘War’. On the flip side, the greatness of Rome is discussed through proper governance, advancement of society, and other matters which resemble ‘Peace’.
By reading PAX by Tom Holland, which covers the time period of ~68AD to ~138AD, you will grasp a good understanding of these two themes which live throughout the entire history of Ancient Rome, giving you foundational knowledge for future reads.
A blend of reading modern historians and the classics is a good and balanced approach, especially as a beginner. Having highlighted the modern historian Tom Holland, I now turn to a brilliant and arguably underappreciated classical author: Plutarch and his Lives. Considering the focus is on Roman History, the book I have chosen to highlight is Roman Lives (Oxford World’s Classics) which covers numerous significant figures including Julius Caesar, Pompey, Sulla, and Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus.
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Ancient Rome is decorated with great men, both good and bad, which is one of the main reasons why it has lived in our memories for many centuries after the civilisation has fallen. Plutarch performs masterful work in not only analysing the individuals’ actions but also applying a judgmental lens from a morality standpoint. Therefore, this is a subjective analysis, but I believe this should be considered a benefit. It allows the reader unique insight which a purely factual approach lacks. I would predict with great confidence that if you read Roman Lives it will not be the end of your journey with Plutarch but the beginning.
After choosing a book on the themes of Roman History (PAX, Tom Holland) and another on the great figures of this grand civilisation (Roman Lives, Plutarch), I think it makes sense to then recommend a book which covers the long history of Rome itself and a brilliant choice is Edward Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
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Since this as an Introduction to Roman History, the abridged version is the better recommendation. It is far more accessible to all readers as the full text of Gibbon’s book is a daunting task due to its sheer size. Also, if you love this then you can always read the full volumes of his work. However, the abridged version is detailed, covers a long period of history, and is full of fascinating events. It is necessary to bear in mind this book is dated but there is a romanticism in the fact that this is a book of its time and a great feat of achievement. Therefore, it should not be ignored and discarded but embraced for what it is.
A beautiful aspect of ancient history is that you will read books that were published in different time periods. Whether that be from individuals who experienced Ancient Rome firsthand like Plutarch, or revisiting this time period to take on the huge assignment of writing a history of the Roman Empire like Gibbon, or continuing the scholarly work and making these events accessible to a new audience like Tom Holland. Each author is a product of their time and insight comes with that. Rather than being rejected for one reason or another, this should be welcomed and considered a contributing factor to the production of their work.
Click here to read the article on Substack – Acta Diurna by GreatHistoricalBooks.com.