The Beginnings of Rome: Italy and Rome from the Bronze Age to the Punic Wars (Routledge History of the Ancient World)

The beginnings of Rome are now being revealed by an ever-increasing body of archaeological evidence, much of it unearthed since the 1970s. This new material has made it possible to trace the development of Rome from its beginnings as an Iron Age village to the major state which became a Mediterranean power. This work uses the results of up-to-date archaeological techniques as well as taking current methodological debates into account. Covering the years 753 BC to 264 BC, it offers new perspectives on 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.