The Rise of Rome

De: The Great Courses, Gregory S. Aldrete

Narrado por: Gregory S. Aldrete

The Roman Republic is one of the most breathtaking civilizations in world history. Between roughly 500 BCE to the turn of the millennium, a modest city-state developed an innovative system of government and expanded into far-flung territories across Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East. This powerful civilization inspired America's founding fathers, gifted us a blueprint for amazing engineering innovations, left a vital trove of myths, and has inspired the human imagination for 2,000 years.

How did Rome become so powerful? This mystery has vexed historians from the ancient Greek writer Polybius to 21st century scholars. Today, removed as we are from the Roman Republic, historians also wonder what it was like to be a Roman citizen in that amazing era. Beyond the familiar names of Romulus, Caesar, Octavian, Brutus, and Mark Antony, what was life like for the ordinary people? And what did the conquered peoples think of this world power?

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2018 The Teaching Company, LLC; 2018 The Great Courses

Another series of awesome lectures

10/10 Would listen again. I’ve started to listen to Great Courses while at work, and it’s reignited my passion for history. I will continue to listen voraciously for as long as I can find new material.

Excellent story teller

Nothing compares to the history of ancient Rome, especially the Punic wars. Could’ve been slightly more detailed for my personal taste, but this is still valuable for all ranges of students.

great survey with some thought thrown in

Gibbon considered the decline of the empire. this course wonders what made the Republic fall. The framing in the work of Polybius is a great idea, but ultimately the conceptual material kind of burns up on reenetry and we get the soggy hope that maybe the Roman's doom can instruct us... still worthwhile.

Delightfully clear presentation and analysis

This course is extremely clear and well-presented. The professor gives the perfect level of appropriate detail so you really get to understand the details without being lost in irrelevant facts. He evens says words to the effect 'the specifics are not important but here are the salient points' and then gives a superb overview of what happened.

Having just given up on the course about The Peloponnesian War, which completely loses the listener in irrelevant details, this course on Rome provides an outstanding example of how much detail is just right.

His analysis is also very clearly presented and adds immensely to the overall understanding.

This course goes from Rome's earliest beginning/legends to the Fall of the Republic, with a thorough analysis of its causes.

I shall be looking for more courses from this Professor.

Good overview of the rise of the Roman Republic

This was something I could listen to in small bits over time. It was something I could put down and return to it later and be okay with. It was useful learning about how the Romans became Romans. It is a prequel to the Roman Empire.