World Champion: Roman Empire

Author: Time-Life Books
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: World Dominator (Roman Empire, 100 BC-200 AD) is published and distributed by Shandong Fine Arts Press and China Architecture & Building Press. In World Dominator·Roman Empire City Prefect, a city prefect was murdered by one of his slaves, so now a group of furious mobs are staging a protest outside the Roman Senate. They are demanding justice, not for the victim or the murderer, but for the rest of the prefect's slaves. According to Roman law, these slaves were considered equally guilty as the murderer, so each of them faced the death penalty. There were approximately 400 men, women, and children. The idea of executing hundreds of innocent people provoked outrage among many Romans, so they gathered outside the Senate to demand clemency for these individuals, as the Senate was then discussing the case. Some senators agreed with the protesters' demands; perhaps, they thought, in such a situation, the law could show mercy and compassion. However, Gaius Cassius Longinus, a senator, strongly opposed this. "If everyone agrees, then let us spare them punishment," he said, "But on the other hand, if the death of the city prefect is insignificant, then who is considered important enough to be spared?" He was well aware that many senators owned large numbers of slaves as their attendants, and he spoke to address their concerns, strongly advocating for the death penalty as a harsh warning to slaves everywhere. "The only way to crush these scoundrels is through suppression," he insisted. Hearing this ominous warning, the senators, still ringing with the roar of the angry crowd, began to vote on the matter of life and death. World Dominator·Roman Empire is one of the titles in Time-Life Books' series Living in Distant Times, a world history series for you. This volume tells the story of these 400 slaves and their fate, as well as other true and moving stories about the people of the Roman Empire, focusing on the daily lives of ancient Romans and the military campaigns and political intrigues that formed one of history's greatest empires. The historical facts about emperors, slaves, craftsmen, legionary soldiers, gladiators, and poets in the book are based on court records, letters, literary works, tombstones, and other historical sources. The characters include: Senator Marcus Junius Brutus, who was involved in a conspiracy to assassinate Julius Caesar; the wet nurse Sarao, who, for mysterious reasons, seized the young boy she was caring for; the legionary Pasenius, who incited a mutiny among his soldiers to improve their living conditions; and Emperor Nero, who aimed to prove himself as a great charioteer, gladiator, and actor. World Dominator (Roman Empire, 100 BC-200 AD) explores the bustling streets of Rome, the luxurious villas in the countryside, the orderly legionary camps, and the thrilling arenas. Contemporary paintings, mosaics, and sculptures vividly depict these places and inhabitants of ancient Rome: street vendors use a pair of monkeys to attract customers to their stalls; legionary soldiers are hastily constructing an earthen fortress; charioteers race along the circus at full speed, etc. Objects such as excommunication plates, a set of gaming bones, and a loaf of bread produced in Pompeii will delight the reader. To compile this series, the colleagues at Time-Life Books have thoroughly studied the collections of scholars, travelers, museums, and universities. They have not only provided each World Dominator (Roman Empire, 100 BC-200 AD) with rich illustrations of artworks and handicrafts to vividly recreate the lost way of life but also drawn various maps, reconstructions of cities and buildings, to recreate the entire world in which the stories take place. The opening overview is an in-depth historical essay, accompanied by a timeline, giving you a clear picture of the era in question. The narrative is engaging and unconventional. Every detail, every image, every anecdote, and every historical fact will refresh your perspective—allowing you to experience what life was like in that distant time. According to legend, the twin brothers Romulus and Remus were left exposed on the Tiber River at birth, left to fend for themselves, but were saved by a she-wolf and suckled by her milk. When they grew up, they decided to build a city where the wolf had saved them. However, they argued over who had the right to govern and name the city. Romulus stood on the Palatine Hill, while Remus stood on the Aventine Hill. Both brothers sought divine approval. In the end, the twin brothers fought each other to the death. Romulus emerged victorious and sacrificed his brother's blood to Rome. As this story suggests, ambitious Roman rulers, willing to sacrifice everything for power, often fought among themselves with the same ferocity as they did against neighboring states.