The Roman Empire in Context Historical and Comparative Perspectives

Through a series of original essays by leading international scholars, The Roman Empire in Context: Historical and Comparative Perspectives offers a comparative historical analysis of the Roman empire's role and achievement and, more broadly, establishes Rome's significance within comparative studies. Fills a gap in comparative historical analysis of the Roman empire's role and achievement Features contributions from more than a dozen distinguished scholars from around the world Explores the relevance of important comparativist themes of state, empire, and civilization to ancient Rome

Johann P. Arnason is Emeritus Professor of Sociology at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia, and Visiting Professor at the Charles University in Prague. His recent publications include Civilizations in Dispute: Historical Questions and Theoretical Traditions (2003); Axial Civilizations and World History (co-ed., 2005); Eurasian Transformations, 10th to 13th Centuries: Crystallizations, Divergences, Renaissances (co-ed., 2005), and Domains and Divisions of European History (co-ed., 2010)

Kurt A. Raaflaub is David Herlihy University Professor and Professor of Classics and History Emeritus at Brown University, where he was also Director of the Program in Ancient Studies. Recent publications include The Discovery of Freedom in Ancient Greece (2004, winner of the American Historical Association’s James Henry Breasted Prize), War and Peace in the Ancient World (ed., 2007); Origins of Democracy in Ancient Greece (co-author, 2007); A Companion to Archaic Greece (co-ed., 2009); and Epic and History (co-ed., 2010).