The Roman Republic

A Very Short Introduction

By: David M. Gwynn

Narrated by: Paul Woodson

The rise and fall of the Roman Republic occupies a special place in the history of Western civilization. From humble beginnings on the seven hills beside the Tiber, the city of Rome grew to dominate the ancient Mediterranean. Led by her senatorial aristocracy, Republican armies defeated Carthage and the successor kingdoms of Alexander the Great, and brought the surrounding peoples to east and west into the Roman sphere. Yet the triumph of the Republic was also its tragedy.

In this Very Short Introduction, David M. Gwynn provides a fascinating introduction to the history of the Roman Republic and its literary and material sources, bringing to life the culture and society of Republican Rome and its ongoing significance within our modern world.

©2012 David M. Gwynn (P)2018 Tantor

Great pithy introduction

Sometimes short intros take much more care and insight than longer more detailed histories. This is done well.

Very Good Introduction

Very good introduction to the Roman Republic. There are a couple errors in the description of the Marian Reforms as solely responsible for late republic military reform, which is no longer accepted by modern scholars, but other than that it’s relatively accurate and concise.

Better than a summary

some short histories of the Roman Republic adequately present the data. This short history is the most insightful of this genre. Very impressive.

Excellent brief survey

The author provides all the information anyone beginning to study the Roman Republic would require. The book is balanced and even handed. Highly recommended to anyone that wants the basic information on early Rome necessary before looking more deeply into the subject.