• Explores the social and cultural aspects of the Republic, as well as its modern-day resonance and legacy in literature and in film
• Looks at the origins of Rome and the vivid Roman legends that surround the foundations of the city
• Considers the political structure of the Republic, including its unique constitution
• Reflects on the Roman values and beliefs of the time, in order to better understand the Republic's dramatic rise and fall
• Traces the legacy of the Republic through the Empire and the early Christian Church to the Renaissance and the eighteenth-century Revolutions in the United States and France

 
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.