Customer Reviews

Encyclopedia of the Roman Empire

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I opened this book with some anticipation and was immediately let down. Misspelling and mistakes dog almost every page. Did you know that Crassus died in both 55 and 53BC? Gives some meaning to Shakespeare's 'Julius Caesar' that "cowards die many times before their deaths." It struck me as a book of easy compilations from, at most, secondary sources. I would prefer the more expensive, more intellectual and more satisfying Cambridge Dictionary of the Ancient World

The best thing about this book are the Roman Empire maps and coins.
Since I found a plain error in one of the maps where the area coding had Greece where Italy should be,
I can't give this book real good marks.
I have several biblical encyclopedias or dictionaries
with which to contrast this book,
and although it has a lot of facts and family trees of the Caesars,
it comes up short in comparison.

This encyclopedia is a comprehensive reference of Ancient Rome. Through the years it has been very helpful in finding information about lesser-known Romans. In addition to being alphabetical, it includes an extensive index, a glossary of titles, black and white drawings and several genealogical charts of the families that ruled the Roman Empire.

Based on my good experiences with this book, I have also bought Bunson's Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages.

I do not understand what the other "reader" is referring to. According to the encyclopedia, Crassus died in 53 BC and the battle of Carrhae took place in 53 BC, too. I can not find any reference to 55 BC at all!

I've had this book for several years and still find it a facinating reference. It's comprehensive and useful for any student of ancient Rome. If you wish to find information about some aspect of the Roman world, chances are you'll find it here.