From its mythical foundation in 753 BC to its fall in the fifth century AD, the city of Rome had an impact on the world that would be hard to overestimate. Written for the general reader by leading international scholars, this new illustrated history examines Rome's sense of self and its place in the wider world. It vividly explores a broad range of topics, including religion, Rome's relationship with Greece, warfare and Empire, and science and culture. Professor of Ancient History at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, Greg Woolf's research interests include all aspects of the cultural history of the Roman Empire, from food and patronage to literacy and the Roman economy. Woolf is a contributor to both the Cambridge Ancient History and the APA Classical Atlas projects as well as General Editor of the forthcoming History of the Ancient Mediterranean World.