Bibliography

Secondary Sources:

Beard, Mary. (2007) The Roman Triumph. First Harvard University Press.

Mary Beard’s The Roman Triumh paints a vivid picture of exactly what a triumph would entail.  She details just how violent these triumphs could be, with the captives being put to death at the end. She goes on to say how this was an exercise by the Roman Empire to show its clout. It is difficult to argue with that point; the descriptions of the triumphs by Pliny are nothing short of amazing in terms of the brutality and the spoils that were put on display. The main point of Beard’s writing is to show the importance of the triumph as a representation of Rome’s power over conquered peoples.

Varhelyi, Zsuzsanna. (2007) The Specters of Roman Imperialism: The Live Burials of Gauls and Greeks at Rome. Classical Antiquity, Vol. 26, No. 2.

This article is an examination of live burials performed under Roman Imperialism.  The author interprets human sacrifice of Gauls and Greeks in Rome as showing how little we know of the psychological effects of continuous warfare on the Romans. She argues for the connection between warfare and religion that does not support the idea of defensive Roman imperialism. That is, that Rome had to go to war to protect her own interests.

Hanson, Victor. (2010) The Father of Us All: War and History, Ancient and Modern. Bloomsbury Press.

This book examines the principles of the Roman military and what values they held. This is important to examine because these were the people often in charge of occupying the Roman held lands. It also examines the similarities of the Roman military to that of ours today. What he finds is quite striking. He claims that the strength of these militaries comes from the egalitarian nature from which they are founded. He also looks at how Rome and America today use their military to control the foreign people and lands.

Mattingly, David. (2006) An Imperial Possession Britain in the Roman Empire. Penguin Books.

Mattingly examines the sweeping history of the Roman rule of Britain. This book examines the lives of the people that lived in Britain during this period including the experiences of the Roman military leaders and the conquered natives.  There are no large surviving Roman works that specifically deal Britain, thus this excursion is rather difficult. Mattingly draws upon archeological evidence and inscriptions to further support historical information.

James, Lawrence. (1997) Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India. St. Martin’s Griffin.

This book takes a wide perspective examination on a key component of both British and Indian history. He deals with matters as diverse as racial attitudes, the part played by the Raj in Britain's position in the nineteenth century world, and the rise of Indian nationalism.  The focus was on the development of an Indian identity under British rule.

Edwards, Douglass. (2004) Religion and society in Roman Palestine: old questions, new approaches. Routledge.

This is a collection of papers that examines important archaeological and textual evidence concerning religion and society in Roman Palestine. Some of the topics covered include: the impact of Roman rule, the role of peasants, the nature of ethnicity and ritual, and the character of public and private space in Jewish society.

Poesche, Theodore. Goepp, Charles. (1853). The new Rome; or, The United States of the world. GP Putnam.

An interesting read that intends to be “a horoscope” for future events.  This book purports a few key events: the reuniting of the United States and the British Empire, the conquest of Germany and Russia, and the eventual rise of the United States as “Empire of the World” through capitalism.

Judd, Denis. (2005) The lion and the tiger: the rise and fall of the British Raj, 1600-1947. Oxford University Press.

This is an overarching examination of the history of the British Raj. Judd focuses on the British impact in the development of India and the consequences of British rule for both rulers and ruled.  Aspects discussed include: the first contacts between East and West, the foundation of the East India Company in 1600, and Gandhi's tactics to overthrow the Raj and restore India to the Indians.

Primary Sources

Julius Caesar. Commentaries on the Gallic Wars.

This is a third-person narrative on the Roman conquest of the people of Gaul.  Although the description of the Roman Empire is most likely skewed, this work provides an important insight into the manner that Rome dealt with its enemies and how it treated conquered lands.

Flavius Josephus. Books of the History of the Jewish War against the Romans.

Josephus describes the Jewish rebellion against Rome between AD 66 and 70.  Josephus remains controversial as an author today because he was originally a Jewish rebel who defected to Roman rule after he was captured. 

Tacitus. Agricola.

Tacitus is one of the most critical primary authors that writes about the Roman Empire. In this work he praises the accomplishments of his father-in-law Agricola, who at the time was the governor and commander of the army in Britain while contrasting it to the corruption in Rome.  Tacitus also favorably contrasts the liberty of the native Britons to the corruption and tyranny of the Empire.