Beautiful edition with a new introduction to the people and the leaders of perhaps humankind's most enduring civilization, featuring the history behind the legends, the people behind the grand tales of Antiquity. Gorgeous Collector's Edition. Ancient Rome began as a village of humble dwellings on the Palatine and grew to be one of the mightiest and most successful empires of human history, before collapsing in the West under invasions of barbarian nations attracted by Rome's wealth and land, over a thousand years later. The legacy of Rome continues in the languages of modern Europe, in the calendar and the alphabet we use, and in the religion called Christianity which remains the dominant faith throughout the Western world. In this book you'll find thrilling stories of the legendary founding of Rome, its conquest of Italy and its victory over the Carthaginians, the rise of the Republic and the Empire, the recruitment and training of men for the legions, how the city's aqueducts worked, the destruction of Rome in the Great Fire, and the extraordinary lives of the most famous Caesars. AUTHOR: Jake Jackson has written, edited and contributed to over 20 books on mythology and folklore. Related works include studies of Babylonian creation myths, the philosophy of time and William Blake's use of mythology in his visionary literature. 3 illustrations Hardback, Deluxe edition, foiled and embossed, with gilded edges