A History of the Roman People offers students a comprehensive, up-to-date, readable introduction to the whole span of Roman history.

Enhanced with additional illustrations, this fully updated volume takes readers through the mists of Roman prehistory and a survey of the peoples of pre-Roman Italy to a balanced, thoughtful account of the complexities of the Roman Republic, its evolution into a full-fledged empire, and its ultimate decline in the West and continuation in the Roman East. This new edition has been expanded to include more content on women and questions of gender identity; more on freedmen and the enslaved; recent archaeological and epigraphic discoveries; and updated suggestions for further reading.

A History of the Roman People is an excellent introduction for those with no background in Roman history. Its clear, accessible language makes it ideal for undergraduate readers in courses on Roman history and Roman culture. More experienced students wanting to expand their knowledge will also find it a rich resource for the full sweep of Roman antiquity

Celia E. Schultz is Professor of Classical Studies and History at the University of Michigan. She specializes in Roman religion and in the history and literature of the Roman Republic. Her most recent book is Fulvia: Playing for Power at the End of the Roman Republic (2021).

Serena Connolly is Professor of Classics at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Her research centers on the political and social history of the Roman Empire. She recently published Learned Emperors: Science, Technology, and Power at the Roman Imperial Court (2025).

Having received a B.A. in Classics from Brown University and a Ph.D. in Classics from Princeton, Allen M. Ward taught Greek, Latin, and ancient history at the University of Connecticut for 45 years. His scholarly focus was on the late Roman Republic and its collapse in civil war.