The Civil Wars

This is an extract from what survives of the enormous history of Rome from the kings to his own time by the 2nd-century Alexandrian writer, Appian. It covers the increasing violence that changed the face of Roman politics and society from Tiberius Gracchus, through the enormously influential struggles of Sulla and Marius, Caesar and Pompey, to Octavian nad Mark Antony (though not the resolution at Actium). The dense narrative has a relentless momentum, relating the birth of an empire through its internal conflicts. The translation is supported by a very thorough introduction, an appendix covering Roman social organization, and maps. This is a book for lovers of the history of power struggles, and for students of the period who wish to compare this verison of famous events with those of other, sometimes better-known, Roman historians. (Kirkus UK)