Ancient History

Philip Matyszak has a doctorate in Roman history from St. John’s College, Oxford. He is the author of numerous books on the ancient world, including Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World, The Greek and Roman Myths, The Gods and Goddesses of Greece and Rome, Ancient Magic in Greece and Rome (see p79) and Lost Cities of the Ancient World (see p78).

72 illustrations

19.8 x 12.9cm

296pp paperback

ISBN 978 0 500 297292

August

£14.99

Philip Matyszak

New in B-format paperback

The gripping stories of the most colourful and formidable characters to challenge the might of Rome, described as ‘pacy and compelling’ by the Sunday Times

Who were the enemies of Rome, the figures of legend who rose up against the empire and fought for independence or even, in some cases, domination? What do the writings of antiquity’s most eminent historians reveal of the reality behind the stories which surround figures such as Spartacus and Attila the Hun? In this series of fascinating historical accounts Philip Matyszak presents the extraordinary individuals who strove for freedom from Roman rule.

Boudicca, the warrior queen of the Iceni, led a rebellion in Britain that saw Londinium burn. The Carthaginian general Hannibal famously marched his army, including thirty-eight elephants, over the Alps. Matyszak weaves together the literary and the archaeological evidence to look at the growth and eventual demise of the Roman empire from the viewpoints of the people who fought against it, from the edges of the empire to the streets of Rome. Some enemies of Rome were noble heroes and others were murderous villains, but each has a fascinating story to tell.

‘A highly readable gallop through a number of major military crises in Roman history ... good, clear, old-fashioned narrative style’ Sunday Telegraph

’An easy book to dip into ... accurate and entertaining ... well worth browsing’ BBC History Magazine

Chris Scarre is Emeritus Professor of Archaeology at the University of Durham and was head of its archaeology department from 2010 to 2013. He is editor of The Human Past, and author of many more, including The Megalithic Monuments of Britain and Ireland and Chronicle of the Roman Emperors, both published by Thames & Hudson.

14 illustrations

19.8 x 12.9cm

336pp paperback

ISBN 978 0 500 297070

September

£12.99