«Packed with information and ideas, but concise and readable, this is by far the best available guide for students and the general reader to how the Roman Empire actually worked, and its enduring impact on the history of the Mediterranean world. Groundbreaking in its thematic approach when first published in 1987, it now benefits from an introductory survey of the Empire's political system, and supplements to each chapter which provide a bird's-eye view of the questions raised and debated in a generation of new research.»

Dominic Rathbone, Professor of Ancient History, King's College London, UK

«More than twenty-five years after the appearance of the first edition, this remains the only book in which students and researchers can read about the administrative, economic, social and mental structures of the early Roman empire. A new chapter on the ‘enemies of Rome’ (by Martin Goodman) and a long series of addenda on environmental history, economic history, urbanism, religion (by Richard Gordon), culture (by Jas Elsner and Greg Woolf) and other topics are of the highest standard and ensure this volume another long life span. In short, an unreplaced and perhaps irreplaceable book.»

Luuk de Ligt, Professor of Ancient History, Leiden University, The Netherlands

«Garnsey & Saller's 'The Roman Empire' is unsurpassed as a clear and thought-provoking introduction to key themes and issues in the economic, social and cultural history of Rome. This new edition, expanding the book's scope and offering a guide to the most important recent research, ensures that it will remain essential reading for students for years to come.»

Neville Morley, Professor of Ancient History, University of Bristol, UK

«The second edition, like the original, is still as thought-provoking as it ever was. ... A chapter on the ‘Enemies of Rome’ by Martin Goodman adds an important strand to the book. ... Arguably the most important addition to the second edition is the inclusion of a new Chapter 1 entitled "Introducting the Principate". ... No shelf of Roman history books is really complete without a copy of Garnsey and Saller's The Roman Empire.»

Classics Ireland

«Brilliantly conceived by two of the greatest living authorities on ancient Rome and an instant classic when it first appeared, this magisterial work has been generously expanded and updated to incorporate the latest scholarship. We could not wish for a more penetrating analysis of the foundations of Roman civilization.»

Walter Scheidel, Dickason Professor in the Humanities, Stanford University, USA

«A by now a classic introduction to the Roman Empire that was always much more than a mere introduction and whose contents have withstood the test of time, is now made available in an even better edition, with new contributions on resistance, religion, and culture, by Martin Goodman, Richard Gordon, Jas Elsner and Greg Woolf. The bibliographical addenda are mines of information: sure guides to the best of recent scholarship on every aspect of the empire covered by the authors. This new edition of The Roman Empire is highly recommended as simply the best entrée to the big aspects and the big problems of the Roman empire at the height of its power.»

Brent D. Shaw, Andrew Fleming West Professor of Classics, Princeton University, USA.

«Freshly revised for the 21st century, Garnsey and Saller’s masterful survey remains the indispensible introduction to society and the economy under the emperors. Scholars as well as students will mine its updated bibliographies for authoritative guidance to recent research, while the new chapters enhance the book’s value for the classroom.»

Nathan Rosenstein, Professor of History, The Ohio State University, USA