No other political entity has shaped the modern world like the Roman Empire. Encompassing close to 60 million people and 3 million square kilometers of land, it represented an incredibly diverse and dynamic collection of nations, states, and tribes, all bound to Rome and the ideal of the Roman identity.In the lively and engaging style that hes known for, Philip Matyszak traces the history of the Roman Empire from the fall of the Assyrians and the rise of the Roman republic through the ages of expansion, crisis, and eventual split. Breathing life into these extraordinary events, Matyszak explains how the vast empire operated: conquering, occupying, and naturalizing its subject peoples as citizens of Rome. He shows how this great empire developed a method of rule so sophisticated that loyalty to Rome remained strong even after its collapse, creating a legacy in politics, society, economics, and culture that lives on even today.