Books published by publisher British Musuem Press

Travel the Roman empire and discover the great diversity of its peoples and cultures. The book shows the importance of the Roman army in conquering and controlling the empire, and how the empire was held together by the Emperor and by his officials and laws. The economic power of Rome depended on raw materials from all over the empire: metals, stone and food. Romes success lay in its inclusiveness, with many distinct cultures flourishing within its boundaries. People practised many different religions and spoke many different languages, but they were unified by Roman civilization. Sam Moorhead shows how the most successful empire in human history was organised, and why understanding the Roman empire helps us to understand better our world today.

Relax – the experts at the British Museum have sifted out all the best bits of ancient history into one essential, easy-to-read book. You’ll never again be short of an interesting historical fact to stun your friends and impress your teachers. Did you know that the ancient Aztecs invented football (but they sacrificed the losing team to the gods)? How did they get the squishy bits out of the insides of mummies in ancient Egypt? Did you know that ancient Greek men did athletics in the nude (and didn’t let girls watch?) What were the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World? Who was Eric Bloodaxe? How many Egyptian pharaohs were there? How many pyramids? Who liked to eat boiled ostrich? What is a hippocamp? Did you know that the Romans’ favourite sauce wasn’t tomato ketchup, but rancid fish? Can you name the Twelve Olympian gods of ancient Greece? Can you list ten top facts about cats in ancient Egypt?

The 1000 years between Alexander the Great's invasion in 332 BC and the Arab conquest in AD 642 was a period of enormous change in the history of Egypt. The Hellenistic era under the Ptolemies ended with the defeat of Anthony and Cleopatra in 30 BC and Egypt became a province of Rome. Under the Byzantine emperors the country enjoyed renewed political influence and continued prosperity as Christianity began to displace the ancient gods.

This is a new title in the successful "Pocket Dictionary" series. This pocket dictionary introduces you to the most important rulers of this extraordinary civilization, the largest empire in the ancient world. It was an amazing military machine, whose legionaries conquered the entire Mediterranean basin. The empire also left its cultural legacy throughout Europe and the world in its monuments, art and literature; its buildings and roads; its legal system; its alphabet; and much more. Augustus was the first emperor of Rome, a strong and capable ruler; some of those who came after him were equally eminent, such as Trajan, who expanded the empire to its greatest extent. Other emperors, such as Nero and Caligula, were famed for their decadence and became a byword for excess and cruelty. This extraordinary cast of characters are described in short entries with illustrations from the collections of the British Museum and elsewhere. About the Author: Dr Paul Roberts is a curator of Roman Antiquities at the British Museum.