The Romans were conquerors, imperialists who took by force a vast empire stretching from the Euphrates to the Atlantic coast. Ruthless, Romans won peace not through coexistence but through dominance; millions died and were enslaved during the creation of their empire. Pax Romana examines how the Romans came to control so much of the world and asks whether traditionally favorable images of the Roman peace of the first and second century are true. Goldsworthy vividly recounts the rebellions of the conquered, examining why they broke out, why most failed, and how they became exceedingly rare. He reveals that hostility was just one reaction to the arrival of Rome and that from the outset, conquered peoples collaborated, formed alliances, and joined invaders, causing resistance movements to fade away. -- From the publisher.

Introduction : A glory greater than war: The Pax Romana -- Part one. Republic : The rise of Rome -- War -- Friends and rivals -- Traders and settlers -- 'How much did you make?'- Government -- Provincials and Kings -- Part two. Principate : Emperors -- Rebellion -- Resistance, rioting and robbery -- Imperial governors -- Life under Roman rule -- The army and the frontiers -- Garrisons and raids -- Beyond the Pax Romana -- Conclusion : Peace and war.