Barriers that stood in the way of the mobility of people, goods and ideas have disappeared before. 2000 years ago, the Roman Empire gave the world of the ancient Mediterranean its first major globalisation boost. How did this come about? What was the reason for the unique dynamics of the longest-lived empire in history? And how did Rome's unique success story ultimately end in the collapse of civilisation? Michael Sommer's gripping and up-to-date research tells the story of the Roman Republic's struggle for hegemony, the Caesars' crisis management and finally the fall of the empire in the West.

On 8 November, Roman History will be published by Kröner-Verlag as an inexpensive study edition, thoroughly revised and with a completely new layout.