The story unfolds against a background of wars, financial tangles, shifting foreign policy, and personal rivalries. Sir Frank finds the secret of Roman power in the dignity of its great men and the liberty of the small. Though centuries have elapsed since the Caesars, we need not look far to discover in our own day the same conflicts between personal ambition and the dream of peace with dignity that consumed Rome. This book underscores the fragility of all political institutions, including our own.

". . . an expression of the mature thinking of one of the greatest living interpreters of Roman history . . . can be appreciated not only by specialists in the field but by all who are interested in gaining a better understanding of Roman political thought in action."
—A. E. R. Boak, American Historical Review

". . . a tour that is at once fascinating and instructive."
—E. T. Salmon, The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

". . . the crystallization of a lifetime's thought on the subject, Sir Frank traces the whole paradigm of Roman politics, from the early monarchy to the end of the Principate proper."
—Times (London) Literary Supplement

"As the expression of the mature thinking of one of the greatest . . . interpreters of Roman history, this work deserves to be read and can be appreciated not only by specialists in the field but by all who are interested in gaining a better understanding of Roman political thought in action."
—American Historical Review

". . . an expression of the mature thinking of one of the greatest living interpreters of Roman history . . . can be appreciated not only by specialists in the field but by all who are interested in gaining a better understanding of Roman political thought in action."
—A. E. R. Boak, American Historical Review

". . . a tour that is at once fascinating and instructive."
—E. T. Salmon, The Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies

". . . the crystallization of a lifetime's thought on the subject, Sir Frank traces the whole paradigm of Roman politics, from the early monarchy to the end of the Principate proper."
—Times (London) Literary Supplement

"As the expression of the mature thinking of one of the greatest . . . interpreters of Roman history, this work deserves to be read and can be appreciated not only by specialists in the field but by all who are interested in gaining a better understanding of Roman political thought in action."
—American Historical Review