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The Rise of Rome

Written by: The Great Courses,Gregory S. Aldrete
Narrated by: Gregory S. Aldrete
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Publisher's Summary

The Roman Republic is one of the most breathtaking civilizations in world history. Between roughly 500 BCE to the turn of the millennium, a modest city-state developed an innovative system of government and expanded into far-flung territories across Europe, Northern Africa, and the Middle East. This powerful civilization inspired America's founding fathers, gifted us a blueprint for amazing engineering innovations, left a vital trove of myths, and has inspired the human imagination for 2,000 years.

How did Rome become so powerful? This mystery has vexed historians from the ancient Greek writer Polybius to 21st century scholars. Today, removed as we are from the Roman Republic, historians also wonder what it was like to be a Roman citizen in that amazing era. Beyond the familiar names of Romulus, Caesar, Octavian, Brutus, and Mark Antony, what was life like for the ordinary people? And what did the conquered peoples think of this world power?

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2018 The Teaching Company, LLC; 2018 The Great Courses

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Great Audiobook

The Rise of Rome is an excellent audiobook. I loved listening and learning the history of the Roman Empire. The narrator had an excellent tone and speed in which he read. Also, how the audiobook was divided into 32-minute chapters was brilliant. If you love history, this is a must-listen.

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Good Overview on the Roman Republic

Not as in depth as the History of Rome podcast. But better recording quality and narration. The 12 hours flew by.

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Excellent listen

A Digestible and entertaining refresher on the history of the republic. Can’t wait to dive into his next lectures on the empire.

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Very interesting

I listened to this with only a very basic knowledge of ancient Rome and really enjoyed the entire thing. I found all the lectures very interesting and the narrator did a great job relaying the information

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  • A
  • 2023-03-16

awesome course

I have listened to a lot of the great courses and this is one of the best. The content is engaging and the teacher is the opposite of a dull boring professor. I enjoyed it all so much I immediately started the second part of the course.
Def recommended

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Engaging history

I enjoyed this Great Course. It is the first history one I have listened to and will not be the last. The narrator did an excellent job. Very good info about Roman civilization and the lives of famous and common people in it.

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My favorite "Great Courses" lecture

This has been my favorite listen and was the one that actually got me into listening to historical lectures at all. I was all about Fantasy adventures but this one got me hooked on history. The lecturer does a fantastic job of making the content interesting, and has been my favorite reader so far. There is a follow up lecture by the some prof that I highly recommend, although my one criticism would be that that and this one should have been combined into one, 24h purchase. The other one picks up right where this leaves off.

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Excellent panoramic view of Roman history

The text is rigorously written, it is precise and very well read. I enjoyed the company of this audiobook.

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All roads lead to Rome

the great courses are GREAT, and from the origins to the fall Rome and the Romans are responsible for so much of the world's future development.


#Audible1

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interesting and enjoyable

I really enjoyed these lectures, I found them very interesting and easy to listen to. I would definitely recommend them to anyone interested in learning about ancient Rome. #Audible1

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  • Christopher
  • 2018-02-08

Very good, but doesn't stand out

This is a very solid course, and if you're new to Roman history or to The Great Courses, it would be a fine place to start.

But if you're like me – a long time fan of TGC on Audible, and something of an ancient history enthusiast – then there is not a lot here that you haven't heard already from TGC's other ancient history offerings, namely Garrett G. Fagan's excellent two-part survey course, composed of "The History of Ancient Rome" and "Emperors of Rome", and Robert Garland's course on "Daily Life in the Ancient World."

Though the focus here is on just why the Roman republic became so powerful (And it IS just about the republic – it leaves off right as Octavian/Augustus seizes power, whereas a lecture on the "Rise of Rome" really ought to take you through at least to Trajan.), it's really not much more than another (admittedly very decent) survey course of Roman history. And that's a bit of a shame, as Aldrete has written books on such specific things as Greek linen body armor and floods of the Tiber in antiquity. TGC's ancient history offerings could use more specificity of focus, and Aldrete is perfectly qualified to give that to us… But that's not what happened.

To sum up: it's a perfectly enjoyable course, but don't expect any major revelations if you're already familiar with the subject.

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2018-03-05

Great for the Beginner

If you're entirely new to the history of the Roman Republic, pick this course up. It's a fine introductory survey that covers Rome's early history right up to the reign of Augustus. However, if you're already steeped in Roman history, you might not find anything fresh or exciting. Aldrete is a fine lecturer and an obvious master of the subject, though, and I have no complaints against him.

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  • Tommy D'Angelo
  • 2021-01-24

Another Top Course From A Top Lecturer

When I first saw this course upon its release I shook my head thinking, "Yet another course on ancient Rome?" I thoroughly enjoyed Professor Fagan's earlier course entitled "The History of Ancient Rome" and figured there was no way to improve upon what to me felt like a complete and definitive history on the topic. Why did we need another course on the subject? I glanced at it suspecting I wouldn't be giving it more than a fleeting thought but when I saw who was teaching it I was stopped in my tracks. Professor Aldrete had long ago won me over with his masterful course "History of the Ancient World: A Global Perspective". This changed the equation: I just had to sample some of the lectures and, while doing so, it became evident I had to add this course to my collection.

It is no surprise to me that I'd walk away from this course declaring it yet another winner from Prof. Aldrete (in addition to the aforementioned course he also wowed me with "The Decisive Battles of World History").

He is a clear speaker, a good presenter, wraps the facts in great storytelling, and raises interesting questions and debates for further reflection such as his opening question "What led to Rome's rise?" and closing one "Why did the Roman republic fall?"

He provides excellent historical narration relating to the origin of ancient Rome and its growth and expansion into the world’s dominant empire and its transitions from monarchy to republic to empire. What were the areas that stood out the most?

1- Prof. Aldrete covers the practices, values, and traditions of the Roman people in more detail than any other course on ancient Rome I've taken, leading to a deeper understanding of how they were conducted and what they meant to the State. Examples include the animal sacrifices, the Augury, the evocation (prior to a battle) of asking an enemy’s gods to abandon them and take residence in Rome, and the practice of sending someone to an enemy’s land to invoke a declaration/spell to the first person they saw before a war.

2- Riveting narration of the Punic Wars including Rome’s struggles with the great general Hannibal as well as the battles against the Greeks of the Eastern Mediterranean (lectures 8-10)

3- Great job of detailing, in the last third of the course, how great powerful military leaders working outside of the normal social and legal constructs of the Roman Republic undermined it and how it led to its fall (Marius, Sulla, Pompey the Great, Julius Caesar, and Octavian Caesar)

Was there any downside to these lectures? Very hard to find.

The non-historical narrative lectures (for example those concentrating on the societal aspects of Roman life such as education, housing, food, and marriage) were mildly interesting but I suppose it may just be because my interests naturally gravitate towards the political and military histories.

The lecture on the unification of the Italian peninsula didn’t cover how the Romans subdued the Umbrians under their control (he did call them out a few times on the map and covered all other Italian peoples/wars).

But these are minor grievances. The overwhelming bulk of the lectures were expertly executed.

Even if you are well-versed in ancient Roman history I don't think its a stretch to say you will either learn something new here or at the very least hear the story again from a master storyteller who not only relates things in an easy to consume manner but who will also leave you with enough questions to further your contemplation and exploration.

I would recommend this course to all without hesitation even if you think you've already heard the definitive history of ancient Rome. I would also recommend that TGC bring back Professor Aldrete for another course. Any course by him would be "must listen" but when are we going to get a course dedicated exclusively to ancient France?

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  • Jacobus
  • 2018-03-19

An excellent introduction to Rome until Augustus

In twelve hours you get 24 lectures about Rome giving an introductory bird's view of the Roman world. Professor Aldrete has the ability to keep it interesting throughout. He is quite knowledgeable about the subject matter.

You do not need to know Latin and Prof Aldrete keeps his pronunciation of names and places very English. (I couldn't help wondering if he can read Latin.) By doing so he keeps it accessible to Everyman.

I appreciated that he suspended the historical narrative at some point in the course for a bit to deal with the social world of the Romans. It was quite informative. He discussed daily lives, where our calender came from etc.

If you are looking for a all-in-one course on the Roman world until Caesar Augustus, this is the right course for you.

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  • Dave
  • 2018-08-06

Enjoyable and educational

This course is well put together. It presents the rise of Rome in an accessible manner that requires little to no previous knowledge. The teacher explains all the niche concepts so you have all the background needed to get the most out of the course. I found this more compelling than some of the fiction series I was in the middle of.

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  • Matt Bewley
  • 2021-01-26

well organized

This is one of the better great courses because there is a narrative arc. The professor is an engaging lecturer who connects the historical facts to broader human questions.

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  • Rancid_Crawfish
  • 2019-09-24

narrator was annoying

the book itself is great. but the narrator sounds like a news anchor using unnecessary fluctuations and pitch with every sentence. i finished the book because i bought it but in the future i will stay away from pieces narrated by this man.

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  • Philip
  • 2019-09-17

A bit slow. It was la missing depth and breadth.

More.details are needed on on a year to year basis. To much talk on conjecture.

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  • Jerry
  • 2019-09-12

a really good look at rome.

i like these lectures and this one was one of the better ones. i highly recommend.

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  • DSK
  • 2018-08-10

great!

we really enjoyed it. he took something that can be dry and made it very compelling while preserving the nuance and complexity.

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  • Igern
  • 2023-11-19

I loved it!

It deserves its "great course" title. The narrator knows his subject and he walks you through in a very pedagogical and vivid way. Two thumbs up /

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