Travel back to one of history’s most fascinating eras in this expansive, bite-sized guide to the empire you can’t stop thinking about.

Explore the defining moments of one of history’s greatest civilizations. An expert in Roman history, Dr Philip Matyzsak captures the Romans’ rise from a small city-state to a dominant power, its golden age and its internal struggles, all the way to its eventual fall. This concise guide presents the extraordinary events that defined Ancient Rome – battles that rewrote history and cultural achievements that still echo to this day. It details the death of Julius Caesar and how he was killed by his fellow senators, how Tigranes quite literally shot the messenger and how Rome staggered through a century under the threat of ever-present violence.

History is often shaped by long-term trends, but sometimes a single moment can permanently alter its course. A crisis erupts, a decision is made, a life is lost … and the world changes forever. The ‘100 Moments’ format finally gives these small, vital moments the attention they deserve.

Featuring illustrations throughout, Dr Philip Matyszak takes the reader on a sweeping exploration of the delicate threads upon which the fate of an empire hung – the triumphs, tragedies and seismic transformations that have shaped the modern world.

This is the story of the Roman Empire, which rose from a republic torn by civil war to become the greatest imperial power the world has ever seen.