The Roman empire existed before there were Roman emperors. The imperial Republic began its expansion in the third century BC. This imperium populi Romani not only expanded but evolved steadily over five centuries, enfranchising more and more of its subjects until from AD 212 there were no freeborn non-Romans left. Some of the most famous names in ancient history either promoted or opposed Rome's imperial fortunes, among them Hannibal, Scipio Africanus, Boudicca, Vercingetorix, Antony and Cleopatra, Trajan, Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius. In this comprehensive new survey, the first to span the full four and a half centuries of Roman power, Dexter Hoyos traces what drove imperial expansion up to AD 212, what forms it took, and what impact it had on the peoples she subdued. The author shows that while Rome's rule could be harsh, it was also culturally flexible: and therein lay its success. Local communities ran their own affairs, spoke their own languages and maintained their own beliefs and cults. Attractive to general readers, this book will be an ideal entree for students of Roman history.