When we think of Rome, we think of an immense empire, built on conquest and military prowess - the historic base of our political, governmental and military systems, and the foundation of our culture. Rome conjures images of (crazy) emperors and (exotic) gladiators. But what if we look beyond these stereotypes? This book shows us a different Rome, in which the diversity of the empire takes centre stage. A diversity that we can only grasp if we view this Roman world as a whole, and in the context of world history. This is achieved by focusing on seven core themes, which together offer a comprehensive overview of society as it was back then. To shed light on the local aspects, we look at three different areas within the empire: the Italic peninsula, Egypt, and the Low Countries. SELLING POINTS: . 'Keys to Rome' looks beyond the stereotypes and sheds new light on the diversity of the Roman Empire 150 colour illustrations