The late Elizabeth Rawson (1934-1988) was a distinguished specialist in the history, society, and culture of the later Roman Republic and Augustan period, whose sudden death at the end of a visit to China came when she was at the height of her powers, and had just been elected as a Fellow of the British Academy.

Her papers form a closely related group, published over a short period of time between 1971 and 1989. The topics covered include the workings of Roman politics and society, historical and antiquarian thinking at Rome, and literary and cultural history. They are reproduced here in the order in which they were published, and together form an essential contribution to the understanding of the central period of Roman history.