Veni, Vidi, Vici: Nine Books Exploring the History of Rome

The legacy of the Roman Empire is so immense that centuries after its fall, we remain as captivated by it as ever. Rome’s strategic brilliance and imperial might had a lasting and profound effect on world history, and it is perhaps this that continues to fascinate.

Take a deeper dive into the history and mythology of Rome, from the people who made up its thriving civilization to the enemies that threatened its existence. These books reveal the story of Rome in new and fascinating ways that illuminate its inner workings like never before. Meet the heroes of myth, reimagine the structures of the imperial city and even try your hand at a jigsaw.

1. Rome Before Rome 

The legends of Rome have had a lasting impact and continue to reverberate throughout western culture. But what did the Ancient Romans think of themselves? Are the famous legends – Aeneas fleeing Troy, Romulus and Remus or the Rape of the Sabines to name a few – quite what they seem to be?

In Rome Before Rome: The Legends that Shaped the Romans, Philip Matyszak skilfully navigates the myths and legends of early Rome, exploring the enigmatic origins of the Romans and how the first seeds of a great empire were sown. Matyszak dissects a range of myths, investigating hard-to-find and classic texts to reveal an illustrious mythological past.

2. Ancient Rome in Fifty Monuments 

In Ancient Rome, who built a monument and why mattered as much as its physical structure. Over the centuries and under many different emperors, a small village in Italy was transformed into the crowning glory of an empire. Many of those monuments still stand today.

In Ancient Rome in Fifty Monuments, Paul Roberts delivers a tour of ancient Rome, vividly evoking the sights and sounds of the city: from the roar of the crowds at the Colosseum, to the dazzling gleam of the marble- and mosaic-covered baths of Caracalla. Roberts weaves together archaeological research with social and cultural history to tell the story of the Eternal City.

3. A History of Ancient Rome in 100 Lives 

At its pinnacle, Rome exerted rule across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, from Britannia to the Black Sea. Inscriptions, discarded letters, biographies and myth over two thousand years of history tell us something of the lives of not just the famed rulers and generals of the empire, but the ordinary citizens who made up the fabric of Roman society.

In A History of Ancient Rome in 100 Lives, Philip Matyszak and Joanne Berry illuminate the biographies of these individuals whose stories range from the happy and uneventful to the tragic and dramatic. From Amazonia, a sword-swinging gladiator, to Faustulus, a shepherd said to have adopted the infant Romulus and Remus, each of these lives forms part of a larger picture, together making up a rich mosaic that gives us a glimpse of what it meant to be a Roman.

4. Ancient Rome on Five Denarii a Day 

Walk the streets of Rome in AD 200 with Ancient Rome on Five Denarii a Day. Using the writings of those who actually lived there and the latest archaeological evidence, this book reconstructs Rome at its pinnacle of greatness and brings the city to life. Find the best places to stay, learn where to shop and what not to eat, and where to sit in the Colosseum in this imaginative and informative guide to the ancient city.

5. The Story of Rome in 1000 Pieces 

The story of Aeneid, penned by Roman poet Virgil, traces the adventures of Trojan hero Aeneas from Troy to Italy, where he would go on to become the great ancestor of Rome. The epic tale includes mighty storms, ancient monsters, jealous deities, a tragic love affair and the beginnings of an empire.

The Story of Rome in 1000 Pieces reimagines Virgil’s masterpiece through a 1000-piece jigsaw. Follow the son of Venus as he escapes the fallen city of Troy and eventually makes his way to Italy, where he is destined to found a great city. The puzzle, illustrated by Good Wives and Warriors, is accompanied by a fold out story guide that delves into 20 key scenes from the tale, written by author Daisy Dunn.

The Story of Rome in 1000 Pieces releases on 19 June 2025 and is available for pre-order now.

6. Roman Mythology 

Rome’s mythology – much like the city itself – was a fascinating melting pot of peoples from across the Mediterranean and beyond who brought their myths and legends into the fold. As a result, Roman mythology is a rich tapestry of stories, and they formed the backdrop to the rituals and customs of everyday life.

Roman Mythology: A Traveller’s Guide from Troy to Tivoli by David Stuttard offers a fresh approach to Roman mythology, drawing on the great works of Dionysius of Halicarnassus and Plutarch, Ovid, Horace and Virgil, to name a few. Accompanied by maps and illustrations,

Roman Mythology is the perfect companion to the Roman myths and the landscapes and ideas that shaped them.

7. Ancient Rome: Infographics 

Packed with cleverly designed graphics, charts and diagrams, Ancient Rome: Infographics uses data visualization to tell the epic tale of the city of Rome and its empire. Presenting a massive amount of information in an easily accessible form, it offers a unique panorama of one of the mightiest empires the world has ever known, from the birth of the Republic to the imperial dynasties, from the political and legal system to Rome’s military might.

8. Mystery Cults in the Ancient World 

Mystery cults are one of the most intriguing areas of Greek and Roman religion, but their actual practices were shrouded in secrecy, and much of what they were about has remained unclear until now. Mystery Cults in the Ancient World by Hugh Bowden is the first book to describe and explain all the major mystery cults of the ancient world, cult by cult, reconstructing the rituals and exploring their origins. Making plentiful use of artistic and archaeological evidence, as well as ancient literature and epigraphy, it allows the reader to understand what it was like to participate in these life-transforming religious events.

9. The Enemies of Rome 

The Roman Empire was not without its enemies: Boudicca, the warrior queen of the Iceni, led a rebellion in Britain that saw Londinium (the capital of Roman Britain) burn. The Carthaginian general Hannibal famously marched his army, including thirty-eight elephants, over the Alps. Some enemies of Rome were noble heroes and others were murderous villains – but each has a fascinating story to tell.

Discover the stories of some of Rome’s greatest adversaries, from the Celts and the Persians to the Egyptians and beyond, in The Enemies of Rome. Philip Matyszak examines the literary and the archaeological evidence to look at the growth and eventual demise of the empire from the viewpoints of the people who fought against it, from the edges of the empire to the streets of Rome.