The Romans cover art

The Romans

A 2,000-Year History

 Preview

Audible Standard 30-day free trial

Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Standard auto renews for £5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Romans

By: Edward J. Watts
Narrated by: John Curless
Try Standard free

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £19.83

Buy Now for £19.83

About this listen

 'At last, a history of the Roman state as it has always been crying out to be told, and never has been!' RODERICK BEATON

The greatest empire in Western history - told as never been told before.

Rome is often remembered for its spectacular collapse. But for over two thousand years - through civil wars, plagues, invasions, and religious upheaval - the Roman state survived, adapted, and reinvented itself. From a muddy settlement on the banks of the Tiber to the glittering court of Constantinople, this is the untold story of a civilisation that endured.

In The Romans, acclaimed historian Edward J. Watts tells the first truly complete history of Rome in all its epic sweep: the Punic Wars, the fall of the republic, the coming of Christianity, Alaric's sack of Rome, the rise of Islam and the onslaught of the Crusaders who would bring about the empire's end. This is the Rome of Augustus, Marcus Aurelius, and Constantine. But it is also the Rome of Charlemagne, Justinian, and Manuel Comnenus, and countless diverse men and women who shaped the empire: African emperors, Byzantine intellectuals and ordinary citizens whose loyalty together made it the most resilient state the world has ever seen.

An expansive, eye-opening portrait, this is the definitive history of Rome and its citizens.©2025 Edward J. Watts Ancient Civilization Historical Rome World War Western Europe Middle Ages Africa Middle East Imperialism Crusade

Critic reviews

At last, a history of the Roman state as it has always been crying out to be told, and never has been! Not even Edward Gibbon, more than 200 years ago, covered the full 2,000-year span, as Edward J. Watts does here. And at last we learn the truth: that Rome's 'decline and fall' was brought about not by barbarian invaders from the east in the 5th and 6th centuries but by crusading Europeans from the Christian west in 1204. Watts tells this story with verve and aplomb, and a wealth of finely observed detail drawn from Roman historians' own accounts of their past (Roderick Beaton, author of The Greeks)
A sweeping historical survey that spans two millennia . . . Those intrigued by the ebb and flow of political power . . . will find in this book a cornucopia
The great achievement of this book is its scale. The coverage is vast and yet Watts deftly brings two thousand years of Roman history under one powerful arc of analysis. What it meant to be Roman was always in flux, but what made the Roman state so successful - its unique combination of resilience and adaptability - remained intact throughout (Jerry Toner, author of A Cultural History of the Senses in Antiquity)
Here is the Roman story across two millennia, from the mists of the Iron Age to the medieval crusades. Sweeping and masterful, The Romans balances the themes of continuity and change, grand forces and individual characters. I'm often asked what one book on ancient Rome I would recommend - and now I have a new answer (Kyle Harper, author of The Fate of Rome)
Ed Watts tells the remarkable story of how Roman traditions of openness and flexibility allowed it to adjust and readjust to ever-changing circumstances over two millennia. Clearly written and well-informed, The Romans puts readers into direct contact with the voices of the Roman people over time, and will become a classic in its own right (David Potter, author of Constantine the Emperor)
All stars
Most relevant
Reads like an old textbook and has dried-out my interest in Roman history. I’ll search for another book on this subject when my interest returns.

Dry and Tedious

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Fantastic narrative account of a well known story. Characterful narration. Shame there’s no detailed chapter headings.

Clear narrative

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A fantastic and monumental effort in telling the history of the Roman state!

If you listen to only one audiobook on the subject, make it this one!

A Triumph!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.