509 B.C. – A.D. 476
The political and military histories of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire are marked by dramatic events and influential figures. Julius Caesar’s rise to power and his eventual assassination paved the way for Augustus Caesar, who established the Roman Empire and became its first emperor. Roman forts and provinces extended the empire’s control across Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. Pompeii, a city buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79, offers a unique glimpse into daily Roman life and the empire’s reach. This period of Roman history shaped much of the Western world’s political and cultural development. You can find books about life in Ancient Rome here.
Picture books
Chapter books
The Young Carthaginian
Novel of a young man fighting in the Punic Wars
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Roman Diary: The Journal of Iliona, A Young Slave
Fictional diary of a Roman slave girl
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The Aeneid: A Graphic Novel
Graphic novel adaptation of the Aeneid
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Triumph for Flavius
Story of a Roman boy’s friendship with a Greek slave
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Ancient Rome (You Choose: Historical Eras)
Choose-your-own-adventure book set in ancient Rome
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Empire’s End: A Roman Story
Story of a North African girl traveling with the emperor’s court to Roman Britain
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The Thieves of Ostia
Story of a group of Roman children solving a mystery- the first in a series
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Eagle of the Ninth
Military novel set in Roman Britain
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Caesar’s Gallic War
Novelized retelling of Caesar’s war in Gaul
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Non-fiction books
Augustus Caesar’s World
Exploration of the the arts, sciences, and religion of Augustus Caesar’s time
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What Was Pompeii?
Detailed, comprehensive intro to the destruction of Pompeii
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Where Is the Colosseum?
Detailed, comprehensive intro to the Colosseum and its uses
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Julius Caesar in Gaul and Britain
Children’s version of Julius Caesar’s account of his time in Gaul and Britain
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The Roman Colosseum
Excellent exploration of the Colosseum’s engineering and uses
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Biographies
Who Was Julius Caesar?
Great introduction to Julius Caesar and his impact
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Hannibal: Rome’s Worst Nightmare
Exciting biography of Hannibal
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Galen and the Gateway to Medicine
Introduction to the Roman physician and his impact
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Julius Caesar (A Wicked History)
Biography focused on Julius Caesar’s dark side
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Of Numbers and Stars
Lovely introduction to a mathematician and philosopher
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