The Roman empire begins with Julius, the first Caesar, and ends five centuries later with the establishment of Christian rule in Western Europe. C. M. Wells chronicles the astonishing growth of the empire through military innovations that gave soldiers and colonists a tangible stake in Rome's success through the award of captured lands. He helps make sense out of complex episodes in Roman history, among them the so-called year of the four emperors and the rise of non-Roman rulers such as Maximinus. Wells also looks at the legacy of the Roman empire in modern governments, which derive much knowledge about administration, road building, hydrology, and assorted other practical arts from their ancient forebears