New discoveries constantly make us rethink what we know about Roman history. A Companion to the Roman Empire keeps students and professional historians up to date with these developments, but also demonstrates to a wider audience why the Roman Empire remains a compelling and vibrant subject. It provides readers with a guide both to Roman imperial history and to the field of Roman studies.

The individual contributors to this volume all make significant new contributions to the areas about which they are writing. Topics range from intellectual and social issues, to administrative, economic, and cultural history, and each chapter provides readers with a survey of the subject. The Companion also includes a discussion of sources and methods for studying Roman imperial history.