Each title in the "Cultural Atlas for Young People" series aims to provide young readers with detailed information on a period in history. Special feature spreads in colour are devoted to large-scale reconstructions of significant episodes and events, while others focus on centres of civilization which can still be visited today. Equal emphasis is given to political and social history, illustrated with charts and chronologies. This text tells the story of the rise of ancient Rome, from a tiny cluster of villages to an empire that ruled the Western world. Maps interspersed with double-page feature spreads illustrate all aspects of this great civilization, from language and art to religion. Other subjects discussed include the war with Hannibal, the rise of Julius Caesar, life in Pompeii, Roman Britain, Roman architecture, technology and the decline of the Roman empire.