
Escape from Rome
Description
Alles über E-Books | Antworten auf Fragen rund um E-Books, Kopierschutz und Dateiformate finden Sie in unserem Info- & Hilfebereich.
The fall of the Roman Empire has long been considered one of the greatest disasters in history. But in this groundbreaking book, Walter Scheidel argues that Rome's dramatic collapse was actually the best thing that ever happened, clearing the path for Europe's economic rise and the creation of the modern age. Ranging across the entire premodern world, Escape from Rome offers new answers to some of the biggest questions in history: Why did the Roman Empire appear? Why did nothing like it ever return to Europe? And, above all, why did Europeans come to dominate the world?
In an absorbing narrative that begins with ancient Rome but stretches far beyond it, from Byzantium to China and from Genghis Khan to Napoleon, Scheidel shows how the demise of Rome and the enduring failure of empire-building on European soil ensured competitive fragmentation between and within states. This rich diversity encouraged political, economic, scientific, and technological breakthroughs that allowed Europe to surge ahead while other parts of the world lagged behind, burdened as they were by traditional empires and predatory regimes that lived by conquest. It wasn't until Europe "escaped" from Rome that it launched an economic transformation that changed the continent and ultimately the world.
What has the Roman Empire ever done for us? Fall and go away.
More details
Other editions
Additional editions


Person
Content
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- Dedication
- CONTENTS
- List of Figures and Tables
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction: The Great Escape
- PART I. THE EUROPEAN ANOMALY
- 1 Patterns of Empire
- PART II. WHY ROME?
- 2 Core
- 3 Periphery
- 4 Counterfactuals
- PART III. WHY ONLY ROME?
- 5 From Justinian to Frederick
- 6 From Genghis Khan to Napoleon
- PART IV. THE FIRST GREAT DIVERGENCE
- 7 From Convergence to Divergence
- 8 Nature
- 9 Culture
- PART V. FROM THE FIRST TO THE SECOND GREAT DIVERGENCE
- 10 Institutions
- 11 New Worlds
- 12 Understanding
- Epilogue: What Have the Romans Ever Done for Us?
- Glossary
- Technical Note to Chapter 1
- Notes
- References
- Index
System requirements
File format: ePUB
Copy protection: Watermark-DRM (Digital Rights Management)
System requirements:
- Computer (Windows; MacOS X; Linux): Use a reading software that can process the file format ePUB: e.g., Adobe Digital Editions or FBReader – both free (see eBook Help).
- Tablet/Smartphone (Android; iOS): Before downloading, install the free app Adobe Digital Editions (see eBook Help).
- E-reader: Bookeen, Kobo, Pocketbook, Sony, Tolino and many more (not Kindle).
The file format ePUB works well for novels and non-fiction books – i.e., „flowing” text without complex layout. On an e-reader or smartphone, line and page breaks automatically adjust to fit the small displays.
This eBook uses Watermark-DRM, a „soft” copy protection. This means that there are no technical restrictions to prevent illegal distribution. However, there is a personalised watermark embedded in the eBook that can be used to identify the purchaser of the eBook in the event of misuse and to provide evidence for legal purposes.
For more information, see our eBook Help page.