This is the first general survey of Roman Italy that brings together the wealth of evidence available from literary sources, inscriptions, and the exciting recent discoveries in Roman archaeology. Written in a lively prose with the lay reader as well as the scholar in mind, Potter's account is one of the few to cover the whole period of Roman Italy. "[In this] fascinating book, lavishly produced for its modest price, Dr. Potter manages to be both scholarly and highly readable. This is not just a book for the Roman specialist but can be enjoyed by anyone interested in the development of the social, cultural and economic life of a community whose parallels to the modern world are often closer than we imagine."--Richard Brooks, "European Access This is the first general survey of Roman Italy that brings together the wealth of evidence available from literary sources, inscriptions and the exciting recent discoveries in Roman archaeology. Written in a lively prose with the lay reader as well as scholar in mind, Potter's account is one of the few to cover the whole period of Roman Italy. T.W. Potter is Assistant Keeper, Department of Prehistoric and Romano British Antiquities, British Museum.