This book divides the history of Rome, known as the "lake of all civilizations," into ten themes, including heroes, women, and architecture. Within each theme, it presents ten key scenes for easy viewing.
From great emperors to lowly slaves, from moments of brilliant glory to moments of miserable ruin, it encapsulates the rise and fall of civilizations, while also describing the meaning, entertainment, and reflection their stories offer us today.
If you want to know the secrets that made Rome a legendary empire, this book is all you need.

Part 1: The Heroes of Rome
1-1.
Romulus: Founded on Seven Hills
In a way, it's ironic.
He was born of adultery, raised by a prostitute, killed his own brother, and orchestrated a gang rape.
Could such a man truly reign as king and be worshipped as a god? On the one hand, he was not only a fighter, but also a remarkable leader, transforming the hapless into warriors and citizens.
It also created institutions that enabled people to understand each other's positions and look to their common interests rather than relying solely on their own charisma.
The openness he displayed, the spirit of sophisticated and practical law, and the attitude that force was the answer were carried on throughout ancient Rome, and Rome turned the Mediterranean into a lake and became the lake of Western civilization.
Perhaps the Romans' attitude of deifying the founding monarch while not erasing or forgiving his human flaws from the records (compare Dangun, King Dongmyeongseong, and Park Hyeokgeose, who have no flaws in their records) may have allowed the nation founded by Romulus to last so long and prosper so well.
--- p.53~54

Part 2: The Emperor of Rome
2-3.
Nero: Dreaming of becoming the empire's greatest jester
When Nero ascended to the throne, Rome was pondering the question, 'What exactly does an emperor mean?'
Each emperor of the past answered with his own personality.
Augustus was the founder of various institutions, Tiberius was a ruthless administrator, and Caligula was a dictator.
And when the title of fifth emperor returned to Nero, after the incompetent Claudius, he presented himself as a Roman emperor in another sense: “the world’s greatest entertainer, the symbol that unites all Romans.”
He pursued politics that were popular with the majority of the people and maintained his authority through charm rather than force.
Wouldn't a kind-hearted clown be a better ruler than a vicious fighter? Had he not been particularly reviled by the aristocracy, intellectuals, and Christians, he might not have become the subject of such a bitter infamy.
--- p.133

Part 3: Women of Rome
3-3.
Cornelia: Becoming the Symbol of the Great Mother
Cornelia was the daughter of a hero and the mother of a hero.
But because of them, her real life was not well revealed.
She became her father's 'thank you gift' by marrying an uncle who was her uncle's age, and spent her youth supporting her husband, and after her husband's death, she lived only for her sons.
Was the "Three Pillars of Faith" she followed truly the path she desired? At the time, there were few ways for women to shine in the world, and being a good wife and wise mother seemed like the only way.
But she actually used another method.
Study and education are the key! Thus, today, many people evaluate her not as a "great mother," but as an "ancient female intellectual who demonstrated her talents in literature and education."
--- p.194

Part 4: Roman Architecture
4-10.
Hagia Sophia: Surpassing Solomon's Temple
In 537, Justinian, who attended the dedication ceremony with Procopius, was so moved by the magnificence of the completed cathedral that he raised his arms and cried out, "This is beyond my imagination!"
“Solomon, I have defeated you!”
Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, described in the Bible as the most beautiful building in history.
Herod's temple, which was rebuilt with great magnificence and splendor after its destruction.
The Roman emperor who even destroyed the temple.
It was a cry of triumph and emotion, as he, the successor to the emperor, declared that he had built a temple more beautiful than Herod's temple or Solomon's temple.
Whether he was aware of it or not, it was also a triumph over Hadrian's pantheon.
Compared to the Pantheon, which adds mystery to the grandeur of its large, massive dome ceiling with a single oculus at the top, the ceiling of Hagia Sophia is larger, higher, and bathed in more and more colorful sunlight, taking the breath away of all who look up.
Among the cathedrals in the world, no other building displays the effects of light so impressively, except perhaps Spain's Sagrada Familia.
--- p.286~287

Part 5: The Roman Wars
5-5.
Spartacus's Rebellion: A Cry for Humanity at the Center of the World
How could an army of "subhuman" slaves repeatedly defeat the world's most powerful Roman army? The fact that the Roman army's elite and main force were located outside Italy played a significant role.
Pompey was in Spain suppressing Sertorius's rebellion, while in the east Lucullus was waging the Mithridatic War.
However, it would not be an exaggeration to say that the main causes were the accumulated resentment and anger from being treated less than human, the determination to die as warriors rather than live as slaves, the desperate courage displayed by this slave army burning with that spirit, and the tactics and leadership of Spartacus that helped them properly shake off that courage.
--- p.324

Part 6: Roman Technology
6-2.
Cement: Even ancient Rome had apartment complexes.
There were many problems.
There was a risk that the building would crack or collapse due to the use of poor quality materials, and in the event of a fire, residents of high-rise buildings had no way to escape (so it was common to avoid cooking at home and instead eat out).
There were no separate heating or cooling facilities.
The biggest problem was that the water pipes only reached the first floor! So, drinking water and laundry water had to be fetched from the first floor, and waste had to be collected and then brought down to the first floor to be disposed of.
If you can't stand the filth and hassle, you'll just pour it out the window! So, walking around the apartment at night was incredibly dangerous.
With Roman technology, it would have been possible to design a system that would bring water from the upper floors and then distribute it evenly to each floor.
But the poor had no obligation to go to such trouble.
--- p.375

Book of Rome, Part 7
7-5.
The Art of Loving: Timeless Advice on Love and Sex
'Why do we still read a book that is so hedonistic, so male-centric, and so blatantly recommends something that would be criminal by today's standards (even by those times?)?' This question might arise.
Firstly, if you look closely, you will see that this book is imbued with the Roman way of thinking.
The Romans were thorough pragmatists, worldlyists, and viewed everything through the lens of war.
In the case of love, you should find a place where you can meet a great partner (scrutinize the terrain), find out what the partner particularly likes and make them like you (find out the enemy's weakness and focus on attacking it), if the partner is old and it is difficult to satisfy him/her sexually, you should hold on to him/her with culture and affection (offset the disadvantage in military power with the strength of your own army), and you should know when to charge and when to retreat...
Ovid's love is war.
--- p.220

Part 8: The Roman Gods
8-6.
Janus: The Beginning and the End
In Greece, he was nothing more than chaos, but in Rome, he became Janus, the ruler of all beginnings and endings! This could be interpreted to mean that Western civilization, once confined to the narrow confines of city-states, was now broadly and extensively forged by the Roman sword. Along this path, civilization, including Roman law and Greek philosophy, spread throughout the world, ushering in a glorious era of peace and prosperity for humanity.
In that sense, Janus was the symbol of Pax Romana, and many people prayed for that peace to last forever.
--- p.499

Part 9: The Roman System
9-2.
Senatus and Comitia: We are the real Rome
The process by which the center of the Roman assembly shifted from the curia to the centuries and then to the tribes shows the development of ancient democracy, centering on the question, "Who are the people, and how should they be treated?"
At first, only the distinction of identity between tribes based on bloodline, such as the Kims and Lees, was important.
Then, as society developed and identity based on property ownership became more distinct than blood ties within a community, the idea that "it's unfair that our rich pay a lot of taxes and serve in the military, but they enjoy the same power as the poor!" led to a systematization of national differentiation based on property.
However, as society grew larger and the conflict between the wealthy few and the poor many became more pronounced, the voices asking, "What are we poor people? Are we citizens or slaves? Let's assert our rights!" led the Minhoe to soon mean the Commoners' Association.
--- p.528~529

Part 10: The Legacy of Rome
10-7.
Popular Entertainment: Meet at the Colosseum
It is quite remarkable that the state provided free means of stress relief to individuals who 'could not live on bread alone'.
In the kingdoms of East Asia and the Middle East, there were cases where the idea that the state should educate its people was put into practice.
There was also national relief for the poor, although it was not systematic.
However, Rome is the only pre-modern civilization that considered public entertainment a fundamental business for the state to run.
Although it is said that this lowers the political awareness of citizens, on the other hand, when many people gather together and talk, political awareness can actually increase and a public forum can be formed.

--- p.616