The course summerizes the main facts of Roman history, from the origins of Rome to the fall of Roman empire, focusing economic, political, social and military questions by describing, through institutional persperctive: 1)The origins of Rome a)Greek colonization and Italic old people b)Etruscans, Latins and Sabins from the foundation of Rome to the monarchy c)Civitas as political and juridical system, social body and unity of economic production d)From Monarchy to Republic 2)The Res publica Romana a)Magistracy and popular assemblies b)Internal politics to the IV century BC: the conflict among patricians and plebeians c)Roman expansionism in Latium vetus d)Aristocracy and clientela: ager publicus, servi and liberti in early Rome e)The southern campaign: money and commerce as factors of social and political dynamics f)The first and second Punic war: expansionism between administration and wealth redistribution 3)The crisis of res publica and the question of mediterranean imperialism: third punic war between agricolture, demography and a renewed wealth flow a)The Gracchi and political struggle in second century BC b)Ordo equester and nobilitas: the birth of a modern financial system c)Army and socii Italici d)Marius and Drusus e)Bellum Sociale f)Lucius Cornelius Silla g)Political struggle from the triumvirate to the civil war: reforms and projects of Caesar 4)Augustus and the foundation of the Principate: juridical, political and ideological aspects a)Economic situation and social classes during the Principate b)Princeps and Senatus: central government and local administration c)From the Iulio-Claudian to the Antonian age: money, agricolture, commercial balance, provinciae and financial and administrative structure of the Empire d)Emperors from northern Africa between architectural splendours and a new idea of political power 5)Diocletianus and the Dominate a)Tetrarchy b)Military reforms c)Administrative, economic and fiscal measures d)The persecution against Christianity 6)From Constantinus to Theodosius a) Economy, religion and law in Constantinus’s perspective b)Theodosius and the division of Roman Empire c)The barbarian invasions and the fall of Roman Empire.The second part of the course points out the Roman history of Como, focusing the archaeological, urbanistic, artistic, social and economic issues, with special attention to 1)The Roman city of Como from its foundation to the cesarian colonization 2)Law, economy and society in Roman Como during the centuries. Special attention will be dedicated to Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Young.