This is where Kovaliov shines. He dedicates extensive pages to the , the rebellion of Spartacus (which he portrays as a genuine slave war), and the dictatorships of Marius, Sulla, and Caesar. He argues that Caesar was not a "great man" directing history, but a product of the failure of the oligarchic Republic to manage its new imperial slave economy.

. It remains one of the most respected manuals for the study of the Roman world, known for its unique application of historical materialism to ancient history. Book Overview Author Profile

: Analysis of the Gracchi brothers and the rise of military dictators.