Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Join World History Encyclopedia as they sit down with author and historian James Lacey to chat all about Rome: Strategy of Empire, the first work to lay out Roman strategic thinking from its start under Augustus until its final demise in 476 CE
From Octavian's victory at Actium (31 bc) to its traditional endpoint in the West (476), the Roman Empire lasted a solid 500 years—an impressive number by any standard, and fully one-fifth of all recorded history. In fact, the decline and final collapse of the Roman Empire took longer than most other empires even existed. Any historian trying to unearth the grand strategy of the Roman Empire must, therefore, always remain cognizant of the time scale, in which she is dealing.
Although the pace of change in the Roman era never approached that of the modern era, it was not an empire in stasis. While the visible trappings may have changed little, the challenges Rome faced at its end were vastly different than those faced by Augustus and the Julio-Claudians. Over the centuries, the Empire's underlying economy, political arrangements, military affairs, and, most importantly, the myriad of external threats it faced were in constant flux, making adaptability to changing circumstances as important to Roman strategists as it is to strategists of the modern era.
By employing an expansive definition of strategy and by focusing much of the narrative on crucial historical moments and the personalities involved, James Lacey provides a comprehensive, persuasive, and engaging account of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. It assimilates the most recent work of classical historians and archaeologists to correct the flaws and omissions of previous accounts, thus presenting the most complete and nuanced narrative of Roman strategic thinking and execution ever published.
— BUY ROME: STRATEGY OF EMPIRE —
Buy the book from Oxford University Press global.oup.com/academic/product/rome-9780190937706?utm_campaign=1433189261099882389&utm_source=third%20party&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=text+advert&utm_term=WHE
— SUPPORT US VIA OUR PATREON—
patreon.com/join/whencyclopedia
— BUY OUR MERCH —
https://www.worldhistory.store/ (https://www.worldhistory.store/%E2%80%8B)
— CHAPTERS —
0:00 Introduction
0:51 James Jacey's background
6:00 Focus of the book - the strategy of Ancient Rome
17:34 Modern-day strategy and its links with Ancient Roman strategy
35:19 Outro
— WANT TO KNOW MORE? —
Ancient Rome worldhistory.org/Rome
Roman Empire worldhistory.org/Roman_Empire
The Extent of the Roman Empire worldhistory.org/article/851/the-extent-of-the-roman-empire
Enemies of Rome in the 3rd Century CE worldhistory.org/article/1145/enemies-of-rome-in-the-3rd-century-ce
Roman Warfare member.worldhistory.org/Roman_Warfare
Roman Army member.worldhistory.org/Roman_Army
— WATCH —
The Roman Invasion of Britain with Richard Hingley youtube.com/watch?v=YNfdfuH7z1c
Rome: An Empire's Story with Greg Woolf youtube.com/watch?v=PTQSrskjPRs
The Roman Epic Poem The Aeneid: Introduction and Summary youtube.com/watch?v=d2dcqDjxl_c
History of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty of the Roman Empire youtube.com/watch?v=HE7l5GL8KcI
— ATTRIBUTIONS —
The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:
ancientlyre.com
open.spotify.com/artist/7Dx2vFEg8DmOJ5YCRm4A5v?si=emacIH9CRieFNGXRUyJ9
youtube.com/channel/UCJ1X6F7lGMEadnNETSzTv8A
World History Encyclopedia
worldhistory.org
Join World History Encyclopedia as they sit down with author and historian James Lacey to chat all about Rome: Strategy of Empire, the first work to lay out Roman strategic thinking from its start under Augustus until its final demise in 476 CE
From Octavian's victory at Actium (31 bc) to its traditional endpoint in the West (476), the Roman Empire lasted a solid 500 years—an impressive number by any standard, and fully one-fifth of all recorded history. In fact, the decline and final collapse of the Roman Empire took longer than most other empires even existed. Any historian trying to unearth the grand strategy of the Roman Empire must, therefore, always remain cognizant of the time scale, in which she is dealing.
Although the pace of change in the Roman era never approached that of the modern era, it was not an empire in stasis. While the visible trappings may have changed little, the challenges Rome faced at its end were vastly different than those faced by Augustus and the Julio-Claudians. Over the centuries, the Empire's underlying economy, political arrangements, military affairs, and, most importantly, the myriad of external threats it faced were in constant flux, making adaptability to changing circumstances as important to Roman strategists as it is to strategists of the modern era.
By employing an expansive definition of strategy and by focusing much of the narrative on crucial historical moments and the personalities involved, James Lacey provides a comprehensive, persuasive, and engaging account of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. It assimilates the most recent work of classical historians and archaeologists to correct the flaws and omissions of previous accounts, thus presenting the most complete and nuanced narrative of Roman strategic thinking and execution ever published.
— BUY ROME: STRATEGY OF EMPIRE —
Buy the book from Oxford University Press global.oup.com/academic/product/rome-9780190937706?utm_campaign=1433189261099882389&utm_source=third%20party&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=text+advert&utm_term=WHE
— SUPPORT US VIA OUR PATREON—
patreon.com/join/whencyclopedia
— BUY OUR MERCH —
https://www.worldhistory.store/ (https://www.worldhistory.store/%E2%80%8B)
— CHAPTERS —
0:00 Introduction
0:51 James Jacey's background
6:00 Focus of the book - the strategy of Ancient Rome
17:34 Modern-day strategy and its links with Ancient Roman strategy
35:19 Outro
— WANT TO KNOW MORE? —
Ancient Rome worldhistory.org/Rome
Roman Empire worldhistory.org/Roman_Empire
The Extent of the Roman Empire worldhistory.org/article/851/the-extent-of-the-roman-empire
Enemies of Rome in the 3rd Century CE worldhistory.org/article/1145/enemies-of-rome-in-the-3rd-century-ce
Roman Warfare member.worldhistory.org/Roman_Warfare
Roman Army member.worldhistory.org/Roman_Army
— WATCH —
The Roman Invasion of Britain with Richard Hingley youtube.com/watch?v=YNfdfuH7z1c
Rome: An Empire's Story with Greg Woolf youtube.com/watch?v=PTQSrskjPRs
The Roman Epic Poem The Aeneid: Introduction and Summary youtube.com/watch?v=d2dcqDjxl_c
History of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty of the Roman Empire youtube.com/watch?v=HE7l5GL8KcI
— ATTRIBUTIONS —
The music used in this recording is the intellectual copyright of Michael Levy, a prolific composer for the recreated lyres of antiquity, and used with the creator's permission. Michael Levy's music is available to stream at all the major digital music platforms. Find out more on:
ancientlyre.com
open.spotify.com/artist/7Dx2vFEg8DmOJ5YCRm4A5v?si=emacIH9CRieFNGXRUyJ9
youtube.com/channel/UCJ1X6F7lGMEadnNETSzTv8A
World History Encyclopedia
worldhistory.org
