The gripping story of how the end of the Roman Empire was the beginning of the modern world The fall of the Roman Empire has long been considered one of the greatest disasters in history. But in this groundbreaking book, Walter Scheidel argues that Rome's dramatic collapse was actually the best thing that ever happened, clearing the path for Europe's economic rise and the creation of the modern age. Ranging across the entire premodern world, Escape from Rome offers new answers to some of the biggest questions in history: Why did the Roman Empire appear? Why did nothing like it ever return to Europe? And, above all, why did Europeans come to dominate the world? In an absorbing narrative that begins with ancient Rome but stretches far beyond it, from Byzantium to China and from Genghis Khan to Napoleon, Scheidel shows how the demise of Rome and the enduring failure of empire-building on European soil launched an economic transformation that changed the continent and ultimately the world.

European private international law, as it stands in the Rome I, II, and III Regulations and the recent Succession Regulation, presents manifold risks of diverging judgments despite seemingly harmonised conflict of law rules. There is now a real danger, in light of the rapid increase in the number of legal instruments of the European Union on conflict of laws, that European private international law will become incoherent. This collection of essays by twenty noted scholars in the field sheds clear light on the pivotal issues of whether a set of overarching rules (a 'general part') is required, whether an EU regulation is the adequate legal instrument for such a purpose, which general questions such an instrument should address, and what solutions such an instrument should provide. In analysing the possible emergence of general principles in European private international law over the past years, the contributors discuss such issues and factors as the following: – the relationship between conflict of laws and recognition; - the room for party autonomy; - the concept of habitual residence; - adaptation when interplay between different laws leads to deadlock; - public policy exceptions; - the desirability of a general escape clause; - the classic topics of characterisation, incidental question, and renvoi; and - right to appeal in case of errors in the application of foreign law. Practitioners dealing with these notoriously difficult cases will welcome this in-depth treatment of the issues, as will interested policymakers throughout the EU Member States and at the EU level itself. Scholars will discover an incomparable comparative analysis leading to expert recommendations in European private international law, opening the way to an effective European framework in this area.

Aspiration is derived upon the breath of hope. This is the message that Lamont Z. Brown conveys in this new collection of stories and poetry. We all face challenges in life; Between the Gates of Heaven and Hell is meant to inspire and motivate its readers to face those challenges. There are days when life is hard, and things don't always go our way; there are times when we have great days and forget about the bad times in a second. Aimed at a diverse audience, Between the Gates of Heaven and Hell speaks about love, life, and even death-all experiences humans face at one time or another. Brown's work represents a realistic reflection of the distorted reality that we call existence. He presents stories and poetry that relate the challenges and mysteries of life. From a damaged relationship between a husband and wife that ends in a car crash to the lyrical poetry that explores life, he captures the true essence of our emotions. He takes you along on a journey with each of his characters, discovering who they are and what makes their worlds complete.

This book provides an unprecedented analysis on the place of performance. The central theme is that the place of performance is of considerable significance as a connecting factor in international commercial contracts. This book challenges and questions the approach of the European legislator for not explicitly giving special significance to the place of performance in determining the applicable law in the absence of choice for commercial contracts. It also contains, inter alia, an analogy to matters of foreign country mandatory rules, and the coherence between jurisdiction and choice of law. It concludes by proposing a revised Article 4 of Rome I Regulation, which could be used as an international solution by legislators, judges, arbitrators and other stakeholders who wish to reform their choice of law rules.

In this highly-illustrated book, Mary T. Boatwright examines five of the peoples incorporated into the Roman world from the Republican through the Imperial periods: northerners, Greeks, Egyptians, Jews, and Christians. She explores over time the tension between assimilation and distinctiveness in the Roman world, as well as the changes effected in Rome by its multicultural nature. Underlining the fundamental importance of diversity in Rome's self-identity, the book explores Roman tolerance of difference and community as the Romans expanded and consolidated their power and incorporated other peoples into their empire. The Peoples of the Roman World provides an accessible account of Rome's social, cultural, religious, and political history, exploring the rich literary, documentary, and visual evidence for these peoples and Rome's reactions to them.