In September 2023, ancient Rome became the focus of a viral social media trend. Women were encouraged to ask men how often they thought about the Roman Empire. The results were emphatic. It became apparent that many men thought about the Roman Empire frequently. The enduring fascination with the Romans should not be surprising; they continue to have an impact on our lives every day.

Several lasting influences are identified in Ross King’s The Shortest History of Ancient Rome, many of which we take for granted. Among the most prominent is our system of timekeeping. At the behest of Julius Caesar, a new calendar was inaugurated in 46 BCE that divided the year into twelve months. We owe the lengths of our months and their names to the Romans. King exhibits particular relish in highlighting the Latin roots of English words. For example, readers are informed that words like ‘edifice’, ‘portal’, and ‘society’ are derived from aedis (temple or dwelling), porta (gate), and socius (friend or partner) respectively.