The Punic Wars open this second volume, which describes the unstoppable advance of Roman domination to the natural frontiers of Italy, first, and then much further, from the union of the Italic States to the submission of Carthage and Greece . Mommsen is not limited to the chronological narration of military events: its objective is the systematic reconstruction of Roman civilization, both the explanation of its formidable territorial expansion and also the analysis of relations between rulers and the governed, the characteristics of the economic system of Romans, beliefs and customs, literature and art. When Theodor Mommsen's History of Rome was published for the first time in 1856, it had a remarkable impact. His style of modern and fluid writing, the literary strength of his descriptions and the controversial nature of many of his judgments about Roman political figures surprised and imprinted a stamp of originality to a work today classic, which earned the author the Nobel Prize of Literature in 1902. Of indispensable reading for those who try to approach the history of ancient Rome, this new edition has been updated in order to adapt the text in Spanish to our current speech and also restores the original partition of the German version. The prestigious historian Luis Alberto Romero was in charge of the final revision of the edition and also provides, in the presentation, reading keys for the contemporary public.