Theodor Mommsen, who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1902 for his "Roman History" is one of the outstanding German historians of all time. His scholarship is as impressive as it is seminal, and is appreciated even today: every path in Roman historical studies leads to him. However, Mommsen's importance is not limited to his work as an historian and organiser of historical research; as a convinced liberal, he also took an energetic part in political affairs of his time.
The present volume contains lectures delivered by renowned scholars from Germany, Italy and Norway at the Free University of Berlin to mark the 100th anniversary of Mommsen's death on 1st November 2003. The authors pay tribute to the various aspects of Mommsen's personality and work – from his scholarly achievements to his political commitment and his private life and the verdict of posterity – and thus provide a vivid and multi-facetted picture of this great scholar and his age.