This set examines the city of Rome, as the center of the Roman Empire, from 100 BCE through 200 CE, as a site of encounter, where people from multiple cultures met, interacted, and exchanged products, ideas and technologies. To spark student interest, most of the sources in the set are related to gladiatorial games and other public entertainments such as chariot racing and theatre. Students investigate how Rome attracted people, products and ideas and simultaneously distributed those throughout the empire and beyond.