Sir Charles Lucas' book, first published in 1912, drew analogies between the British Empire and that of Rome. Stressing that the causes of an empire's growth and strength are numerous, and that geography and technological development are particularly important, he attempts to forecast the future development of the British Empire.

In later Victorian England, although classical literature had long dominated education, Roman history and politics became popular areas of study, particularly after Queen Victoria became Empress of India in 1877. Many writers on colonialism drew parallels between the Roman and British Empires, but Sir Charles Lucas' book, first published in 1912, went further in its analysis. He stresses that the causes of an empire's growth and strength are numerous, and that geography and technological development are particularly important. Like writers such as Froude, he attempts to forecast the future development of the British Empire. He also points out differences between the two empires. Roman expansion was not accompanied by widespread emigration, in the way that British colonists settled North America and Australasia, for example. British India, manifesting the military and economic domination of a much larger subject people by a tiny administrative class, bore more resemblance to Roman imperialism.