That's about the worst time of the year for cheap fares. The summer is where airlines makes most of their money.
I could see around a few flights for about $1015-1060 in Vayama, one of the better sites for international travel.
dont forget the mechanics for the planes. flight attendants salaries, and paying for there hotels after there flight. there are a ton of costs. thats why one day if we dont do better this country will pay dearly for not having a better mass transit system.
$703 to Paris, you can take a train to Italy, I have done it quite a few times or to Newark, then Milan for $1,008 continental.com I just typed in houston to Paris/Milan, August 4th-17th flights to Rome are significantly more expensive. Every time I travel through Europe, we fly into Paris and make our way by train from there. The trains are relatively inexpensive and comfortable. I have not gone the distance of Rome to Paris, but if you are trying to save money, I would do that, although it may take up most of a day.