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Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World
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About This Book
A sweeping account of the social and political world of the Roman emperors by "the world's most famous classicist" ( Guardian ). In her international bestseller SPQR , Mary Beard told the thousand-year story of ancient Rome. Now she shines her spotlight on the emperors who ruled the Roman empire, from Julius Caesar (assassinated 44 BCE) to Alexander Severus (assassinated 235 CE). Emperor of Rome is not your usual chronological account of Roman rulers, such as the mad Caligula, the monster Nero, the philosopher Marcus Aurelius. Beard asks bigger questions: What power did emperors actually have? Was the Roman palace really so bloodstained? She tracks down the emperor at home, at the races, on his travels, even on his way to heaven. She introduces his wives and lovers, rivals and slaves, court jesters and soldiers―and the ordinary people who pressed begging letters into his hands. Emperor of Rome goes directly to the heart of Roman (and our own) fantasies about what it was to be Roman, offering an account of Roman history as it has never been presented before. 160 images; 16-page color insert
Reviews
"An impressive work of social history."
"Sometimes-delightful."
"By the end of this thrilling book we are no nearer to looking the emperor in the eye."
"...an extraordinary investigation into the gulf between the experience and the narrative of Roman autocracy."
"What ultimately emerges in these rigorously researched pages is an account that gives life to an often shadowy yet captivating figure."
"She is an engaging writer and a valuable enthusiast for the classics."
"For all its detail and diverse interests, the book's unifying argument might be that it is very hard to grasp the truth of what the emperors were actually like ..."
"Beard analyzes both textual and archaeological evidence to describe what actually took place at the table on the Palatine Hill or at one of the villas outside Rome itself."
"Beard knows how to introduce the lives and work of unfamiliar characters in a fashion that concisely provides both general historical background and intricate detail about their actions ..."
"Beard, a consummate storyteller, finds 'ancient gossip' understandably hard to resist."
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