Augustan Rome 44 BC to AD 14 - (Edinburgh History of Ancient Rome) by J S Richardson (Paperback)

About the Book

Centring on the reign of the emperor Augustus, volume four is pivotal to the series, tracing of the changing shape of the entity that was ancient Rome through its political, cultural and economic history.

Book Synopsis

Augustus: How the Roman Empire came about
The reign of Augustus, the first of the Roman emperors, has been seen, both by contemporaries and over the centuries that have followed, as a pivotal moment in the history of Rome. The final stage in the move to monarchical government and the structures he put in place, which were to last largely unchanged for over two hundred years, ensured this; but Augustus himself remains an enigmatic figure.
J. S. Richardson explores the processes which resulted in such a massive shift, and the often unforeseen events which led to the establishment of an empire and a dynasty.
Key features: * a pivotal volume in the series* traces the changing shape of the entity that was ancient Rome through its political, cultural and economic history* demonstrates how the effectiveness and dominance of Rome as the centre of work power became increasingly obvious
Keywords: Augustus; Roman Empire.

From the Back Cover

AUTHOR APPROVED Richardson narrates Rome's tortured passage from Republic to Empire with unflinching attention to detail. His account is a sustained tour de force that draws on an unsurpassed mastery of the ancient sources. The Augustus that emerges is less of a hero or a criminal than he has sometimes been imagined, but all the more believable as a result. Greg Woolf, Professor of Ancient History, University of St Andrews

The Edinburgh History of Ancient Rome is a chronological history of Rome and the Roman world in eight volumes. From the city's first settlement to the collapse of the western empire and the emergence of Byzantium some 1,500 years later, each volume encapsulates the ever-changing identity of Rome, providing overall unity to its dramatic history.

Series Editor: J. S. Richardson

Augustus: how the Roman Empire came about

The reign of Augustus, the first of the Roman emperors, has been seen, both by contemporaries and over the centuries that have followed, as a pivotal moment in the history of Rome. The final stage in the move to monarchical government and the structures he put in place, which were to last largely unchanged for over two hundred years, ensured this; but Augustus himself remains an enigmatic figure.

J. S. Richardson explores the processes which resulted in such a massive shift, and the often unforeseen events which led to the establishment of an empire and a dynasty.

Key features

• a pivotal volume in the series
• traces the changing shape of the entity that was ancient Rome through its political, cultural and economic history
• demonstrates how the effectiveness and dominance of Rome as the centre of work power became increasingly obvious

J. S. Richardson was Professor of Classics at the University of Edinburgh from 1987 to 2002.

Review Quotes

Richardson narrates Rome's tortured passage from Republic to Empire with unflinching attention to detail. His account is a sustained tour de force that draws on an unsurpassed mastery of the ancient sources. The Augustus that emerges is less of a hero or a criminal than he has sometimes been imagined, but all the more believable as a result.--Greg Woolf, University of St Andrews

This is a valuable and unique addition to the proliferating surveys of the age of Augustus. It stands out for its detailed coverage of the political as well as military history of the whole period, the latter of which is often underemphasized in teaching, despite its lasting impact. Instructors interested in training students in how to write history with such a focus will welcome it warmly.--Josiah Osgood, Georgetown University "Bryn Mawr Classical Review"

About the Author

John Richardson was Professor of Classics at the University of Edinburgh from 1987 to 2002. His main research interests have been in Roman imperialism (on which he published a book, The Language of Empire, in 2008), Roman Spain (Hispaniae (1986) and The Romans in Spain (1996)) and Roman law, on which he has written many articles in major journals. He was President of the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies from 1998 to 2001.