Download or read book Ancient Rome s Worst Emperors written by L J Trafford and published by Pen and Sword History. This book was released on 2024-01-30 with total page 309 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who qualifies as the worst of Roman emperors and why? Join L J Trafford for a tour of the very worst leadership in ancient Rome featuring Caligula, Commodus and many more. Between 27 BCE and 476 CE a series of men became Roman Emperor, ruling a domain that stretched across Europe, North Africa and the Near East. Some of them did this rather well, expanding Romes territories further, installing just laws and maintaining order within the city. Others, however, were distinctly less successful at the job. Ancient Romes Worst Emperors takes an engaging and amusing look at the mad, the bad and the catastrophically incompetent of Romes rulers. From the sadistically cruel Caligula to the hopelessly weak Valentinian II, there were many who failed dismally at the top job for a variety of reasons. But what qualifies someone as a worst emperor? What evidence is there to support it? And should we believe any of it? Join us on a tour of the very worst leadership ancient Rome has to offer as we delve into sadistic acts of cruelty, paranoia run rampant, poor decision-making skills and the danger of being the wrong man at the wrong time.
Download or read book Evil Roman Emperors written by Phillip Barlag and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2021-06-15 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nero fiddled while Rome burned. As catchy as that aphorism is, it’s sadly untrue, even if it has a nice ring to it. The one thing Nero is well-known for is the one thing he actually didn’t do. But fear not, the truth of his life, his rule and what he did with unrestrained power, is plenty weird, salacious and horrifying. And he is not alone. Roman history, from the very foundation of the city, is replete with people and stories that shock our modern sensibilities. Evil Roman Emperors puts the worst of Rome’s rulers in one place and offers a review of their lives and a historical context for what made them into what they became. It concludes by ranking them, counting down to the worst ruler in Rome’s long history. Lucius Tarquinius Suburbus called peace conferences with warring states, only to slaughter foreign leaders; Commodus sold offices of the empire to the highest bidder; Caligula demanded to be worshipped as a god, and marched troops all the way to the ocean simply to collect seashells as “proof” of their conquest; even the Roman Senate itself was made up of oppressors, exploiters, and murderers of all stripes. Author Phillip Barlag profiles a host of evil Roman rulers across the history of their empire, along with the faceless governing bodies that condoned and even carried out heinous acts. Roman history, deviant or otherwise, is a subject of endless fascination. What’s never been done before is to look at the worst of the worst at the same time, comparing them side by side, and ranking them against one another. Until now.
Download or read book Lives of the Twelve Caesars written by Suetonius and published by Wordsworth Editions. This book was released on 1997 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This text by Suetonius, a Latin biographer, is a major source for the period from Julius Caesar to Domitian. It sets out a great range of aspects illuminating the emperors' characters, their habits - from table to bedchamber - their intrigues, loves and their deaths.
Download or read book How to Be a Bad Emperor written by Suetonius and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2020-02-04 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What would Caligula do? What the worst Roman emperors can teach us about how not to lead If recent history has taught us anything, it's that sometimes the best guide to leadership is the negative example. But that insight is hardly new. Nearly 2,000 years ago, Suetonius wrote Lives of the Caesars, perhaps the greatest negative leadership book of all time. He was ideally suited to write about terrible political leaders; after all, he was also the author of Famous Prostitutes and Words of Insult, both sadly lost. In How to Be a Bad Emperor, Josiah Osgood provides crisp new translations of Suetonius's briskly paced, darkly comic biographies of the Roman emperors Julius Caesar, Tiberius, Caligula, and Nero. Entertaining and shocking, the stories of these ancient anti-role models show how power inflames leaders' worst tendencies, causing almost incalculable damage. Complete with an introduction and the original Latin on facing pages, How to Be a Bad Emperor is both a gleeful romp through some of the nastiest bits of Roman history and a perceptive account of leadership gone monstrously awry. We meet Caesar, using his aunt's funeral to brag about his descent from gods and kings—and hiding his bald head with a comb-over and a laurel crown; Tiberius, neglecting public affairs in favor of wine, perverse sex, tortures, and executions; the insomniac sadist Caligula, flaunting his skill at cruel put-downs; and the matricide Nero, indulging his mania for public performance. In a world bristling with strongmen eager to cast themselves as the Caesars of our day, How to Be a Bad Emperor is a delightfully enlightening guide to the dangers of power without character.
Download or read book The seven kings of Rome written by Livy and published by . This book was released on 1872 with total page 188 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book History of the Empire From the Death of Marcus written by Herodian and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2020-12-08 with total page 171 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: History of the Empire from the Death of Marcus by Herodian is about Roman history after the rule of Marcus Aurelius in which there were battles over the frontier and the coexistence of a wide variety of cultures. Herodian writes that the events described in his history occurred during his lifetime. Photius (Codex 99) gives an outline of the contents of this work and passes a flattering encomium on the style of Herodian, which he describes as clear, vigorous, agreeable, and preserving a happy medium between an utter disregard of art and elegance and a profuse employment of the artifices and prettinesses which were known under the name of Atticism.
Download or read book Tiberius written by Captivating History and published by . This book was released on 2019-12-07 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Compared with the preceding rulers, Julius Caesar and Augustus, the name does not ring out with the same fame and pomposity. Shakespeare wrote no plays about Tiberius; his name does not echo in the history books with the same awe-inspiring prominence.
Download or read book Ancient Rome s Worst Emperors written by L J Trafford and published by Pen and Sword History. This book was released on 2024-01-30 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who qualifies as the worst of Roman emperors and why? Join L J Trafford for a tour of the very worst leadership in ancient Rome featuring Caligula, Commodus and many more. Between 27 BCE and 476 CE a series of men became Roman Emperor, ruling a domain that stretched across Europe, North Africa and the Near East. Some of them did this rather well, expanding Romes territories further, installing just laws and maintaining order within the city. Others, however, were distinctly less successful at the job. Ancient Romes Worst Emperors takes an engaging and amusing look at the mad, the bad and the catastrophically incompetent of Romes rulers. From the sadistically cruel Caligula to the hopelessly weak Valentinian II, there were many who failed dismally at the top job for a variety of reasons. But what qualifies someone as a worst emperor? What evidence is there to support it? And should we believe any of it? Join us on a tour of the very worst leadership ancient Rome has to offer as we delve into sadistic acts of cruelty, paranoia run rampant, poor decision-making skills and the danger of being the wrong man at the wrong time.
Download or read book Caligula written by Stephen Barber and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most notorious of the Roman Emperors, Caligula,was renowned for his acts of madness, cruelty and,deviancy. Award winning writers Barber and Reed,join forces to document in full the atrocities of,Caligula which included marrying his sisterinstalling a horse in the Senate, and killing,innocent victims on a whim.
Download or read book The Mad Emperor written by Harry Sidebottom and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-10-06 with total page 381 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'Buy the book; it's very entertaining.' David Aaronovitch, The Times A Financial Times, BBC History and Spectator Book of the Year On 8 June 218 AD, a fourteen-year-old Syrian boy, egged on by his grandmother, led an army to battle in a Roman civil war. Against all expectations, he was victorious. Varius Avitus Bassianus, known to the modern world as Heliogabalus, was proclaimed emperor. The next four years were to be the strangest in the history of the empire. Heliogabalus humiliated the prestigious Senators and threw extravagant dinner parties for lower-class friends. He ousted Jupiter from his summit among the gods and replaced him with Elagabal. He married a Vestal Virgin – twice. Rumours abounded that he was a prostitute. In the first biography of Heliogabalus in over half a century, Harry Sidebottom unveils the high drama of sex, religion, power and culture in Ancient Rome as we’ve never seen it before.
Download or read book The Roman Emperor Aurelian written by John F. White and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2015-11-30 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The leader who helped keep the Dark Ages at bay: “An excellent picture of the Crisis of the Third Century and the life and work of Aurelian” (StrategyPage). The ancient Sibylline prophecies had foretold that the Roman Empire would last for one thousand years. As the time for the expected dissolution approached in the middle of the third century AD, the empire was lapsing into chaos, with seemingly interminable civil wars over the imperial succession. The western empire had seceded under a rebel emperor, and the eastern empire was controlled by another usurper. Barbarians took advantage of the anarchy to kill and plunder all over the provinces. Yet within the space of just five years, the general, and later emperor, Aurelian had expelled all the barbarians from within the Roman frontiers, reunited the entire empire, and inaugurated major reforms of the currency, pagan religion, and civil administration. His accomplishments have been hailed by classical scholars as those of a superman, yet Aurelian himself remains little known to a wider audience. His achievements enabled the Roman Empire to survive for another two centuries, ensuring a lasting legacy of Roman civilization for the successor European states. Without Aurelian, the Dark Ages would probably have lasted centuries longer.
Download or read book Constantine written by Paul Stephenson and published by Abrams. This book was released on 2010-06-10 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This “knowledgeable account” of the emperor who brought Christianity to Rome “provides valuable insight into Constantine’s era” (Kirkus Reviews). “By this sign conquer.” So began the reign of Constantine. In 312 A.D. a cross appeared in the sky above his army as he marched on Rome. In answer, Constantine bade his soldiers to inscribe the cross on their shield, and so fortified, they drove their rivals into the Tiber and claimed Rome for themselves. Constantine led Christianity and its adherents out of the shadow of persecution. He united the western and eastern halves of the Roman Empire, raising a new city center in the east. When barbarian hordes consumed Rome itself, Constantinople remained as a beacon of Roman Christianity. Constantine is a fascinating survey of the life and enduring legacy of perhaps the greatest and most unjustly ignored of the Roman emperors—written by a richly gifted historian. Paul Stephenson offers a nuanced and deeply satisfying account of a man whose cultural and spiritual renewal of the Roman Empire gave birth to the idea of a unified Christian Europe underpinned by a commitment to religious tolerance. “Successfully combines historical documents, examples of Roman art, sculpture, and coinage with the lessons of geopolitics to produce a complex biography of the Emperor Constantine.” —Publishers Weekly
Download or read book Emperors of Rome The Monsters written by Paul Chrystal and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2018-11-30 with total page 203 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As with everything else, there were good and bad Roman emperors. The good, like Trajan (98117), Hadrian (117138), Antoninus Pius (138161) and Marcus Aurelius (161180) were largely civilized and civilizing. The bad, on the other hand, were sometimes nothing less than monsters, exhibiting varying degrees of corruption, cruelty, depravity and insanity. It is a sobering thought that these ogres were responsible for governing the greatest civilization in the world, simultaneously terrorizing, brutalizing and massacring. Tiberius, Caligula, Nero, Domitian, Commodus, Caracella, Elagabalus, Septimius Severus, Diocletian, Maximinus Thrax, Justinian and Theodora all had more bad days than good; they are all covered in this book.Their exploits have, of course, been well documented since classical times but much of the coverage can only be called gratuitous, sensationalist or tabloid. This book is different because it is based on primary sources and evidence and attempts to balance out the shocking with any mitigating aspects in each of their lives. Many of our monsters have some redeeming factors and it is important that these are exposed if a true record of their lives is to be conveyed. The book also examines how each of the twelve has been treated for posterity in literature, theatre and film, and the lessons intended to be drawn from popular culture through the ages.
Download or read book Marcus Aurelius Caligula Rome s Most Controversial Emperors the Biography Collection written by The History Hour and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2019-03-03 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Marcus Aurelius was an outstanding person and Emperor of Ancient Rome. He was far more concerned with ways of thinking than with warfare. Being a small boy he applied himself to task with education. Marcus preferred others over himself, putting his own welfare aside for the good of other people. His nature is obvious in his kindness and consideration for others; but his sharp intelligence is also evident in his writing and in his excellence in jurisprudence. People called him a Great Emperor and a Philosopher King. Inside you will read about... The Young Marcus Training in Oratory Antoninus's reign Antoninus's death Philosopher turned Emperor Marcus and Lucius's reign The Slumbering Tiber The War with the Parthians The Antonine plague The youngest Consul in Roman history The End of the Pax Romana And much more! This book is a chronological biography of his life. Its aim is to not only describe the historical events of his life, but also to delve into his character. It explores who the man really was, especially the contrast between the high station thrust upon him and the simplicity he longed for. Caligula was born into the first ruling family of the Roman Empire, conventionally known as the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He is described as a noble and moderate emperor during the first six months of his rule. After this, the sources about the reign of Caligula focus upon his cruelty, sadism, extravagance, and sexual perversion, presenting him as an insane tyrant. Inside you'll read about The first Dynasty of Rome The new Emperor takes the throne A changed man A very un-Roman Emperor It's all true...or is it? Poison pens Lessons to learn Good qualities Famous for bad behavior And much more! Caligula was assassinated because of a conspiracy by officers of the Praetorian Guard, senators, and courtiers. On the day of the assassination of Caligula, the Praetorians declared Caligula's uncle, Claudius, the next Roman emperor. Although the Julio-Claudian dynasty continued to rule the empire until the fall of his nephew Nero, Caligula's death marked the official end of the Julii Caesares in the male line.
Download or read book Marcus Aurelius written by Frank McLynn and published by Da Capo Press. This book was released on 2009-08-20 with total page 722 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD) is one of the great figures of antiquity who still speaks to us today, more than two thousand years after his death. His Meditations has been compared by John Stuart Mill to the Sermon on the Mount. A guide to how we should live, it remains one of the most widely read books from the classical world. But Marcus Aurelius was much more than a philosopher. As emperor he stabilized the empire, issued numerous reform edicts, and defended the borders with success. His life itself represented the fulfillment of Plato's famous dictum that mankind will prosper only when philosophers are rulers and rulers philosophers. Frank McLynn's Marcus Aurelius, based on all available original sources, is the definitive and most vivid biography to date of this monumental historical figure.
Download or read book Rome written by Greg Woolf and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2012 with total page 383 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A major new history of the spectacular rise and fall of the ancient world's greatest empire
Download or read book God on Earth Emperor Domitian written by Aurora Raimondi Cominesi and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In life, the emperor Domitian (81-96 CE) marketed himself as a god; after his assassination he was condemned to be forgotten. Nonetheless he oversaw a literary, cultural, and monumental revival on a scale not witnessed since Rome's first emperor, Augustus. In tandem with an exhibition in the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden and the Mercati Traianei in Rome, planned for 2021-2022, this volume offers a fresh perspective on Domitian and his reign. This collecti.
