Product Description

A book focusing on the succession of 80 Roman emperors, using timelines and visual aids. Information such as who built the Colosseum and when Rome was sacked by the Goths is provided. There are biographical portraits of the 56 principal emperors from Augustus to Constantine, with a concluding section on the later emperors. Contemporary judgements made by writers such as Suetonius and Tacitus are balanced by character assessments made in the light of modern research. The famous and the infamous emperors are all looked at, including Caligula and Claudius, Trajan and Caracalla. Each emperor is introduced by a coin portrait, a bust and a datafile listing information about their lives.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #79471 in Books
• Published on: 1995-10-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

Customer Reviews

The Emperors: A complete chronology
I had looked forward to receiving this book eagerly and in no way did it disappoint. Scarre's analysis goes into intricate depth and his ability to question the biases of some of the historians of the day is something which he can take real credit for.
Starting with Augustus, you journey through the ups and downs of the Roman Empire in startling detail, comprehensive accounts are given of each Emperor and dynasty, right through to the 5th century AD.
From this we are easily able to understand each Emperor at an individual level. Those that greatly forwarded the fortunes of the empire, the forgotten Emperors who ruled only briefly as well as the monsters and megalomaniacs!
I found this to be a thoroughly informative and gripping account.

A polished pageant of Rome's Emperors
Dr. Scarre has written an excellent review of the lives of the most powerful men of Imperial Rome. Chronologically, with linking time lines he introduces the reader to the men behind the torsos and coins which are often all that is left of their reign. The illustrations are well chosen and relevant to each subject and I particularly liked the contemporaneous quotes and the way they are explained in context. The book is well laid out and suitable for simply reading through or for reference. The prose is scholarly and accessible. The book has a useful bibliography for those that want to take their interest further. In these days of computers and easy travel, I would like to have seen a list of website addresses of museums relevant to the subjects and some maps linked to each emperor indicating archeological sites where they had left their mark. Could this be the next book? Highly recommended.

The roman emperors
First of all this is one of the best books you can get for this subject, in terms being accurate and straight to the point, giving plenty of detail and not over doing it. This then not only makes it a exciting and educational read but also makes it a good reference guide. All in all ane of the best book on the roman emperors you can get. An excelent job.