Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine by Barry Strauss (PDF)

Description

Bestselling classical historian Barry Strauss delivers “an exceptionally accessible history of the Roman Empire…much of Ten Caesars reads like a script for Game of Thrones” (The Wall Street Journal)—a summation of three and a half centuries of the Roman Empire as seen through the lives of ten of the most important emperors, from Augustus to Constantine.In this essential and “enlightening” (The New York Times Book Review) work, Barry Strauss tells the story of the Roman Empire from rise to reinvention, from Augustus, who founded the empire, to Constantine, who made it Christian and moved the capital east to Constantinople. During these centuries Rome gained in splendor and territory, then lost both. By the fourth century, the time of Constantine, the Roman Empire had changed so dramatically in geography, ethnicity, religion, and culture that it would have been virtually unrecognizable to Augustus. Rome’s legacy remains today in so many ways, from language, law, and architecture to the seat of the Roman Catholic Church. Strauss examines this enduring heritage through the lives of the men who shaped it: Augustus, Tiberius, Nero, Vespasian, Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, Septimius Severus, Diocletian, and Constantine. Over the ages, they learned to maintain the family business—the government of an empire—by adapting when necessary and always persevering no matter the cost. Ten Caesars is a “captivating narrative that breathes new life into a host of transformative figures” (Publishers Weekly). This “superb summation of four centuries of Roman history, a masterpiece of compression, confirms Barry Strauss as the foremost academic classicist writing for the general reader today” (The Wall Street Journal).

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review “An exceptionally accessible history of the Roman Empire. . . . Much of TEN CAESARS reads like a script for Game of Thrones. . . .This superb summation of four centuries of Roman history, a masterpiece of compression, confirms Barry Strauss as the foremost academic classicist writing for the general reader today.” — Andrew Roberts ― The Wall Street Journal“To cover 360-odd years in a similar number of pages means going at quite a lick. . . .The strength of this approach is that it offers perspective. All too often books on Rome, like literary grand tourists, revisit the familiar sites, lingering over the naughty Neros, the effective armies and the efficient bureaucracy. But, as Strauss shows, Rome was far more complex and far more interesting than that. . . . Enlightening.” — Catherine Nixey ― The New York Times Book Review“No one knows the secrets, the curses, the power and the glory of the Imperial families of Rome better than Barry Strauss. His Ten Caesars is captivating—essential reading for Romanophiles and for everyone who seeks to understand the most formidable personalities of the Roman Empire.” — Adrienne Mayor, author of The Amazons and The Poison King”In a single volume, Barry Strauss delivers the near-impossible: a straightforward, factual, insightful survey of the vast and turbulent history of Rome’s emperors from Augustus to Constantine. Any reader, from novice to expert, will arrive at the final page with a clearer understanding of the men (and sometimes women) who oversaw the shifting fortunes of Rome for over three hundred years.” — Steven Saylor, author of The Throne of Caesar and the New York Times bestseller Roma: The Novel of Ancient Rome“Strauss has mastered a vivid narrative line, a practiced skill at demystifying the past. . . . Readers will learn a lot from his book and the fables will make the lessons a bit sweeter along the way.” — Steve Donoghue ― Christian Science Monitor About the Author Barry Strauss is a professor of history and classics at Cornell University, The Corliss Page Dean Fellow at the Hoover Institution, and a leading expert on ancient military history. He has written or edited several books, including The Battle of Salamis, The Trojan War, The Spartacus War, Masters of Command, The Death of Caesar, and Ten Caesars. Visit BarryStrauss.com. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Ten Caesars Read more

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐SUMMARY. This book is deceptively short but information-rich. Author Strauss masterfully chooses ten Caesars whose reigns can serve as “jump points” to span this high period of the Western Roman Empire. The book was well-researched yet interesting and easy to understand. Strauss appears to have visited numerous Roman sites, and comments first-hand on their features. By using these prominent Caesars as focal points, Strauss teaches Roman history and introduces the reader to Roman times.Strauss personifies the Caesars by describing them physically from their Roman coinage and surviving statuary, and by speculating about their personalities. He also delves into family relationships and their effect on ruling and succession. The author provides two excellent guides to understand the dynastic framework: a “cast of characters” and a “family tree” for each dynasty. Unfortunately, this material is in the back of the book and not readily discovered.This book reminded me that some of the Roman traditions contributed to the modern world, such as a republican government, a system of laws, and the proclamation of Sunday as a day of rest. But their times also echo current political issues.INTRODUCTION. This book covers a relatively short but important period of Roman rule. From the founding of Rome until the fall of the Eastern Roman Empire covered 2,206 years. The era of the Western Roman emperors covered 520 of those years. And, this book covers 368 years of that period.The book provides a relevant study of what governance was like after Rome lost its republic. Rome formed a republic in 509 BC. But in 44 BC, Julius Caesar became “dictator for life” ending the republic’s 465-year span. From that time until its demise, Rome existed under authoritarian rule.HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK. The initial Caesar in this book, Augustus, was Rome’s first emperor following Julius Caesar. Ruling for 41 years (27 BC-14 AD), Augustus was perhaps the prototype Caesar. The empire’s expansion reached its peak during the reign of Trajan (98-117 AD). Then came the decline.The legions began to take a different role. Beyond deploying for expansion, they were used to protect the frontier and maintain order. Legion strength grew, and more money was need to satisfy them. Currency was devalued, which brought on inflation and economic woes.And, the empire that had been united by Roman culture and ideals of government was beginning to unwind. At the end of the 1st century, Trajan became the first Caesar from the provinces rather than from Rome. By the 3rd century, increasing numbers of citizens and legions were no longer Roman.The armies were already multi-cultural when Septimus Serverious (193-211 AD) became the first Caesar from North Africa. Then in 212 AD, the emperor Caracalla extended full Roman citizenship to all free-born subjects whether Roman or provincial. But citizenship’s meaning had already become devalued. A citizen’s vote became irrelevant because Caesars held the power.By the 4th century, parts of the empire began to be governed separately. Diocletian (284-305 AD), in order to ease the burden of empire rule, distributed power among four Caesars based on geography. Then in 330 AD Constantine, the first Christian Caesar, moved the unified empire’s center of power to the city of Byzantium and refounded it as Constantinople.Following periods of Christian persecution, Constantine supported Christianity with changes in Roman law, funding, and tolerance. And in 380 AD, Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire.Upon the death of Theodosius I, East and West were again divided in 395 AD. With Rome increasingly vulnerable to attack, in 402 AD, the Western Roman Empire’s capital was moved to Ravenna in northern Italy. In 476 AD, the barbarian invader Odoacer captured Ravenna and forced Emperor Romulus Augustulus to abdicate. The Western Roman Empire ceased to exist.The book concludes with a poignant epilog. In 540 AD, Justinian, emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, attacked Italy and recaptured Ravenna. The Roman Empire had returned, where the “afterglow” of its Latin culture remains to this day.INCONSISTENCY AND INSTABILITY. The nature of authoritarian leadership led to inconsistency. Some emperors emphasized expansion and militarism. Others sought a stable frontier and emphasized internal improvements. Nero and Hadrian gave heavier attention to arts and culture. Marcus Aurelius was a Caesar-philosopher. Diocletian excelled as an administrator.Rule under the Caesars was politically unstable. Succession plans varied, and were sometimes ambiguous. Caesars choose their successors through bloodlines or by creative adoptions.But the Roman army was also political. Many Caesars had risen through the military and respected the army’s power. The army chose contenders to become emperor and battled among themselves. They affected the succession process, including participation in assassinations.So, a Caesar’s death was an opportunity for upheaval. In the year 193 AD, five different Caesars ruled, followed by a four-year civil war among army powers. During other times, co-Caesars ruled.In the Roman Republic, the senate had enormous power. But under the Caesars, the senate grew weaker. Diocletian removed the senate’s authority to confirm the army’s choice for Caesar. Sometimes the senators could restrain a Caesar’s power, but their struggles could result in their exile or execution.By the 3rd century AD, the emperor was, essentially, the sole creator of the law. Political and economic situations deteriorated as the emperors assumed more direct control over all aspects of political life. Conditions for legal development became less favorable.LIFE OF A CAESAR. In the Caesars’ days, the man made the times. Possessing Rome’s power, each Caesar was free to pursue his own agenda. This book emphasizes the distinctive personalities, behaviors, and styles of the selected rulers. Although their interests varied, the most successful Caesars had diverse abilities and strong leadership qualities.A Caesar’s latitude was awesome. He had almost absolute power, including the power of life or death over his subjects. For example, if a Caesar wanted to marry a subject’s wife, he had only to order her husband to kill himself.But a Caesar’s life was perilous. A ruler who fell from favor with the citizenry, the senate, or the army risked assassination. A Caesar’s misguided abuses or a potential successor’s ambition could inspire a coup plot.During this period no woman rose to become an empress, but wives, mothers, and daughters held extraordinary power as champions, kingmakers, trusted advisors, plotters, or manipulators. A few were given titles of prestige or deified. Some wives traveled to battle zones and established useful liaisons within the army. But his wife was often doomed after a Caesar died.

⭐The historian covers ten different men who were emperor of Rome for 400 years. He doesn’t ignore the women, either. Highly readable, very knowledgeable. You will learn about emperors you never knew existed and some things about the ones you did. Highly recommended.

⭐I like the writing style from this author, Mr Barry Strauss, it is the way that history should be written. Very well organized, while not emphasize too much on unnecessary details, it makes the reading process very smooth and enjoyable. It highlights all the most necessary parts of each of the emperor’s reign and in between those important emperors there are short connecting parts to illustrate the key events and situations happened in that period.I had the basic knowledge on the key events of Roman empires already before I read this book, and after reading this book, I have gained more insights, and filled the gaps in my understanding.I sincerely thank the author for writing this great book, and hopefully he has the energy to use the same way to continue the writing on the rest of the Byzantine Empire, would he?

⭐As a veteran Presbyterian minister I have long been interested in the Roman Empire since they governed the New Testament world of Jesus’ time on earth. Dr. Barry Strauss of Harvard has written a user friendly well written account of ten of the most memorable Roman emperors. He begins with the first emperor Caesar Augustus (Octavian) the nephew of Julius Caesar who governed Rome from 27 BC to 14 A,D, Other emperors covered in depth are Tiberius the tyrant, Nero the actor who did not fiddle while Rome burned!, Vespasian the good soldier emperor, Trajan, Hadrian of Wall fame, Marcus Aurelius known for his philosophical meditations, Severus the African, Diocletian who divided the empire into eastern and western parts and Constantine the first Christian emperor ruling from306-337 A,D. The book explodes many myths about the Roman rulers, delves into all the various military campaigns, sex scandals and insights into the personalities of each ruler. Strauss covers centuries in a book of less than 400 pages but he gives you all the information you will need to have a generalized knowledge of each reign. More detailed looks at the emperors can be found in scads of more in depth biographies. The book is filled with memorable comments by Strauss. A sampling:Cleopatra was the most powerful, richest and most glamorous woman of the era-p. 19Augustus invented the concept of the princeps, the man we call emperor. Augustus was a conqueror, a legislator, a builder and a priest.-p. 45(On Tiberius). He was insincere and often cruel and an unreliable judge of character…-p. 59Caligula’s decadence is legendary, delicious, and alas for historical accuracy vastly exaggerated by hostile later sources-p. 82Other men were emperors; Nero was a star. A celebrity. he broke all the rules, which made him immortal-p.93Nero was the most cultivated and cruelest emperor Rome and seen,…-p.105Trajan’s building projects were about as subtle as Hercules clubbing a mountain in two as myth said he did to create the Straits of Gibraltar, known to the ancients as the Pillars of Hercules-p. 165Marcus Aurelius ruled Rome as emperor for nineteen years but he is a figure for the ages.-p211(On Septimius Severus). His rule was a paradox. The man was egotistical, rude and crude but also shrewd and fluent-p. 237Diocletian was the first and only Roman emperor to retire.-p. 281Constantine was a man of blood and a man of God.-p. 288 The book is a delight to read and will not be the last tome I read by Barry Strauss. Highly recommended for general readers and scholars!

⭐This description of the 10 most important emperors from Octavian to Constantine is a fascinating and very human story despite their being literally worshipped as gods. For anyone interested in any form of history, the study of the rulers is a good place to start. This book describes the rulers themselves and the environment in which they loved, hated, lived and ruled, and, as such, is a great way to learn and better understand a most important section of the Roman era. Of course, this is only a part of the story of the Roman world which anyway extends in some sense from the 8th century BC to the 15th century AD. However, the Imperial era of the four centuries at the start of the Christian Era, in many ways, characterises our view of what we mean by ‘The Romans’. In this book, Barry Straus successfully brings us close to this era and shows us the stresses and strains on the Roman Empire, how the emperors reacted, their successes and failures as well as the violence and perfidy of almost all of them – even the ‘good’ ones! This is a wonderful interwoven story of these people and the Romans in general.Very readable, nicely written and completely accessible to all.

⭐This is NOT a translation of an ancient classical work, but a collection of ten essays regarding the lives of ten Roman Emperors. The Emperors range from Augustus to Constantine. This work has been well researched and is well written, but it tells us nothing new. However, the benefit of this approach is that each life can be read in isolation and dipped into as and when necessary.The epilogue draws an interesting conclusion and the appended family trees of the Emperors helps with the understanding of each essay, but otherwise this is a standard work.

⭐I should have paid more attention to the reviews. This is not a proper history book. It’s a very simple collection of facts with no analysis or insights as to why things happened they way they did. As other reviewers said, you can grt the same information for free at Wikipedia. It’s not even worth the 1 pound I paid for it. A waste of time and money to read.

⭐This book tells the story of the empire by focusing on the lives of ten of the men who ruled as emperors of the greatest empire in history. By focusing on the individuals the author is able to show how the character of the empire changed over time and the importance of the individual. The essays also show wider trends and are able to be enjoyed as a means of learning about the individual emperor themselves and particular eras of imperial rule. Very enjoyable.

⭐The title is curious. The book covers far more than 10 Caesars, but perhaps the author is referring to the book 12 Caesars by Suetonius. On the whole this offering is interesting, but flawed. The text keeps leaping forward and backward, and suddenly stopping then restarting.

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