Augustus

Front Cover
Routledge, Oct 1, 2013 - History - 400 pages

The first Emperor of Rome holds a perennial fascination for anyone with an interest in the Romans and their Empire. Augustus was a truly remarkable man who brought peace after many years of civil wars and laid the foundations of an Empire that lasted for nearly five centuries. Even today the Roman world still underpins modern society. This revised edition of Augustus incorporates new thinking on many aspects of his rule, and how he achieved such power. The image that he projected of himself and his achievements was benign, hopeful, and heroic, but behind this carefully orchestrated self-promotion he was subtle, clever, scheming and ruthless. He has been labelled as a saviour and as a mafia boss. This account of his life shows how he successfully combined the two extremes.

 

Contents

1 Octavius to Octavian
1
2 Caesar son of Caesar
42
3 Consul and triumvir
79
4 The decisive decade
118
5 Empire building
173
6 Totus orbis terrarum
222
7 Profit and loss
266
8 Finale
298
9 The legacy
315
the buildings of Augustan Rome
330
Augustus and the Roman army
348
governance of the provinces
355
Ancient sources
360
Select bibliography
361
Index
368
Copyright

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About the author (2013)

Patricia Southern is an expert on the history of Classical Rome, and has written extensively on the subject, with titles including The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine (2001), Domitian: Tragic Tyrant (1997) and The Roman Army: A Social and Institutional History (2007).

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