Augustus: The Life of Rome's First EmperorHe found Rome made of clay and left it made of marble. As Rome’s first emperor, Augustus transformed the unruly Republic into the greatest empire the world had ever seen. His consolidation and expansion of Roman power two thousand years ago laid the foundations, for all of Western history to follow. Yet, despite Augustus’s accomplishments, very few biographers have concentrated on the man himself, instead choosing to chronicle the age in which he lived. Here, Anthony Everitt, the bestselling author of Cicero, gives a spellbinding and intimate account of his illustrious subject. Augustus began his career as an inexperienced teenager plucked from his studies to take center stage in the drama of Roman politics, assisted by two school friends, Agrippa and Maecenas. Augustus’s rise to power began with the assassination of his great-uncle and adoptive father, Julius Caesar, and culminated in the titanic duel with Mark Antony and Cleopatra. The world that made Augustus–and that he himself later remade–was driven by intrigue, sex, ceremony, violence, scandal, and naked ambition. Everitt has taken some of the household names of history–Caesar, Brutus, Cassius, Antony, Cleopatra–whom few know the full truth about, and turned them into flesh-and-blood human beings. At a time when many consider America an empire, this stunning portrait of the greatest emperor who ever lived makes for enlightening and engrossing reading. Everitt brings to life the world of a giant, rendered faithfully and sympathetically in human scale. A study of power and political genius, Augustus is a vivid, compelling biography of one of the most important rulers in history. From the Hardcover edition. |
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Augustus
User Review - Gaius Valerianus - BordersAlthough less fond of this one than of Everitt's life of Cicero, that may have more to do with the subject matter than the writing. And Augustus' life is always, to my mind, a thoughtful warning to all Americans . . . Read full review
Excellent follow up to Cicero
User Review - Divamoon57 - BordersI have always been an ancient history geek, from the time I picked up a copy of D'Aulaire's Book of Greek Myths in third grade in 1966. I picked up Augustus after viewing HBO's Rome. This biography is ... Read full review
Contents
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trim Nrivruwv 11 | 144 |
L AT COURT | 245 |
m Tm UNHAPPY RETURN | 292 |
Notes | 331 |
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Actium Agrippa Agrippa Postumus Alexandria ancient Antony’s Appian army arrived Augustus battle Brundisium Brutus called campaign Cassius century B.C. Cicero citizens Claudius Cleopatra commander consul consulship death defeat Drusus east Egypt empire enemy father fighting final find first five fleet Forum friends Gaius Gaul gave Greek gustus hand honor Horace Ibid Ides of March Italy Iulia Iulius killed king land legionaries legions Lepidus lived Livia Lucius Maecenas Marcellus March Marcus Mark Antony married military Octavian Octavius official ofthe once Ovid Palatine Palatine Hill Parthian Philippi Planasia Plut Plutarch political Pompey Postumus praetor princeps probably provinces queen regime Republic republican Roman Rome Rome's Rome’s sacrifice sail Senate sent sesterces Sextus Pompeius ships Sicily slaves soldiers Spain Suet Aug Suetonius temple Tiberius tion took triumvirs troops ulia ulius Caesar Via Egnatia victory Virgil wife wrote young
Bibliographic information
| Title | Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor |
| Author | Anthony Everitt |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Random House Publishing Group, 2006 |
| ISBN | 1588365557, 9781588365552 |
| Length | 416 pages |
| Subjects | › › History / Ancient / Rome Political Science / General |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |