Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
Audiobook12 hours
Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine
Written by Barry Strauss
Narrated by Arthur Morey
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
()
About this audiobook
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).
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).
Author
Barry Strauss
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.
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Reviews for Ten Caesars
Rating: 4.526315789473684 out of 5 stars
4.5/5
114 ratings8 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great listen. Written in a way that the information is easily understood. Definatly looking to read more of this author
2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pretty good. Contains some details that nicely flesh out Roman history.
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The book was well written and audio well read. Unfortunately for me the audio seems to cut out near the end of every chapter, abruptly starting the next one
1 person found this helpful
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fascinating look at Rome and how it grew and fell
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was an easy read, very enjoyable. I love the details and the research put into the book. I’m reading Suetonius right now and because of the way it was written, you really have to pay attention. Either way, a good book, I recommend it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I is one of the best audiobooks in regards to biography of Roman emperors. Voice actor good, calm and soft voice.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Too much woke. Shame on you Mr Strauss. Too bad
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is a fascinating history of the lives of emperors, and the intrigue of politics in Rome and the empire. I liked the attention given to the women in these men's lives. They were very much a part of all the plots. I learned a lot about the Roman Empire, the way it grew and maintained its power over centuries. I think I will listen to it a second time.