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Crassus

The First Tycoon

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The story of Rome's richest man, who died a humiliating desert death in search of military glory

Marcus Licinius Crassus (115-53 BCE) was a modern man in an ancient world, a pioneer disrupter of finance and politics, and the richest man of the last years of the Roman republic. Without his catastrophic ambition, this trailblazing tycoon might have quietly entered history as Rome's first modern political financier. Instead, Crassus and his son led an army on an unprovoked campaign against Parthia into what are now the borderlands of Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, losing a battle at Carrhae which scarred Roman minds for generations.

After Crassus was killed, historians told many stories of his demise. Some said that his open mouth, shriveled by desert air, had been filled with molten gold as testament to his lifetime of greed. His story poses both immediate and lasting questions about the intertwining of money, ambition, and power.

©2022 Peter Stothard (P)2022 Tantor Ancient Historical Politicians Politics & Activism Rome Middle East Ancient Greece
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A deeper dive into the lesser known member of the Triumverate. A man who understood money, business, and the professional work around it to grow larger than his surroundings. A man who wanted to be so much more than he was. A sad ending. Loved the in depth look at his family as well, only knew he had a famous father and a son who died with him, this taught me a lot new details about the man. Great book, short and to the point.

Wealth and destruction.

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Brilliance narration and a fascinating look into Crassus’ life! I really enjoyed learning in more detail than is found elsewhere about the first tycoon of Rome and would reccomend!

Really interesting

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