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Emperor of Rome

Ruling the Ancient World

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Emperor of Rome

By: Mary Beard
Narrated by: Mary Beard
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About this listen

In her international best-seller SPQR, Mary Beard told the thousand-year story of ancient Rome. Now, she shines her spotlight on the emperors who ruled the Roman empire, from Julius Caesar (assassinated 44 BCE) to Alexander Severus (assassinated 235 CE).

Emperor of Rome is not your usual chronological account of Roman rulers, one after another: the mad Caligula, the monster Nero, the philosopher Marcus Aurelius. Beard asks bigger questions: What power did emperors actually have? Was the Roman palace really so bloodstained?

Emperor of Rome goes directly to the heart of Roman (and our own) fantasies about what it was to be Roman, offering an account of Roman history as it has never been presented before.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Mary Beard (P)2023 Profile Books Ltd Ancient Rome Italy Thought-Provoking Ancient History

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Most relevant
Mary gives us a refreshing new take on what it was to be a Roman Emperor (and for those living under the rule of the Caesars) - with a fascinating look into their lives through loads of intriguing stories and anecdotes. Showing us that life in the imperial court was not always what it seemed, Mary takes us on a journey over 2 centuries when a series of men (and sometimes mere boys and teenagers) took on the greatest and one of the most dangerous jobs in the Roman Empire - when separating fact from fiction (and statecraft from stagecraft) was often much harder than you'd think!

Mary's narrative style is on top form - and it's just great just to sit back and let her transport you back to a time and place long since past, and make you pause for thought as to what life was really like for those fortunate (and not so fortunate) to be made Emperor, and for those who served under them.

Thanks Mary for another great book - you're a star.

Another Great Book From Mary Beard!

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The basic premise of the book is that trying to understand what exactly was going on in the head and decision making process of each of the emperors is flawed due to scant evidence and the little evidence we do have being biased. Instead it seeks to give an understanding of why we understand the emperors as we do, and seeks a thematic approach to emperorship as a whole. Much like her SPQR, this is not a chronological retelling of each emperor, which has been rather overdone, but rather a holistic view of the emperors from Julius Caesar to Alexander Severus.

This book is for people who want to understand the history of Roman emperorship, not a detailed view of individual emperors. To me, this is the book I would recommend someone to start with in their quest to understand imperial Rome under the emperors - equipped with such a holistic understanding, gives the base for a truly objective understanding of the individual emperors described in other histories.

A definite must read.

A refreshing approach to a fascinating topic

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I loved her clarity and enthusiasm in recounting the world of the Roman Emperors.

The wide knowledge of Mary Beard and her personalised interpretations of what historians and archaeologists have unearthed.

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Excellent as are all Mary's books, academically sound and entertaining. A good companion to her book titled SPQR.

emperor

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loved it a brilliant historical account of the dystopia of the Roman Emperors. Very well written and read. A most enjoyable, entertaining and educational experience.

Emperor of Rome

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