Imperial Rome

The Pinarii witness the machinations of Tiberius, the madness of Caligula, and the decadence of Nero. The deadly paranoia of Domitian gives way to the Golden Age of Trajan and Hadrian - but even the most enlightened emperors wield the power to destroy their subjects on a whim.Empire is filled with the dramatic, defining moments of the age, including the Great Fire of 64 A.D, Nero’s persecution of the Christians, and the astounding opening games of the Colosseum.

Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero - these are the names history associates with the early Roman Empire. Yet, not a single one of these emperors was the blood son of his predecessor. In this captivating history, a prominent scholar of the era documents the Julio-Claudian women whose bloodline, ambition, and ruthlessness made it possible for the emperors' line to continue. Eminent scholar Guy de la Bedoyere, author of Praetorian, asserts that the women behind the scenes - including Livia, Octavia, and the elder and younger Agrippina - were the true backbone of the dynasty.

To this day, we feel the influence of imperial Rome. After all, imperial Rome was one of the first successful “melting pots” of cultures. The Romans took what worked and discarded what didn’t work, showing that it was possible to have a stable, centralized government over an extremely large area.

What does the face of power look like? Who gets commemorated in art and why? And how do we react to statues of politicians we deplore? In this book - against a background of today’s “sculpture wars” - Mary Beard tells the story of how for more than two millennia portraits of the rich, powerful, and famous in the Western world have been shaped by the image of Roman emperors, especially the “Twelve Caesars”, from the ruthless Julius Caesar to the fly-torturing Domitian.

Founded by Augustus around 27 BC, the elite Praetorian Guard was tasked with the protection of the emperor and his family. As the centuries unfolded, however, Praetorian soldiers served not only as protectors and enforcers but also as powerful political players. Fiercely loyal to some emperors, they vied with others and ruthlessly toppled those who displeased them, including Caligula, Nero, Pertinax, and many more. Guy de la Bédoyère provides a compelling first full narrative history of the Praetorians.

The 50 years following the assassination of Severus Alexander on March 19, CE 235 has been generally regarded by academics as one of the lowest points in the history of the Roman Empire.

La Roma imperial vio surgir emperadores tanto buenos como malos. ¿Cuánto sabe realmente sobre sus vidas? Todavía hoy sentimos la influencia de la Roma imperial. Al fin y al cabo, la Roma imperial fue uno de los primeros «crisoles» de culturas. Los romanos tomaron lo que funcionaba y desecharon lo que no funcionaba, demostrando que era posible tener un gobierno estable y centralizado en un área extremadamente extensa.

In this audiobook, you'll discover the downfall of the Roman Republic, the emergence of the illustrious Roman Empire, Caesar’s life and conquests, and more about this ancient civilization.

After the Emperor’s unexpected death, ambitious men eye the Eastern Roman throne occupied by seven-year-old Theodosius II. His older sister Pulcheria faces a stark choice: She must find allies and take control of the Eastern court or doom the imperial children to a life of obscurity - or worse! Beloved by the people and respected by the Church, Pulcheria forges her own path to power.

Defined by borders both physical and conceptual, the Roman city stood apart as a concentration of life and activity that was legally, economically, and ritually divided from its rural surroundings. Death was a key area of control, and tombs were relegated outside city walls from the Republican period through Late Antiquity. Given this separation, an unexpected phenomenon marked the Augustan and early Imperial periods: Roman cities developed suburbs, built-up areas beyond their boundaries, where the living and the dead came together in densely urban environments.

AD 272 - the Roman emperor Aurelian has defeated Queen Zenobia and crushed the Palmyran revolt. Faridun's Banner, hallowed battle standard of the Persian Empire, has fallen into Roman hands and is to be returned to the Persians as part of a historic peace treaty. But on the eve of the signing, the banner goes missing. Recalled to Syria, imperial agent Cassius Corbulo is charged with recovering the flag.

Movies and shows might depict Romans wearing togas and sandals everywhere they went, but that was actually not the case. In fact, togas were considered formal wear and a status symbol, as those in the higher social classes typically wore them.

The Severan dynasty came shortly after the Five Good Emperors, and it also consisted of five emperors who ruled the empire from 193-235, except for a brief interlude between 217 and 218 when Macrinus held the imperial throne. The Severans' story encapsulates many highs and lows, including able and venal emperors, expansion and loss of territory, great artistic achievements, and intellectual advancements coupled with some of the worst cruelty ever perpetrated by Romans.

En las películas y las series de televisión se representa a los romanos con togas y sandalias en todas partes, pero en realidad no era así. De hecho, las togas se consideraban una prenda formal y un símbolo de estatus, ya que solían llevarlas los miembros de las clases sociales más altas.

La tradición afirma que el poder de Roma se sustentaba principalmente en sus legiones, que sus ciudadanos temían al mar y que estos solo abandonaban su tierra cuando no quedaba alternativa. Nada más lejos de la realidad. Roma fue también un gran imperio marítimo, y lo demostró imponiéndose a todos sus enemigos hasta dominar los mares y cursos fluviales. Su prosperidad se cimentó en buena parte en su hegemonía militar en los mares durante siglos, donde lucharon contra cartagineses, egipcios, seléucidas o macedonios entre otros.