Augustus (Roman Imperial Biographies) - Hardcover

Southern, Patricia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0415166314 ISBN 13: 9780415166317

Publisher: Routledge, 1998

Synopsis

Despite his talent for self-promotion, the character of the emperor Augustus is rarely revealed and as such makes this biography unique in its presentation of Augustus the man. Pat Southern chronologically traces the life, works and times of the emperor, presenting ideology and events from his point of view to provide a compelling depiction of an extraordinary man, who was the guiding light in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire.

About this title

About the Author:

Pat Southern is Librarian at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. She is co-author of The Roman Cavalry (Routledge 1997).

From Publishers Weekly:

Southern (Domitian: Tragic Tyrant) has contributed the first true biography of Augustus Caesar in 75 years. Even though hundreds of books and articles have appeared, Southern's approach is to disregard all the writing about politics, the arts and other specialized studies. Instead, she concentrates on the man himself, a daunting task because the man originally known as Octavian carefully orchestrated the public perception of himself. Her approach is chronological, from his family's heritage to his deathbed, when Octavian asked his family and friends if they had enjoyed the performance. Along the way, Southern analyzes problems and conflicts among surviving Roman sources and offers her own informed opinion as to which were more accurate. The frail youth Octavian was hardly suited to greatness, but his ties to Julius Caesar brought him into prominence. In the death throes of the Republic, Octavian emerged as Caesar's avenger, crushed his chief rival, Mark Anthony, then went on to hold supreme power for 44 years. Always careful to appear that he followed legal procedures, Octavian, Southern cogently argues, did not have a master plan to change the Republic into an empire. He simply brought order out of chaos, improvising as he went, and held power for so long that upon his death in A.D. 14 many of his subjects knew no other form of government. Although Octavian could have failed many times, Southern's astute character portrait shows why he ultimately succeeded. 30 b&w photos.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0415166314
• ISBN 13: 9780415166317
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 312