Death and Dynasty in Early Imperial Rome: Key Sources, with Text, Translation, and Commentary

The founding of the Roman principate was a time of great turmoil. During the nascent stages of this change, there was an evolving sense of empire and inheritance. By bringing together a set of important Latin inscriptions, including the recently discovered documents concerning the death of Germanicus and trial of Calpurnius Piso, this book illustrates the developing sense of dynasty that underpinned the new monarchy of Augustus. Students can see the process by which monarchy of Roman Empire was established by examining contemporary official documents and also understand why some inscriptions were established permanently. It provides a historical commentary on the inscriptions that will be useful to students and scholars alike and supplies important technical help in understanding the production of documents and inscriptions. These technical explanations make it an excellent starting point for introducing students to Roman epigraphy.

J. Bert Lott is Professor of Greek and Roman Studies at Vassar College. He is the author of The Neighborhoods of Augustan Rome (Cambridge University Press, 2004) and has been teaching epigraphy to undergraduates for over ten years.