I, Caesar : Ruling the Roman Empire

The rise and fall of the Roman Empire is chronicled in the saga of its "Caesars, " all of whom left an indelible mark. From Julius Caesar, the most famous of all, to Augustus, Nero, Hadrian, Constantine, and Justinian, they "came, saw, and conquered" and then set about civilizing their territories. An A&E series based on the book starts the first week of October 1997 for six one-hour broadcasts. Full color photos.

Inspired by a boyhood teacher and surviving monuments of Roman culture, Grabsky, a TV documentary maker, wrote this book to accompany I, Caesar, an A&E TV history series. In this respect, it resembles T.K. Rabb's Renaissance Lives: Portraits of an Age (LJ 1/93), but Rabb, a professional historian, produced the more original, knowledgeable, and exciting work. Still, Grabsky has written for the curious general reader a lively and evocative sketch of Roman imperial history, focused around Julius Caesar, Octavius Augustus, Nero, Hadrian, Constantine, and Justinian and based on translations of the best-known Roman historians. Major political (but not economic or cultural) developments in the 600 years of the Roman empire are discussed, and Grabsky shows a sensitivity to the lives of women and ordinary people. Sweeping generalizations, however, lead him into errors of fact, critical terms like republic and empire are not adequately defined, and a lack of familiarity with the recent literature results in long-outmoded interpretations. The book contains a useful map and many apt, imaginative, and beautiful illustrations, but they lack informative captions. An optional purchase for public libraries.?Bennett D. Hill, Georgetown Univ.,Washington, DC
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This survey of imperial history via biographical sketches of the most significant emperors is based on the Arts and Entertainment television series. It is not a particularly scholarly work, despite the author's frequent utilization of primary sources. Grabsky's often unwarranted assertions regarding psychological motivations behind actions taken by a particular emperor would be more appropriate for a television "docudrama." Still, this is a fun read that the inquisitive general reader should find both interesting and enlightening. Although classical scholars may cringe, his speculations on the impetus for some of the more controversial decisions of a Julius Caesar or a Constantine are presented with at least an aura of credibility. It can be hoped that Grabsky can inspire some of his readers to delve deeper into our classical heritage. Jay Freeman