The Roman Imperial Biographies series provides a unique and virtually comprehensive collection of the lives and works of the most important Roman Emperors from Augustus, and the genesis of Roman Imperial rule, to Constantine, and the emergence of a rival empire in the East. The biographies analyse the political, military, social and religious impact of the emperors and the satellites, as well as examining the emperors as individuals.
The series offers an invaluable insight into the triumphs, failures and everyday lives of the men at the spearhead of the Roman Empire, which will be of enormous interest to the specialist and non-specialist alike. It represents the broadest range of Imperial Biographies currently available.
By Anthony A. Barrett
December 12, 2019
The Roman Empire has always exercised a considerable fascination. Among its numerous colourful personalities, no emperor, with the possible exception of Nero, has attracted more popular attention than Caligula, who has a reputation, whether deserved or not, as the quintessential mad and dangerous ...
By Chris Doyle
August 08, 2018
Honorius explores the personal life and tumultuous times of one of the last emperors of the Roman West. From his accession to the throne aged ten to his death at thirty-eight, Honorius’ reign was blighted by a myriad of crises: military rebellions, political conspiracies, barbarian invasions, and ...
By Pat Southern
June 16, 2017
The first Emperor of Rome holds a perennial fascination for anyone with an interest in the Romans and their Empire. Augustus was a truly remarkable man who brought peace after many years of civil wars and laid the foundations of an Empire that lasted for nearly five centuries. Even today the Roman ...
By Barbara Levick
September 29, 2016
From a pre-eminent biographer in the field, this volume examines the life and times of the emperor Vespasian and challenges the validity of his perennial good reputation and universally acknowledged achievements. Levick examines how this plebeian and uncharismatic Emperor restored peace and ...
By Stephen Williams
January 23, 1997
First published in 1997. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company....
By Anthony R Birley
May 05, 1993
Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-emperor who ruled the Roman Empire between AD 161 and 180, is one of the best recorded individuals from antiquity. Even his face became more than usually familiar: the imperial coinage displayed his portrait for over 40 years, from the clean-shaven young heir of ...
By Miriam Griffin
October 09, 1987
Nero's personality and crimes have always intrigued historians and writers of fiction. However, his reign also illuminates the nature of the Julio-Claudian Principate. Nero's suicide brought to an end the dynasty Augustus had founded, and placed in jeopardy the political system he had ...
By Barbara Levick
August 26, 1999
Tiberius has always been one of the most enigmatic of the Roman emperors. At the same time, his career is uniquely important for the understanding of the Empire's development on the foundations laid by Augustus.Barbara Levick offers a comprehensive and engaging portrait of the life and times of ...
By Anthony R Birley
March 11, 1999
In this, the only biography of Septimius Severus in English, Anthony R. Birley explors how 'Roman' or otherwise this man was and examines his remarkable background and career.Severus was descended from Phoenician settlers in Tripolitania, and his reign, AD 193-211, represents a key point in Roman ...
By Barbara Levick
May 12, 2015
Claudius became emperor after the assassination of Caligula, and was deified by his successor Nero in AD 54. Opinions of him have varied greatly over succeeding centuries, but he has mostly been caricatured as a reluctant emperor, hampered by a speech impediment, who preferred reading to ruling. ...
By Pat Southern
April 24, 1997
This is the first ever study to assess Emperor Domitian from a psychological point of view and covers his entire career from the early years and the civil war AD through the imperial rule to the dark years and the psychology of suspicion. Pat Southern strips away hyperbole and sensationalism from ...
By Anthony R Birley, Anthony R. Birley
February 24, 2000
Hadrian's reign (AD 117-138) was a watershed in the history of the Roman Empire. Hadrian abandoned his predecessor Trajan's eastern conquests - Mesopotamia and Armenia - trimmed down the lands beyond the lower Danube, and constructed new demarcation lines in Germany, North Africa, and most famously...