What does it mean to be a Roman emperor? How did the daily life for an emperor look like? Mary Beard explores the fact and fictiRoman whoopee cushions
What does it mean to be a Roman emperor? How did the daily life for an emperor look like? Mary Beard explores the fact and fiction of the ancient Roman world in her excellent book and looks at the day to day practicalities of their lives. How did they eat? How did they travel?
And yes, as Mary Beard states, there is a lot of fiction and not that many facts. Most of the stories we receive through the ages, are told by those around the emperors. Most of them wouldn't always be objective, held a grudge or simply wanted to idealize their emperors for various reasons. For example, take some Roman senators: they have produced some meorable and occasionally hilarious tales. But this doesn't hide the fact that there was a frought relation between senate and emperors, a political fault line. Bloodshed, assassinations, hit squads from the palace. It is all there.
Mary Beard offers a revised account of the Roman emperor, Drawing from a wide range of ancient sources including works of literature, medical reports, sculptures and other pieces of artwork, as well as inscriptions and coinage, Beard offers a fascinating exploration of assumptions about how the emperors lived, dined and died. But Emperor of Rome is more than just a novel about emperors. Beard let's use see how stories about emperors reveal as much about Roman elites, women, and slaves, and the way in which the imperial system operated, as they do the emperor himself.
So what about those whoopee cushions? Roman Emperor Elagabalus was said to enjoy practical jokes at his dinner parties and often placed whoopee cushions under the chairs of his more pompous guests. But after reading this book, you know that you might need to take this with a grain of salt....more
Accesible selection of biographies of ten Roman emperors who, each for his own reasons, defined social, economic or military changes that transformed Accesible selection of biographies of ten Roman emperors who, each for his own reasons, defined social, economic or military changes that transformed the Roman empire. A few of this emperors were already known to me, but a few of them I've never heard of. I liked the stories and learned a few things here and there. Do not expect an in-depth story like Adrian Goldsworthy, but if you're interested in picking up a few new things this is the book for you.
Duidelijk beschreven en mooi geïllustreerd. Interessant voor iedereen met belangstelling voor het Romeinse Rijk en dan met name de overblijfselen van Duidelijk beschreven en mooi geïllustreerd. Interessant voor iedereen met belangstelling voor het Romeinse Rijk en dan met name de overblijfselen van de limes in Nederland....more
Tamelijk droog en academisch overzicht van de activiteiten van Ceasar in de Lage Landen. Als professioneel historicus zul je ongetwijfeld veel aan ditTamelijk droog en academisch overzicht van de activiteiten van Ceasar in de Lage Landen. Als professioneel historicus zul je ongetwijfeld veel aan dit boek hebben, maar voor de geinteresseerde leek (zoals ik) minder geschikt....more
De Romeinse wegen in Nederland laten zich niet, zoals je misschien wel zou verwachten, herkennen aan strak geplaveide wegen, maar bestonden eerder uitDe Romeinse wegen in Nederland laten zich niet, zoals je misschien wel zou verwachten, herkennen aan strak geplaveide wegen, maar bestonden eerder uit grind- en zandwegen. Toch vallen de Romeinse wegen in Nederland nog goed te reconstrueren.
Dit boek gaat op zoek naar de Romeinse wegen die we kennen uit historische bronnen en archeologische opgravingen. Met zijn schitterende illustraties en foto's is dit boek een lust voor het oog.
Romeinse wegen in Nederland laat op een toegankelijke manier zien hoe de sporen van de Romeinse wegen tot op heden in het Nederlandse landschap te herkennen vallen....more
Accessible guide to ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, India, China and Pre-Columbian America, which highlights their culAccessible guide to ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, India, China and Pre-Columbian America, which highlights their culture, religions and archeological sites....more
Valerius Verrens wordt in 60 AD als tribuun naar Camulodunum gestuurd, om daar de winter door te brengen. Camulodunum is een Romeinse colonia waar enkValerius Verrens wordt in 60 AD als tribuun naar Camulodunum gestuurd, om daar de winter door te brengen. Camulodunum is een Romeinse colonia waar enkele Romeinse veteranen (soldaten buiten dienst) hun kolonies hebben gesticht. Hij komt daar in contact met enkele lokale inwoners (Britons) en wordt verliefd op Maeve, de beeldschone dochter van een lokale bestuurder. Maar voordat hij het weet komen de lokale stammen in opstand, onder leiding van Boudicca, de koningin van de Britanniërs.
Het boek kent een rustig tempo, waarin langzaam maar zeker wordt opgebouwd naar de climax, een heroische strijd tegen de opstandelingen. Ik vond het boek niet slecht, maar ook zeker niet goed. Het grootste probleem had ik met de karakters, die nogal zwart-wit aandeden. Nergens, met uitzondering misschien van Crespo, kon ik ook maar enige symapthie met ze opbrengen. Saai.
Laatste noot, met als gevaar om erg negatief over te komen, maar wellicht toch belangrijk voor de vertaler/uitgever: bij de volgende druk graag het woord "Keulen" vervangen door "Camulodunum". Keulen is wel een heel letterkijke vertaling van het Romeinse woord colonia maar er ligt nu eenmaal geen Keulen in Groot-Britannië.
A good, somewhat factual introduction to the Silk Routes and the various empires that acted as an intermediary between the Roman and Chinese empires. A good, somewhat factual introduction to the Silk Routes and the various empires that acted as an intermediary between the Roman and Chinese empires. Although both empires were aware of each others existence, there was no direct contact, not in the last place because intermediate empires such as the Parthians and Kushans, seeking to maintain lucrative control over the silk trade, inhibited direct contact between these two powers.
Raoul McLaughlin sticks to the facts: he sums up the rise and fall of the various buffer empires, the goods that were exchanged (mainly Chinese silk and Roman glassware), where which coins were found and the few stragglers that managed to end up in China. It was depressing to read that a Chinese envoy, sent out to make contact with the Roman empire, was dissuaded by the Partians to venture further, where only a mere 40 days distanced him from the Roman border, leaving me to wonder how history could have turned out if he actually had succeeded. ...more
By 1425, Byzantium had transformed into effectively a city state. In the concluding volume of this seriesAn empire bounded by the walls of a sole city
By 1425, Byzantium had transformed into effectively a city state. In the concluding volume of this series, John Julius Norwich unravels the events that paved the way for the ultimate downfall of Constantinople.
Norwich adopts a chronological approach, presenting a mini-biography of each successive emperor. With each ruler's reign, the empire's territory diminishes, reminiscent of a juggler struggling to keep multiple balls in the air – one caught, another dropped.
The crusades are given its due attention, the wars between Venice and Genua are all told from Byzantine perspective.
I haven't read the previous two titles, but that was no issue. This book, and I suspect the other two volums as well, stands on its own merit. Norwich's style is engaging and clear - athough he limits himself only to the emperors and assumes from the reader some basic knowledge of Byzantine politics and society. But for me, lacking both, this was no problem....more
I already knew Edward N. Luttwak from his excellent Coup d'État: A Practical Handbook - a practical guide book on how to perform a coup d'état which iI already knew Edward N. Luttwak from his excellent Coup d'État: A Practical Handbook - a practical guide book on how to perform a coup d'état which is apparently still widely used in some parts of Africa. In this book he explores how the Roman Empire managed to defend its vast territories and maintain stability over centuries.
For any Roman enthousiastic, this book can not be anything other than extremely interesting. Yes, we've all read the odd biography of a Roman Emperor (Nero and Caligula are still very populair) or any thematic approaches such as done by excellent authors such as Adrian Goldsworthy or Mary Beard but this book covers the Roman Empire from a much broader perspective which places the decisions of those emperors in a completely new light, even for those who have read a fair deal about the Romans.
Luttwak distinguishes different phases in the Roman approach to maintain its borders, from the strategic deployment of its different legions (and the lack of any strategic reserve), the use of client states and the later strategy of defense in-depth and the tetrarchic form of defense in the later stages of the empire.
Interesting for Roman enthusiasts helping them to appreciate the empire’s adaptability and resilience over centuries and even providing strategic insights that can even hold some lessons for today. I guess some African dictators will take note....more
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