The Roman Imperial Succession (ePub)
Imprint: Pen & Sword History
File Size: 19.6 MB (.epub)
Pages: 336
ISBN: 9781526766052
Published: 29th May 2020
| Other formats available | Price |
|---|---|
| The Roman Imperial Succession Paperback Add to Basket | £11.24 |
| The Roman Imperial Succession Hardback Add to Basket | £25.00 |
John D Grainger analyses the Roman imperial succession, demonstrating that the empire organized by Augustus was fundamentally flawed in the method it used to find emperors. Augustus’ system was a mixture of heredity, senatorial and military influences, and these were generally antagonistic. Consequently the Empire went through a series of crises, in which the succession to a previous, usually dead, emperor was the main issue. The infamous ‘Year of the Four Emperors’, AD 69, is only the most famous of these crises, which often involved bouts of bloody and destructive civil war, assassinations and purges. These were followed by a period, usually relatively short, in which the victor in the ‘crisis’ established a new system, juggling the three basic elements identified by Augustus, but which was as fragile and short lived as its predecessor; these ‘consequences’ of each crisis are discussed. The lucid and erudite text is supported by numerous genealogical tables and dozens of depictions of emperors.
"The Roman Imperial Succession" is informatively enhanced for the reader's benefit with the inclusion of B/W illustrations, a five page List of Emperors, ten pages of Notes, and a four page Index. A seminal and comprehensive work of history that reads with the inherent interest level of a well crafted novel, "The Roman Imperial Succession" is a welcome and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, and college/university library Ancient Roman History collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists.
Midwest Book Review
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As featured in
Plekos
'For a general introduction to the question of how one becomes a Roman emperor, Grainger has provided a sound guide.'
Classical Review
A curious and interesting book about the history of pure and hard Rome.
Miniaturas JM
Read the full Spanish review here
I enjoyed reading this book and generalists interested in the mechanisms of Imperial power transfers will too.
Beating Tsundoku
Definitely an excellent book that takes a huge topic and breaks it into manageable and understandable parts.
NetGalley, Caidyn Young
About John D Grainger
JOHN D GRAINGER is a former teacher and historian of great experience with a particular interest in Classical and Hellenistic Greek history. His many previous works include the following for Pen & Sword: Hellenistic and Roman Naval Wars (2011); The Wars of the Maccabees (2012); Roman Conquests: Egypt and Judaea (2013); a three-part history of the Seleukid Empire (2014-16), King’s and Kingship in the Hellenistic World 350-30 BC (2017), Antipater’s Dynasty (2018), Ancient Dynasties (2019, The Roman Imperial Succession (March 2020), The Straits from Troy to Constantinople (2021) and The Forty Sieges of Constantinople (2022). He lives in Evesham, Worcestershire.
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