A room without books is like a body without a soul
Marcus Tullius Cicero
Roman History Books For Sale
Lawless
Republic
The Rise of Cicero and the Decline of Rome
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The
collapse of law and order in the last years of the Roman Republic
told through the rise and fall of its most famous lawyer, Cicero.
In
its final decades, the Roman Republic was engulfed by crime. Cases of
extortion, murder and insurrection gave an ambitious young lawyer
named Cicero high-profile opportunities to litigate and forge a
reputation as a master debater with a bright political future. In
Lawless Republic, leading Roman historian Josiah Osgood recounts the
legendary orator's ascent and fall, and his pivotal role in the
republic's lurch toward autocracy.
Cicero's
first appearance in the courts came shortly after the end of a brutal
civil war. After leveraging his fame as a lawyer to become a consul,
he ruthlessly crushed a coup by suppressing the liberties of Roman
citizens. The premiere legal mind of Rome came to argue that the
pursuit of a higher justice could sometimes justify sweeping the law
aside, laying the groundwork for Roman history's most famous act of
political violence - the assassination of Julius Caesar.
Lawless Republic vividly resurrects the spectacle of the courts in the time of Cicero and Caesar, showing how politics trumped the rule of law and sealed the fate of Rome.
Follow Roman History on X @romanhistory1 or https://x.com/romanhistory1Marcus Furius Camillus: The Life of Rome's Second Founder
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Camillus
served as a censor, was elected to six consular tribuneships,
appointed dictator five times, and enjoyed four triumphs. He toppled
mighty Veii, ejected the Senones from Rome following its sacking, and
helped orchestrate a grand compromise between the patricians and
plebeians. The Romans even considered him Rome's second founder - a
proud appellation for any Roman - and revered him for being an
exemplar of Roman virtue. Interestingly, he never held the
consulship. Plutarch stated that Camillus had avoided it on purpose,
and for good reason. The office was often at the heart of
controversy, given that patricians dominated it for most of Camillus'
life. The appointment of a dictator was an emergency measure taken
only in the direst of situations and the fact that Camillus was
repeatedly appointed speaks of a period when the young Republic was
surrounded by enemies and still fighting for survival. Without
Camillus' efforts the city may never have fulfilled its great
destiny. Marc Hyden sifts the fragmentary and contradictory sources
and, while acknowledging that much legend and exaggeration quickly
accrued around Camillus' name, presents the story of this remarkable
life as the ancient Romans knew it.
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Justinian:
Emperor, Soldier, Saint
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A
definitive new biography of the Byzantine emperor Justinian
Justinian
is a radical reassessment of an emperor and his times. In the sixth
century CE, the emperor Justinian presided over nearly four decades
of remarkable change, in an era of geopolitical threats, climate
change, and plague. From the eastern Roman—or Byzantine—capital
of Constantinople, Justinian’s armies reconquered lost territory in
Africa, Italy, and Spain. But these military exploits, historian
Peter Sarris shows, were just one part of a larger program of
imperial renewal. From his dramatic overhaul of Roman law, to his
lavish building projects, to his fierce persecution of dissenters
from Orthodox Christianity, Justinian’s vigorous statecraft—and
his energetic efforts at self-glorification—not only set the course
of Byzantium but also laid the foundations for the world of the
Middle Ages.
Rome and
Persia: The Seven Hundred Year Rivalry
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The epic rivalry between the ancient world's two great superpowers
The Roman empire was like no other. Stretching from the north of Britain to the Sahara, and from the Atlantic coast to the Euphrates, it imposed peace and prosperity on an unprecedented scale.
Its only true rival lay in the east, where the Parthian and then Persian empires ruled over great cities and the trade routes to mysterious lands beyond. This was the region Alexander the Great had swept through, creating a dream of glory and conquest that tantalized Greeks and Romans alike. Tracing seven centuries of conflict between Rome and Persia, historian Adrian Goldsworthy shows how these two great powers evolved together. Despite their endless clashes, trade between the empires enriched them both, and a mutual respect prevented both Rome and Persia from permanently destroying the other.
Epic in scope, Rome and Persia completely reshapes our understanding of one of the greatest rivalries of world history.
Follow Roman History on X @romanhistory1 or https://x.com/romanhistory1Pax: War
and Peace in Rome's Golden Age
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The definitive history of Rome's
golden age - antiquity's ultimate superpower at the pinnacle of its
greatness
The Pax Romana has long been revered as a golden
age. At its peak, the Roman Empire stretched from Scotland to Arabia,
and contained perhaps a quarter of humanity. It was the wealthiest
and most formidable state the world had yet seen.
Beginning in
69AD, a year that saw four Caesars in succession rule the empire, and
ending some seven decades later with the death of Hadrian, Pax
presents a dazzling history of Rome at the height of its power. From
the gilded capital to realms beyond the frontier, historian Tom
Holland portrays the Roman Empire in all its predatory glory. Vivid
scene follows vivid scene: the destruction of Jerusalem and Pompeii,
the building of the Colosseum and Hadrian's Wall, the conquests of
Trajan. Vividly sketching the lives of Romans both ordinary and
spectacular, from slaves to emperors, Holland demonstrates how Roman
peace was the fruit of unprecedented military violence.
A
stunning portrait of Rome's glory days, this is the epic history of
the pax Romana.
Rex: The
Seven Kings of Rome
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The regal
period of Roman history is studied much less than other periods of
Rome, which is a tragedy. It is so intertwined with myth that it
provides fertile ground for academics and general readers alike. Peta
(Dr G) and Fiona (Dr Rad) of the Partial Historians podcast retell
the stories of the seven kings of Rome, using scholarship on this
early period to help readers dissect the events recorded in narrative
and annalistic sources like Livy and Dionysius of Halicarnassus. It
interweaves mythology, written sources and archaeological material
into a narrative of the period, examining each of the kings in
detail. A final chapter explores the expulsion of the monarchy.
Walking
the Antonine Wall:
A Journey Across Scotland from East to West
Walking
the Antonine Wall charts a voyage on foot along one of Scotland's
most fascinating ancient monuments - a 38 mile rampart constructed in
the second century AD by the Romans to mark what would briefly become
the northernmost frontier of their vast empire. It is a personal
account of Dr Alan Montgomery's encounters with the enigmatic remains
of this Roman frontier which have inspired myths and legends and
intrigued and baffled generations of chroniclers, antiquarians and
archaeologists. Leading through wild open spaces and along city
streets, past curiosities man-made and natural, ancient and modern,
it records a journey across central Scotland and through 2000 years
of Scottish history.
Journey to Britannia:
From the Heart of Rome to Hadrian's Wall, AD 130
From the Heart of Rome to Hadrian's Wall, AD 130
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'An erudite and fascinating work' Jan Morris, New York Times
'An artful combination of history, archaeology and the imagination' Mary Beard, New York Review of Books
'Riley manages to bring multi-faceted, polygot and multi-cultural Roman Britain to vibrant life for specialists and generalists' Country Life
It is AD 130. Rome is the dazzling heart of a vast empire and Hadrian its most complex and compelling ruler. Faraway Britannia is one of the Romans' most troublesome provinces: here the sun is seldom seen and 'the atmosphere in the country is always gloomy'.
What awaits the traveller to Britannia? How will you get there? What do you need to pack? What language will you speak? How does London compare to Rome? Are there any tourist attractions? And what dangers lurk behind Hadrian’s new Wall?
Combining an extensive range of Greek and Latin sources with a sound understanding of archaeology, Bronwen Riley describes an epic journey from Rome to Hadrian's Wall at Britannia's – and the empire's – northwestern frontier. In this strikingly original snapshot of Roman Britain, she brings vividly to life the smells, sounds, colours and textures of travel in the second century AD.
Bar
Kokhba: The Jew Who Defied Hadrian
and Challenged the Might of Rome
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BAR KOKHBA
is the search for the truth of the epic struggle between two
strong-willed leaders over who would rule a nation. One was Hadrian,
the cosmopolitan ruler of the vast Roman Empire, then at its zenith,
who some regarded as divine; the other was Shim'on, a Jewish military
leader in a district of a minor province, who some believed to be the
‘King Messiah'. It is also the tale of the clash of two ancient
cultures. One was the conqueror, seeking to maintain control of its
hard-won dominion; the other was the conquered, seeking to break free
and establish a new nation: Israel. During the ensuing conflict - the
‘Second Jewish War' - the highly motivated Jewish militia sorely
tested the highly trained professional Roman army. The rebels
withstood the Roman onslaught for three-and-a-half years (AD 132 -
136). They established an independent nation with its own
administration, headed by Shim'on as its president. The outcome of
that David and Goliath contest was of great consequence, both for the
people of Judaea and for Judaism itself. So, who was this insurgent
Shim'on known today as ‘Bar Kokhba'? How did Hadrian, the Roman
emperor who built the famous Wall in northern Britain, respond to the
challenger? And how, in later ages, did this rebel with a cause
become a hero for the Jews in the Diaspora longing for the foundation
of a new Israel in modern times? This book describes the author's
personal journey across three continents to establish the facts. _BAR
KOKHBA_ is lucidly written by the author of the mould-breaking
Augustus at War and the acclaimed biographies Germanicus and Marcus
Agrippa. Drawing on archaeology, art, coins, inscriptions, militaria,
as well as secular and religious documents, Lindsay Powell presents a
fascinating account of the people and events at a crucial time in
world history
The
Antonine Romans and Deva: Roman Chester Awaits!
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Tribune
Lacitus has received new orders to travel to Deva (Roman Chester).
His mission is to save Deva from falling, with an attack from the
local tribe imminent. Can Tribune Lacitus and his brother Centurion
Antallius, survive and succeed?
Cornelia
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In 2012 treasure-hunters stumble upon an exceptional find near the town
of Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria – the tomb of the Roman Empress Cornelia
Supera, who remains hitherto almost unknown to history. What they find
next to her remains will entangle in a complex knot the destinies of
people from different countries and of different social status.
Cornelia’s inheritance is desired by American millionaires, English
lords and Bulgarian Mafia bosses. At the center of all events is Alex, a
professor at a local university, whose big passion are ancient coins.
While chasing the unique aureus struck in the name of the Empress, he
will have to ask himself many difficult questions and find the answers.After eighteen centuries of oblivion, Cornelia finds a way to tell her story and to reveal an extraordinary woman – intelligent and with the ambition to change history. Together with her husband, the Emperor Aemilius Aemilianus, she will go through all stages of ascent and fall to sink into the mist of time and to again appear triumphantly from it. Cornelia’s story will shake our understanding of the history of Rome and its Balkan provinces in the 3rd century CE.
Roman
Britain's Missing Legion:
What Really Happened to IX Hispana?
Legio IX
Hispana had a long and active history, later founding York from where
it guarded the northern frontiers in Britain. But the last evidence
for its existence in Britain comes from AD 108. The mystery of their
disappearance has inspired debate and imagination for decades. The
most popular theory, immortalized in Rosemary Sutcliffe's novel _The
Eagle of the Ninth_, is that the legion was sent to fight the
Caledonians in Scotland and wiped out there. But more recent
archaeology (including evidence that London was burnt to the ground
and dozens of decapitated heads) suggests a crisis, not on the border
but in the heart of the province, previously thought to have been
peaceful at this time. What if IX Hispana took part in a rebellion,
leading to their punishment, disbandment and _damnatio memoriae_
(official erasure from the records)? This proposed ‘Hadrianic War'
would then be the real context for Hadrian's ‘visit' in 122 with a
whole legion, VI Victrix, which replaced the ‘vanished' IX as the
garrison at York. Other theories are that it was lost on the Rhine or
Danube, or in the East. Simon Elliott considers the evidence for
these four theories, and other possibilities.
Gaius
Marius: The Rise and Fall of Rome's Saviour
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Gaius
Marius was one of the most remarkable and significant figures of the
late Roman Republic. At a time when power tended to be restricted to
a clique of influential families, he rose from relatively humble
origins to attain the top office of consul. He even went on to hold
the post an unprecedented seven times. His political career
flourished but was primarily built on military success. First serving
in the Numantine War in Spain, he later rose to high command and
brought a long-running war in North Africa to a successful
conclusion, bringing the Numidian King Jurgurtha back in chains. His
return was timely as northern barbarian tribes threatened Italy and
had previously defeated several Roman armies. Marius reformed and
retrained the Republic's forces and decisively defeated the invaders
that had easily overpowered his predecessors. Marius' subsequent
career was primarily that of an elder statesman, but it was dominated
by his rivalry with his erstwhile subordinate, Sulla, which
ultimately led to the latter's bloody coup. Marius, once hailed as
the saviour of Rome, eventually became a desperate fugitive,
literally fleeing for his life from his pursuers. However, after
several harrowing brushes with death, Marius seized an opportunity to
return to Rome and mete out justice to his enemies, which tarnished
his once-enviable reputation.
Cleopatra, Queen of Exile
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CLEOPATRA,
QUEEN OF EXILE. Cleopatra is an Infinitely vain, highly intelligent,
cunning, a gambler, seductive, queen but over underestimates her
brother. When it looks like she’ll soon lose her head, she gets her
servants to spirit her out of her palace at night – hidden in a
rolled-up rug. and loses her crown to her husband-brother, Ptolemy.Once
safely on the road in the desert with a small contingent of loyal
servants, she struggles to raise an army to retake her throne. Cleopatra
is unused to desert life and is forced to put up with hardships and
indignities her privileged upbringing has ill prepared her for. On top
of that, she’s forced to stoop to dealing with the lowly desert King
Azar in order to find an army for her cause. Well before Cleopatra
flees, Greek Oligarchy's wives, who pull the strings from behind the
scenes in Rome, manipulate a Roman General, Julius Caesar, to invade
Europe for their own profit and his. Caesar then takes matters into his
own hands and seeks to use his new wealth to manipulate Cleopatra for
his own interests posing as Cleopatra 's benefactor so that he can gain
Egypt and Rome at one time. Cleopatra has her own ideas about who is
going to manipulate who. After 16 months on the run and just when she
succeeds in raising an army, Cleopatra learns that the Romans, led by
Julius Caesar, have intervened in Egypt. Carried in the rolled-up rug,
Cleopatra returns to throw herself at Caesar’s mercy.
The wall
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It's the
year 410 AD. The Roman Army commander in ENGLAND, wakes up and finds
orders to evacuate all troops and families,immediately.Two Roman
teenagers of different class, cross paths and work together to
survive the march home.
The Dark Side of Glory
Abigail is
a young girl growing up in Judea during the last turbulent years of
the reign of Herod the Great. Orphaned at age ten, she is taken in by
her uncle, a sophisticated man who contrasts sharply with her
father’s dogmatic piety. Under his care, Abigail develops into a
cultured young woman free from the shackles of religion.Meanwhile,
the land becomes bathed in the tyranny of Herod’s successor. In
reaction, Rome removes him and asserts direct rule over Judea.
Extremists rise to throw off the Roman yoke, and the country teeters
on the verge of another civil war. Caught in the storm of religious
fanaticism, Abigail soon faces an expanding malevolence that engulfs
not just her but all whom she loves.No matter where she goes, the
tumultuous turns of history are always close. Yet her struggles in
defeating her enemies must continue until she can uncover the source
of the malice that seeks to grind her fate into nothing but dust.
Romulus: The Legend of Rome's Founding Father
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According to legend, Romulus was born to a Vestal Virgin and left for
dead as an infant near the Tiber River. His life nearly ended as quickly
as it began, but fate had other plans. A humble shepherd rescued the
child and helped raise him into manhood. As Romulus grew older, he
fearlessly engaged in a series of perilous adventures that ultimately
culminated in Rome's founding, and he became its fabled first king.
Establishing a new city had its price, and Romulus was forced to defend
the nascent community. As he tirelessly safeguarded Rome, Romulus proved
that he was a competent leader and talented general. Yet, he also
harboured a dark side, which reared its head in many ways and tainted
his legacy, but despite all of his misdeeds, redemption and subsequent
triumphs were usually within his grasp. Indeed, he is an example of how
greatness is sometimes born of disgrace. Regardless of his foreboding
flaws, Rome allegedly existed because of him and became massively
successful. As the centuries passed, the Romans never forgot their
celebrated founder. This is the story that many ancient Romans believed.
How to
Survive in Ancient Rome
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Imagine
you were transported back in time to Ancient Rome and you had to
start a new life there. How would you fit in? Where would you live?
What would you eat? Where would you go to have your hair done? Who
would you go to if you got ill, or if you were mugged in the street?
All these questions, and many more, will be answered in this new
how-to guide for time travellers. Part self-help guide, part survival
guide, this lively and engaging book will help the reader deal with
the many problems and new experiences that they will face, and also
help them to thrive in this strange new environment.
Pertinax:
The Son of a Slave Who Became Roman Emperor
The son of
a former slave, Pertinax was the Roman Emperor who proved that no
matter how lowly your birth, you could rise to the very top through
hard work, grit and determination. Born in AD 126, he made a late
career change from working as a grammar teacher to a position in the
army. As he moved up the ranks and further along the aristocratic
cursus honorum, he took on many of the most important postings in the
Empire, from senior military roles in fractious Britain, the
Marcomannic Wars on the Danube, to the Parthian Wars in the east. He
held governorships in key provinces, and later consulships in Rome
itself. When Emperor Commodus was assassinated on New Year's Eve AD
192/193, the Praetorian Guard alighted on Pertinax to become the new
Emperor, expecting a pliable puppet who would favour them with great
wealth. But Pertinax was nothing of the sort and when he then
attempted to reform the Guard, he was assassinated. His death
triggered the beginning of the Year of the Five Emperors' from which
Septimius Severus, Pertinax's former mentoree, became the ultimate
victor and founder of the Severan Dynasty. This previously untold
story brings a fascinating and important figure out of the shadows. A
self made everyman, a man of principle and ambition, a role model
respected by his contemporaries who styled himself on his
philosophising predecessor and sometime champion Marcus Aurelius,
Pertinax's remarkable story offers a unique and panoramic insight
into the late 2nd century AD Principate Empire.
The
Conquest of Gaul By Julius Caesar
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Between 58
and 50BC Caesar conquered most of the area now covered by France,
Belgium and Switzerland, and twice invaded Britain. This is the
record of his campaigns.
Caesar's narrative offers insights into his military strategy & paints a fascinating picture of his encounters with the inhabitant of Gaul and Britain, as well as offering lively portraits of a number of key characters such as the rebel leaders and Gallic chieftains. This can also be read as a piece of political propaganda, as Caesar sets down his version of events for the Roman public, knowing that he faces civil war on his return to Rome.
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Mary
Beard's book on the Roman Republic including Romulus and Remus, Cicero
etc and finishes with the Emperors up to Caracalla. Mary Beard asks
probing questions in this book. Just how right was Cicero? Just what
evidence is there that Caligula made his horse a consul? What about the
lives of the 'forgotten' people like slaves and women?
Septimius
Severus in Scotland:
The Northern Campaigns of the First Hammer of
the Scots
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Since 1975
much new archaeological evidence has come to light to illuminate the
immense undertaking of Septimius Severus campaigns in Scotland,
allowing for the first time the true story of this savage invasion to
be told. In the early 3rd century Severus, the aging Roman emperor,
launched an immense shock and awe assault on Scotland that was so
savage it resulted in eighty years of peace at Romes most troublesome
border. The book shows how his force of 50,000 troops, supported by
the fleet, hacked their way through the Maeatae around the former
Antonine Wall and then pressed on into Caledonian territory up to the
Moray Firth.Severus was the first of the great reforming emperors of
the Roman military, and his reforms are explained in the context of
how he concentrated power around the imperial throne. There is also
an in-depth look at the political, economic and social developments
that occurred in the Province.This book is aimed at all who have an
interest in both military and Roman history. It will particularly
appeal to those who are keen to learn more about the narrative of
Romes military presence in Britain, and especially the great
campaigns of which Severus assault on Scotland is the best example.
The Edge
of the Empire: A Journey to Britannia
From the Heart of Rome to
Hadrian's Wall
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AD 130.
Rome is the dazzling heart of a vast empire and Hadrian its most
complex and compelling ruler. Faraway Britannia is one of the Romans'
most troublesome provinces: here the sun is seldom seen and "the
atmosphere in the country is always gloomy."
What
awaits the traveller to Britannia? How will you get there? What do
you need to pack? What language will you speak? How does London
compare to Rome? Are there any tourist attractions? And what dangers
lurk behind Hadrian's new Wall?
Combining
an extensive range of Greek and Latin sources with a sound
understanding of archaeology, Bronwen Riley describes an epic journey
from Rome to Hadrian's Wall at the empire's northwestern frontier. In
this strikingly original history of Roman Britain, she evokes the
smells, sounds, colors, and sensations of life in the second century.
The Aeneid
By Virgil
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After a
century of civil strife in Rome and Italy, Virgil wrote the Aeneid
to honour the emperor Augustus by praising his legendary ancestor
Aeneas. As a patriotic epic imitating Homer, the Aeneid also
set out to provide Rome with a literature equal to that of Greece. It
tells of Aeneas, survivor of the sack of Troy, and of his seven-year
journey: to Carthage, where he falls tragically in love with Queen
Dido; then to the underworld,; and finally to Italy, where he founds
Rome. It is a story of defeat and exile, of love and war, hailed by
Tennyson as 'the stateliest measure ever moulded by the lips of man'.
The
History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
by Edward
Gibbon
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Spanning
thirteen centuries from the age of Trajan to the taking of
Constantinople by the Turks, DECLINE & FALL is one of the
greatest narratives in European Literature. David Womersley's
masterly selection and bridging commentary enables the readerto
acquire a general sense of the progress and argument of the whole
work and displays the full variety of Gibbon's achievement.
Cicero
Selected Works
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Collecting
the most incisive and influential writings of one of Rome's finest
orators, Cicero's Selected Works is translated with an introduction
by Michael Grant in Penguin Classics.
Lawyer,
philosopher, statesman and defender of Rome's Republic, Cicero was a
master of eloquence, and his pure literary and oratorical style and
strict sense of morality have been a powerful influence on European
literature and thought for over two thousand years in matters of
politics, philosophy, and faith. This selection demonstrates the
diversity of his writings, and includes letters to friends and
statesmen on Roman life and politics; the vitriolic Second Philippic
Against Antony; and his two most famous philosophical treatises, On
Duties and On Old Age - a celebration of his own declining years.
Written at a time of brutal political and social change, Cicero's
lucid ethical writings formed the foundation of the Western liberal
tradition in political and moral thought that continues to this day.
The Realm
of a God
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book UK at https://amzn.to/2Qf1l6zRome is
crumbling. Beyond the Alps, the barbarian tribes are gathering. As
part of a peace agreement, Servius, a young Burgundian prince,
arrives as a hostage at the emperor’s court. Set to work in the
imperial stables Servius soon makes new friends, but as he waits to
become a soldier the world around him is changing. The emperor is ill
and the succession in doubt. As others plot, Servius departs for Rome
to seize two champion racehorses. Faced by the jealousy of the Anicii
and the blood curdling brutality of the bagaudae, he can only survive
by protecting the emperor’s honour ….
Ammianus Marcellinus The Later Roman Empire: (AD 354-378)
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Marcellinus was the last great Roman historian, and his writings rank
alongside those of Livy and Tacitus. The Later Roman Empire
chronicles a period of twenty-five years during Marcellinus' own
lifetime, covering the reigns of Constantius, Julian, Jovian,
Valentinian I, and Valens, and providing eyewitness accounts of
significant military events including the Battle of Strasbourg and
the Goth's Revolt. Portraying a time of rapid and dramatic change,
Marcellinus describes an Empire exhausted by excessive taxation,
corruption, the financial ruin of the middle classes and the
progressive decline in the morale of the army. In this magisterial
depiction of the closing decades of the Roman Empire, we can see the
seeds of events that were to lead to the fall of the city, just
twenty years after Marcellinus' death.
Masinissa: Ally of Carthage (Book 1)
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You can get this book UK at https://amzn.to/30U7taLThe story begins in 2013 BC in Carthage, which has been Masinissa s home for several years. He has fallen in love with Sophonisba, the beautiful daughter of one of the most senior Carthaginian generals. The two make promises to one another before Masinissa embarks west to enter the war as the commander of a substantial cavalry division.
In terms of the wider world, Rome and Carthage the most powerful nations of the time have been at war for five years, ever since Hannibal crossed the Alpine passes and inflicted catastrophic and crippling defeats on the Roman armies at the battles of Trebia, Lake Trasimene and, most devastatingly, at Cannae, where an army of nearly 90,000 Romans was completely destroyed.
The main theatres of war at this moment are the Roman siege of the Greek city of Syracuse in Sicily which is being innovatively and belligerently defended, not least by the philosopher and scientist Archimedes and the war in Iberia, which Masinissa is about to join with his Numidian forces.
Masinissa: Ally of Rome (Book 2)
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Masinissa: Ally of Rome resumes the story of the Numidian Prince at a moment when he is beginning to question his alliance with the Carthaginian Empire during the Second Punic War. He has been fighting as a cavalry commander on the Iberian Peninsula for several years but the fortunes of war and his own clandestine meeting with the Roman consul Scipio Africanus, ostensibly his sworn enemy, has led him to reconsider his loyalties. His love for the Carthaginian aristocrat Sophonisba, which had blossomed during his period of exile in Carthage, has remained strong during his absence from North Africa. He is due a period of leave in that city shortly to formalise his engagement to her.
At this moment in the war, the Carthaginian forces are attempting to reform their military strength in North Africa and in the strategically important and historically allied southern Iberian city of Gades (present day Cadiz.) For his part, Masinissa has recently retrieved one of the sacred cups of Melqart (Hercules) which had been hidden in a fortress now occupied by the Roman legions. He is presently taking a small contingent of his most loyal troops to the temple dedicated to Melqart which is located close to the city of Gades to return the cup to its proper religious location. The mood of both he and his men on the journey is mutinous.
At this moment in the war, the Carthaginian forces are attempting to reform their military strength in North Africa and in the strategically important and historically allied southern Iberian city of Gades (present day Cadiz.) For his part, Masinissa has recently retrieved one of the sacred cups of Melqart (Hercules) which had been hidden in a fortress now occupied by the Roman legions. He is presently taking a small contingent of his most loyal troops to the temple dedicated to Melqart which is located close to the city of Gades to return the cup to its proper religious location. The mood of both he and his men on the journey is mutinous.
The Wall at the Edge of the World
Book 5 Damion Hunter Series
Written by Amanda Cockrell
Barbarian Princess - Book 2
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The Emperor's Games - Book 3
The Legions of the Mist - Book 4
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Book 5 Damion Hunter Series
Written by Amanda Cockrell
Get the
Kindle edition at https://amzn.to/3eVgGmM
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the Paperback at https://amzn.to/3g5APIc
Save lives… Or take them? A
gripping novel of the Roman frontier.
Written by Amanda Cockrell
Army Medic
Postumus Justinius Corvus is a long way from his native
Britannia, in the Syrian provinces at the far corner of Empire. But
now he is going home, unexpectedly promoted to Senior Surgeon in the
Sixth. The new Emperor faces problems in the far flung island at the
edge of Empire. Trouble is brewing north of the Wall. The tribes are
stirring, a new conflict is brewing, old and new loyalties will be
tested. Postumus will find himself at the heart of the maelstrom –
and with his hands soaked in blood...
Read The Feature on Amanda Cockrell at
http://romanancienthistory.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_27.html
Books
1-4 in the Damion Hunter SeriesRead The Feature on Amanda Cockrell at
http://romanancienthistory.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_27.html
Written by Amanda Cockrell
The
Centurions - Book 1
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Correus and Flavius are
half-brothers, sons of a brilliant general. One, son of a slave, is a
born warrior destined to excel. The other, a nobleman by birth, must
struggle relentlessly to succeed.When they both join the Centuriate, a
position Flavius has always known he will inherit, and one that
Correus has long coveted, together they face the brutal reality of
war. Fighting German barbarians will prove
dangerous, not only to their bodies, but to their souls as well…
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Barbarian Princess - Book 2
Correus and Flavius,
half brothers and rivals, have found the life of a Centurion to be
dangerous. After imprisonment and torture, Flavius found his strength
and proved his mettle. Correus, son of a slave, found glory on the
battlefield. But now the brothers have been stationed to Wales, a
land of barbarians, mud and freezing rain. Here they must face the
shame of lost battle and the thrill of a new era for their beloved
Rome. And in Wales awaits a prize that could change one of their
lives forever…
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The Emperor's Games - Book 3
Brothers Correus and Flavius
have won respect in service to the Empire. Correus is entrusted with
the honoured task of running the Emperor’s brutal games. Flavius, a
Centurion at his brother’s side, has risen to become the Emperor’s
most trusted advisor. But now Correus has been given a deadly
mission: quelling a barbarian uprising in Germany. While he struggles
to negotiate a treaty that could save the lives of thousands, he
uncovers a deadly plot that could cast the Empire – and his own
family – into ruin…
The Legions of the Mist - Book 4
The Ninth Hispana was once the pride
of the Roman Army, wreathed in honour for numerous successful
campaigns. But by the time it was joined by Centurion Justinius
Corvus, it had clearly fallen on hard times. Smarting from the
sting of his recent demotion, and a transfer to Britain, a land he
despises, Justinius nevertheless works hard to bring to his men some
of the same pride he feels as a Roman soldier. As their bond grows
strong, with each other and with the occupied land, their skill in
combat is tested to its limits against the forces of Vortrix,
High King of the Britons. As the battle lines muster, the fate of an
Army, and of a nation, will be decided...
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Chronicle
of the Roman Emperors: The Reign-by-Reign Record of the Rulers of
The Twelve
Caesars
By Suetonius
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As private secretary to the Emperor Hadrian, the scholar Suetonius had
access to the imperial archives and used them (along with eyewitness
accounts) to produce one of the most colourful biographical works in
history. The Twelve Caesars chronicles the public careers and
private lives of the men who wielded absolute power over Rome, from the
foundation of the empire under Julius Caesar and Augustus to the decline
into depravity under Nero and the recovery that came with his
successors. This masterpiece of observation, immortalized in Robert
Graves's classic translation, presents us with a gallery of vividly
drawn - and all too human - individuals.
Get the book USA at
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Get this
book UK at https://amzn.to/2DDJELbWritten in Greek by the only Roman emperor who was also a philosopher, without any intention of publication, the Meditations
of Marcus Aurelius offer a remarkable series of challenging spiritual
reflections and exercises developed as the emperor struggled to
understand himself and make sense of the universe. While the Meditations
were composed to provide personal consolation and encouragement, Marcus
Aurelius also created one of the greatest of all works of philosophy: a
timeless collection that has been consulted and admired by statesmen,
thinkers and readers throughout the centuries.
Ovid
- The Metamorphoses: (Penguin Classics)
Ovid's
sensuous and witty poem begins with the creation of the world and
brings together a dazzling array of mythological tales, ingeniously
linked by the idea of transformation
Septimius
Severus and the Roman Army
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The
assassination of Emperor Commodus in 192 sparked a civil war.
Septimius Severus emerged as the eventual victor and his dynasty (the
Severans) ruled until 235.
Constantine
the Emperor
By
David Potter
No Roman
emperor had a greater impact on the modern world than did
Constantine. The reason is not simply that he converted to
Christianity, but that he did so in a way that brought his subjects
along after him. Indeed, this major new biography argues that
Constantine's conversion is but one feature of a unique
administrative style that enabled him to take control of an empire
beset by internal rebellions and external threats by Persians and
Goths. The vast record of Constantine's administration reveals a
government careful in its exercise of power but capable of ruthless,
even savage, actions. Constantine executed (or drove to suicide) his
father-in-law, two brothers-in-law, his eldest son, and his once
beloved wife. An unparalleled general throughout his life, planning a
major assault on the Sassanian Empire in Persia even on his deathbed.
Alongside the visionary who believed that his success came from the
direct intervention of his God resided an aggressive warrior, a
sometimes cruel partner, and an immensely shrewd ruler. These
characteristics combined together in a long and remarkable career,
which restored the Roman Empire to its former glory.
Beginning
with his first biographer Eusebius, Constantine's image has been
subject to distortion. More recent revisions include John Carroll's
view of him as the intellectual ancestor of the Holocaust
(Constantine's Sword) and Dan Brown's presentation of him as the man
who oversaw the reshaping of Christian history (The Da Vinci Code).
In Constantine the Emperor, David Potter confronts each of these
skewed and partial accounts to provide the most comprehensive,
authoritative, and readable account of Constantine's extraordinary
life.
Constantine:
Dynasty, Religion and
Power in the Later Roman Empire
By Timothy
Barnes
Drawing on
recent scholarly advances and new evidence, Timothy Barnes offers a
fresh and exciting study of Constantine and his life.
First
study of Constantine to make use of Kevin Wilkinson's re-dating of
the poet Palladas to the reign of Constantine, disproving the
predominant scholarly belief that Constantine remained tolerant in
matters of religion to the end of his reign.Clearly
sets out the problems associated with depictions of Constantine and
answers them with great clarity. Includes
Barnes' own research into the marriage of Constantine's parents,
Constantine's status as a crown prince and his father's legitimate
heir, and his dynastic plans. Honorable
Mention for 2011 Classics & Ancient History PROSE award granted
by the Association of American Publishers
The Civil
War:
Together
with the Alexandrian War, the African War, and the Spanish War
By Julius
Caesar
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book UK at https://amzn.to/2S3lr4JAgricola and Germania
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book UK at https://amzn.to/3iWfO4jThe
Agricola is both a
portrait of Julius Agricola - the most famous governor of Roman
Britain and Tacitus' well-loved and respected father-in-law - and the
first detailed account of Britain that has come down to us. It offers
fascinating descriptions of the geography, climate and peoples of the
country, and a succinct account of the early stages of the Roman
occupation, nearly fatally undermined by Boudicca's revolt in AD 61
but consolidated by campaigns that took Agricola as far as Anglesey
and northern Scotland. The warlike German tribes are the focus of
Tacitus' attention in the Germania,
which, like the Agricola,
often compares the behaviour of 'barbarian' peoples favourably with
the decadence and corruption of Imperial Rome.
Links
Follow Roman History on X @romanhistory1 or https://x.com/romanhistory1