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A review by caitcoy
Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient Roman World by Mary Beard
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.5
Emperor of Rome is an in-depth look at the office of Emperor during Rome's imperial period, both at how the rulers perceived themselves and the expectations and perception of them by those in the larger Roman society. I read SPQR by Mary Beard earlier in the year and honestly Emperor of Rome is probably my favorite thing that I've picked up from her and one of the more valuable books on Rome that I've read.
Beard splits the book into sections concerning imperial power as seen via travel, dining, the structure of their palaces and the people who served directly under them. Instead of being a succession of names and dates, it's more focused on the common themes about the emperors and how the various emperors fit into that. As such, it's a lot more accessible of a survey and a lot more interesting (at least to me).
I would recommend this to those interested in Roman history (obviously) but maybe less well versed in the structure of Roman imperial power. I've generally been interested in Roman history for a long time and I found I learned a lot from it as someone who is curious but still not really an expert.
Beard splits the book into sections concerning imperial power as seen via travel, dining, the structure of their palaces and the people who served directly under them. Instead of being a succession of names and dates, it's more focused on the common themes about the emperors and how the various emperors fit into that. As such, it's a lot more accessible of a survey and a lot more interesting (at least to me).
I would recommend this to those interested in Roman history (obviously) but maybe less well versed in the structure of Roman imperial power. I've generally been interested in Roman history for a long time and I found I learned a lot from it as someone who is curious but still not really an expert.