Augustus (Roman Imperial Biographies)

Despite his talent for self-promotion, the character of the emperor Augustus is rarely revealed and as such makes this biography unique in its presentation of Augustus the man. Pat Southern chronologically traces the life, works and times of the emperor, presenting ideology and events from his point of view to provide a compelling depiction of an extraordinary man, who was the guiding light in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire.

Biographies & Memoirs

Southern, Patricia

Historical

Routledge

The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine

The third century AD in the Roman Empire began and ended with Emperors who are recognised today as being strong and dynamic - Septimius Severus, Diocletian and Constantine. Yet the intervening years have traditionally been seen as a period of crisis. The 260s saw the nadir of Imperial fortunes, with every frontier threatened or overrun, the senior emperor imprisoned by the Persians, and Gaul and Palmyra breaking away from central control. It might have been thought that the empire should have collapsed - yet it did not. Pat Southern shows how this was possible by providing a chronological history of the Empire from the end of the second century to the beginning of the fourth; the emergence and devastating activities of the Germanic tribes and the Persian Empire are analysed, and a conclusion details the economic, military and social aspects of the third century 'crisis'.

History

Ancient Civilizations

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 world still underpins modern society. This revised edition of Augustus incorporates new thinking on many aspects of his rule, and how he achieved such power. The image that he projected of himself and his achievements was benign, hopeful, and heroic, but behind this carefully orchestrated self-promotion he was subtle, clever, scheming and ruthless. He has been labelled as a saviour and as a mafia boss. This account of his life shows how he successfully combined the two extremes.

The third century of the Roman Empire is a confused and sparsely documented period, punctuated by wars, victorious conquests and ignominious losses, and a recurring cycle of rebellions that saw several Emperors created and eliminated by the Roman armies. In AD 260 the Empire almost collapsed, and yet by the end of the third century the Roman world was brought back together and survived for another two hundred years. In this new edition of The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine, Patricia Southern examines the anarchic era of the soldier Emperors that preceded the crisis of AD 260, and the reigns of underrated and sometimes maligned Emperors such as Gallienus, Probus and Aurelian, whose determination and hard work reunited and re-established the Empire. Their achievements laid the foundations for the absolutist, sacrosanct rule of Diocletian, honed to ruthless perfection by Constantine, whose reign transformed the pagan Empire into a Christian state. The successes and failures of the rulers of the Roman world of the third century, and the role of the armies and the civilians, are re-assessed in this revised and expanded edition of The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine, which incorporates the latest thinking of modern scholars and has been extended to cover the reign of Constantine and the foundations he laid on which the Christian empire was built. This is a crucial volume for students of this fascinating period in Roman history, and provides invaluable background for anyone interested in the "fall of Rome", the adoption of Christianity, and the establishment of the Byzantine Empire.

Cleopatra

This book describes the critically acclaimed life of the infamous Queen of Egypt. Cleopatra was intimately involved in the critical years that saw the Roman Republic transformed into the Roman Empire. How this transition appeared to the Queen of Egypt - and the part she played in it - is the subject of Pat Southern's engrossing new biography. Descended from the first Ptolemy, one of the companions of Alexander the Great, Cleopatra was the last in a long line of Macedonian rulers of Egypt. It was Julius Caesar's involvement in an Alexandrian civil war that led to her being set up as the Queen of Egypt. She also had an affair with Caesar and for two years, was his guest in Rome. On his assassination, she returned to Alexandria - where, in turn, Mark Antony was to become her guest and lover. Over the years of their acquaintance, they produced three children. Their behaviour allowed Octavian (the future emperor Augustus) to brand the Egyptian Queen as Rome's arch enemy: worse than Hannibal, nearer than the Parthians - and powerful, as she had access to Mark Antony's legions. In the civil war that followed, Cleopatra failed to revive Antony's fighting spirit after their defeat at Actium. He was to die in her arms, having committed suicide. A few days later, she too was to die.

Tempus Publishing Ltd.

Somewhere between their vilification by the Emperor Augustus and Shakespeare’s vision of tragic lovers are Mark Antony and Cleopatra, unveiled here in their true colors by renowned Roman historian Patricia Southern. Despite his reputation for recklessness, hard drinking, and womanizing, Mark Antony was a capable leader and an astute administrator. Cleopatra was equally driven politically and was determined to reconstitute the ancient empire of the Ptolemies, a goal which Mark Antony—as ruler of the east—worked diligently to achieve. Their association went far beyond territorial agreements, however: together they had three children and may have married according to Egyptian law. But their blending of politics and romance led to the ultimate ruin of both their lives. Powerful and thorough, this is the true account of history's most infamous couple.

Antony & Cleopatra

Tempus

The legend of the foundation of Rome by Romulus in 753BC accords very well with the earliest defensive walls on the Palatine Hill, made of clay and timber and showing evidence of animal sacrifices. To trace the continual efforts to fortify Rome is to trace the rise and fall of the Roman Empire - through the taking of the city by the Gauls in 390/387, the wars with the Italian states, the threat of Hannibal, the establishment of the Republic, attacks by the northern tribes and eventual division and collapse. By the 6th century AD, General Belisarius was desperately shoring up the walls with marble slabs from altars and gravestones.Before the final dissolution, Emperor Aurelius had reunited the Eastern and Western Empires and earned the title of 'Restitutor orbis', restorer of the world. While doing so he initiated the building of the Aurelian Wall, much of which stands today. Its millions of bricks were placed by thousands of workers and 30 years after it was built it would withstand sieges by two Roman armies under Severus II and Galerius. During the civil wars a rampart walk was added over the interior galleries, fronted by a parapet with merlons, so in effect Rome was converted into an extremely large castle. Patton said that 'fixed fortifications are a monument to man's stupidity.' Perhaps the walls of Rome are the greatest example.

Enemies at the Gate: The City Walls of Ancient Rome

Amberley Publishing

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Books by Southern, Patricia

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Southern, Patricia. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Augustus (Roman Imperial Biographies)

The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine

Augustus (Roman Imperial Biographies)

Augustus (Roman Imperial Biographies)

The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine

The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine

Cleopatra

Antony & Cleopatra

Augustus (Roman Imperial Biographies)

Enemies at the Gate: The City Walls of Ancient Rome