Chronicle of the Roman Emperors: Chronicles

A fine chronicle which will prove hard to put down.

Chronicle of the Roman Emperors is the first book to focus on the succession of rulers of imperial Rome, using timelines and other visual aids throughout. Now no one need be in any doubt as to who built the Colosseum or when Rome was sacked by the Goths: the Chronicle provides the answers, quickly and authoritatively. This is only one aspect, however, of the book's value. The biographical portraits of the 56 principal emperors from Augustus to Constantine, together with a concluding section on the later emperors, build into a highly readable single-volume history of imperial Rome. Colorful contemporary judgments by writers such as Suetonius and Tacitus are balanced by judicious character assessments made in the light of modern research. The famous and the infamous - Caligula and Claudius, Trajan and Caracalla - receive their due, while lesser names emerge clearly from the shadows for the first time. In addition to timelines detailing major events, each emperor is introduced by a coin portrait, a bust and a datafile listing key information, such as name at birth, full imperial titles, and place and manner of death. Numerous special features supplement the main narrative.

Using timelines and illustrations throughout, this volume follows the succession of rulers of Imperial Rome. These portraits of the emperors form the building blocks of an invaluable and highly readable popular history of Imperial Rome, brought to life using the colorful testimony of contemporary authors. 328 illustrations, 111 in color.