The Roman Imperial Biographies series provides a unique and virtually comprehensive collection of the lives and works of the most important Roman Emperors from Augustus, and the genesis of Roman Imperial rule, to Constantine, and the emergence of a rival empire in the East. The biographies analyse the political, military, social and religious impact of the emperors and the satellites, as well as examining the emperors as individuals.
The series offers an invaluable insight into the triumphs, failures and everyday lives of the men at the spearhead of the Roman Empire, which will be of enormous interest to the specialist and non-specialist alike. It represents the broadest range of Imperial Biographies currently available.
By William Lewis Leadbetter
March 25, 2013
Drawing from a variety of sources - literary, visual, archaeological; papyri, inscriptions and coins – the author studies the nature of Diocletian’s imperial strategy, his wars, his religious views and his abdication. The author also examines Galerius’ endeavour to take control of Diocletian’s ...
By Charles Odahl
August 28, 2012
This biographical narrative is a detailed portrayal of the life and career of the first Christian emperor Constantine the Great (273 – 337). Combining vivid narrative and historical analysis, Charles Odahl relates the rise of Constantine amid the crises of the late Roman world, his dramatic ...
By Richard A. Billows
October 07, 2011
Julius Caesar offers a lively, engaging, and thoroughly up-to-date account of Caesar’s life and times. Richard Billows’ dynamic and fast paced narrative offers an imaginative recounting of actions and events, providing the ideal introduction to Julius Caesar for general readers and students of ...
By Gerard Friell, Stephen Williams
August 08, 2005
Emperor Theodosius (379-95) was the last Roman emperor to rule a unified empire of East and West and his reign represents a turning point in the policies and fortunes of the Late Roman Empire. In this imperial biography, Stephen Williams and Gerry Friell bring together literary, archaeological and ...
By John D. Grainger
October 12, 2004
The imperial succession at Rome was notoriously uncertain, and where possible hereditary succession was preferred. John Grainger's detailed study looks at aperiod of intrigue and conspiracy. He explores how, why and by whom Domitian was killed, the rule of Nerva, chosen to succeed him, and finally...
By Alaric Watson
February 03, 2004
Aurelian and the Third Century provides a re-evaluation, in the light of recent scholarship, of the difficulties facing the Roman empire in the AD 260s and 270s, concentrating upon the reign of the Emperor Aurelian and his part in summoning them. With introduction examining the situation in ...
By Julian Bennett
December 21, 2000
Did Trajan really deserve his reputation as the embodiment of all imperial virtues? Why did Dante, writing in the Middle Ages, place him in the sixth sphere of Heaven among the Just and Temperate rulers?In this, the only biography of Trajan available in English, Julian Bennett rigorously tests the ...
By Kenneth Wellesley
September 01, 2000
After Nero's notorious reign, the Romans surely deserved a period of peace and tranquility. Instead, during AD69, three emperors were murdered: Galba, just days into the post, Otho and Vitellius. The same year also saw civil war in Italy, two desperate battles at Cremona and the capture of Rome for...
By Anthony A. Barrett
June 05, 1996
In this dynamic new biography - the first on Agrippina in English - Professor Barrett uses the latest archaeological, numismatic and historical evidence to provide a close and detailed study of her life and career. He shows how Agrippina's political contribution to her time seems in fact to have ...
By J. A. S. Evans
August 30, 2000
The Age of Justinian examines the reign of the great emperor Justinian (527-565) and his wife Theodora, who advanced from the theatre to the throne. The origins of the irrevocable split between East and West, between the Byzantine and the Persian Empire are chronicled, which continue up to the ...