Emperor of Rome: The Sunday Times Bestseller

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THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN & NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
BLACKWELL'S NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR
SHORTLISTED FOR THE WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023

'Extraordinary ... a deliciously varied tapestry of detail drawn from across nearly three centuries' Telegraph

What was it really like to rule and be ruled in the Ancient Roman world

In her international best-seller SPQR, Mary Beard told the thousand-year story of ancient Rome. Now, she shines her spotlight on the emperors who ruled the Roman empire, from Julius Caesar (assassinated 44 BCE) to Alexander Severus (assassinated 235 CE).

Emperor of Rome is not your usual chronological account of Roman rulers, one after another: the mad Caligula, the monster Nero, the philosopher Marcus Aurelius. Beard asks bigger questions: What power did emperors actually have Was the Roman palace really so bloodstained

Emperor of Rome goes directly to the heart of Roman (and our own) fantasies about what it was to be Roman, offering an account of Roman history as it has never been presented before.

Reviews

'Britain's most famous classicist [is] at the peak of her powers ... Even more interesting than the insight into the imperial elite is the light the book sheds on the modern world' - Sathnam Sanghera

'Magisterial ... A beautifully written product of a lifetime of deep scholarly learning' - Martin Wolf

'Lavishly illustrated ... erudite and entertaining ... Beard is so appealing and approachable that even the recalcitrant reader who previously gave not a single thought to the Roman Empire will warm to her subject' - Jennifer Szalai

'[Mary Beard is] the best in the business' - Dan Snow

'A beautiful book ... [Beard is] really good at thinking about some of the echoes between Roman politics and British politics, including today' - Rory Stewart

Author Bio

Mary Beard is Professor Emerita of Classics at Cambridge, and the classics editor of the TLS. She has worldwide academic acclaim. Her previous books include the bestselling, Wolfson Prize-winning Pompeii, Confronting the Classics, SPQR and most recently, Women & Power and Twelve Caesars. She has made numerous television series and her books have been published in over thirty languages.