Description
Book SynopsisA study of the tumultuous reign of Emperor Claudius (AD 4154), which explores what held the sprawling Roman Empire together, and what threatened to tear it apart. Claudius' ongoing difficulties suggest problems inherent to the constitution of Rome's empire, and the challenges faced by empires more generally.
Trade Review"Claudius Caesar is an altogether exemplary biography." --BMCR
"...the book reads well, perhaps because of the character that Osgood puts into his writing. ...Osgood creates what might be termed a political biography and, as a result, has made a very useful contribution to our understanding of both Claudius and the early principate." --Ancient History Bulletin Online Review
Table of ContentsPrologue: the Roman Empire in 41 AD; Introduction: the problem of Claudius; 1. Claudius Caesar; 2. A statue in silver; 3. Imperial favors; 4. Subduing the ocean; 5. Lists of peoples and places; 6. Caesar-lovers; 7. The eight hundredth year of Rome; 8. Practical pyramids; 9. The burden of government; 10. The judgment of Pallas; 11. Signaling retreat?; 12. The golden predicament.
