- 337 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
The Roman Imperial Succession
About this book
An investigation of how a man could become a Roman emperor, and the failure to create an enduring, consistent system for selecting the next emperor.
John D. Grainger analyses the Roman imperial succession, demonstrating that the empire organized by Augustus was fundamentally flawed in the method it used to find emperors. Augustus's system was a mixture of heredity, senatorial, and military influences, and these were generally antagonistic. Consequently, the Empire went through a series of crises, in which the succession to a previous, usually dead, emperor was the main issue. The infamous "Year of the Four Emperors," AD 69, is only the most famous of these crises, which often involved bouts of bloody and destructive civil war, assassinations and purges. These were followed by a period, usually relatively short, in which the victor in the "crisis" established a new system, juggling the three basic elements identified by Augustus, but which was as fragile and short lived as its predecessor; these "consequences" of each crisis are discussed. The lucid and erudite text is supported by over 22 genealogical tables and 100 images illustrating the Emperors.
Praise of The Roman Imperial Succession
"For a general introduction to the question of how one becomes a Roman emperor, Grainger has provided a sound guide." — Bryn Mawr Classical Review
John D. Grainger analyses the Roman imperial succession, demonstrating that the empire organized by Augustus was fundamentally flawed in the method it used to find emperors. Augustus's system was a mixture of heredity, senatorial, and military influences, and these were generally antagonistic. Consequently, the Empire went through a series of crises, in which the succession to a previous, usually dead, emperor was the main issue. The infamous "Year of the Four Emperors," AD 69, is only the most famous of these crises, which often involved bouts of bloody and destructive civil war, assassinations and purges. These were followed by a period, usually relatively short, in which the victor in the "crisis" established a new system, juggling the three basic elements identified by Augustus, but which was as fragile and short lived as its predecessor; these "consequences" of each crisis are discussed. The lucid and erudite text is supported by over 22 genealogical tables and 100 images illustrating the Emperors.
Praise of The Roman Imperial Succession
"For a general introduction to the question of how one becomes a Roman emperor, Grainger has provided a sound guide." — Bryn Mawr Classical Review
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Yes, you can access The Roman Imperial Succession by John D. Grainger in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Military & Maritime History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- Contents
- List of Illustrations
- List of Genealogical Tables
- List of Tables (Emperors)
- Introduction
- Part I: Augustus Defines the System
- Part II: The Augustan Process
- Part III: The Senate’s Revival
- Part IV: Heredity and Absolutism
- Part V: Breakdown
- Conclusion
- List of Emperors
- Notes
- Bibliography