EMPEROR OF ROME (PB)

Mary Beard shines a spotlight on the emperors who ruled the Roman world, from Julius Caesar (assassinated 44 BCE) to Alexander Severus (assassinated 235 CE). More than a linear, chronological account of Roman rulers, this book explores questions such as, what power did the emperors actually have? Was the Roman palace really as bloodstained as we imagine? How did emperors change what it meant to be Roman? It also unveils the lives of those who served imperial power, from wary aristocrats to enslaved cooks, diligent administrators to court entertainers.