Product Description

He found Rome made of clay and left it made of marble. As Rome’s first emperor, Augustus transformed the unruly Republic into the greatest empire the world had ever seen. His consolidation and expansion of Roman power two thousand years ago laid the foundations, for all of Western history to follow. Yet, despite Augustus’s accomplishments, very few biographers have concentrated on the man himself, instead choosing to chronicle the age in which he lived. Here, Anthony Everitt, the bestselling author of Cicero, gives a spellbinding and intimate account of his illustrious subject.

Augustus began his career as an inexperienced teenager plucked from his studies to take center stage in the drama of Roman politics, assisted by two school friends, Agrippa and Maecenas. Augustus’s rise to power began with the assassination of his great-uncle and adoptive father, Julius Caesar, and culminated in the titanic duel with Mark Antony and Cleopatra.
The world that made Augustus–and that he himself later remade–was driven by intrigue, sex, ceremony, violence, scandal, and naked ambition. Everitt has taken some of the household names of history–Caesar, Brutus, Cassius, Antony, Cleopatra–whom few know the full truth about, and turned them into flesh-and-blood human beings.

At a time when many consider America an empire, this stunning portrait of the greatest emperor who ever lived makes for enlightening and engrossing reading. Everitt brings to life the world of a giant, rendered faithfully and sympathetically in human scale. A study of power and political genius, Augustus is a vivid, compelling biography of one of the most important rulers in history.


From the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33093 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-09
• Released on: 2007-10-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

From Publishers Weekly
British author Everitt begins his biography of Augustus (63 B.C.– A.D. 14) with a novelistic reconstruction of the Roman emperor's last days, offering a new spin on his murder at the hands of his wife, Livia. Everitt presents the death as an assisted suicide intended to speed and secure the transition of imperial power to his stepson Tiberius. Later, Everitt presents a careful historical argument for this theory—and, save for a few other shadowy incidents such as the banishment of the poet Ovid, he keeps guesswork to a minimum, building his narrative carefully on solid evidence. Everitt (Cicero) makes Augustus's rapid rise through Roman society comprehensible to contemporary readers, deftly shifting through the major phases of his life, from childhood through his adoption by his great-uncle Julius Caesar to the power struggle with Mark Antony that ended with Augustus's recognition as both imperator and princeps, or "first citizen." Everitt also neatly presents his subject's complex personality, revealing how Augustus secured a political infrastructure that would last for centuries while reportedly keeping up a highly active sex life, all the while fighting off longstanding rumors of cowardice in battle. This familiar story is fresh again in this lively retelling. (Oct. 17)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From AudioFile
The Roman Empire, with all its violence, greed, debauchery, and heroics, is depicted in this story of Augustus, adopted son of Julius Caesar, and heir to the throne. Augustus's rise to power is brought to life by John Curless's even narration. At first, the subject matter and Curless's British accent contribute to a slightly pedantic tone. As the story unfolds, however, Curless hits his stride, and the pace picks up, engaging the listener as Curless gives the characters personality and presence. He does an excellent job pronouncing the Latin names and infuses the story with continuity even though it is not strictly linear in structure. This production offers an enlightening listening experience. M.H.N. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Everitt, whose biography of the great orator Cicero evoked Rome on the cusp of empire with dazzling energy, again captures the color of the city and an era in a biography of Rome's first bona fide emperor. Born Gaius Octavius in a town south of the city, Octavius wasn't automatically marked for a political career. But his family was related to Julius Caesar by marriage, and the great general took the boy under his wing and made him his protege. After Caesar's assassination in 44 BCE, Octavius was surprised to learn that his mentor had formally adopted him in his will, making the 19-year-old a serious contender for power in Rome. Required to deal with both Caesar's enemies and his old allies, Octavius' power wasn't truly solidified until he went to war with and defeated Mark Antony, his chief political rival. Taking the name Caesar Augustus, the young man wisely and judiciously implemented changes to take Rome from unstable republic to thriving empire. Everitt's writing is so crisp and so lively he brings both Rome and Augustus to life in this magnificent work, a must-read for anyone interested in classical times. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

History of Rome for everyone
Along with Alexander of Macedon, Augustus is arguably
the most important ruler of the ancient Western World.
This book presents what seems to be the best possible
reconstruction of his life, based on documents that survive
to our time. The prose is elegant and engaging, and while
much of the text is speculative, the author is careful to
point out when his sources are insufficient or contradictory.

In a certain sense, the history of Rome during Julius Cesar
and Augustus has many parallels
with the current state of US politics (domestic and global).
A republic and democracy that is slowly coming under control
of a dynastic ruling class, just as it became the sole
superpower in the (known) world. Much of this is obviously
due to the fact that the writer draws from the present
to describe the past, which we can only glimpse at through
sometimes badly preserved manuscripts. However, there
do appear to be certain trends that re-appear throughout histories
of empires.

Enjoyable biography
Great biography on Augustus! Well written and the average reader (like me!) is in not talked down to by the author and the author - though obviously a highly intelligent and well-versed man on the subject matter, does not flaunt it but makes the read enjoyable and understandable. After watching HBO's Rome series, it was very enjoyable to have the fact sorted out from the fiction as well as to have greater dimension and depth added to the key players in Augustus' long life.

Accurate, Easy to Understand Biography
As a student, I only knew the basics of Roman history. Something about this book attracted me. This is an extremely well written, easy to understand history lesson on both Caesar Augustus as well as the Roman Empire. Everitt makes sure to explain every Roman or Latin term he uses. He covers all events througout Augustus' life that I never knew. After reading this book, I feel that I am significantly more knowledgable regarding the pinnacle of the Roman empire. Augustus entertains as well as informs. Highly reccommended.