Emperor of Rome
Emperor of Rome is a book of classical history written by the English academic, professor, editor and author Mary Beard, the famous “Britain's best-known classicist.” The work that concerns this review was published in Spanish in 2023 by Silvia Furió and the Crítica publishing house. The text emerges as a continuation of SPQR. A history of ancient Rome, where the popularizer delves into this fascinating civilization.
Talking about what Rome was during the classical era requires an arduous study of its geography, its people and, above all, its political systems.. To understand more clearly how the Eternal City became what it was, it is necessary to analyze in depth its emperors and the way they behaved according to existing testimonies and documents.
Synopsis of Emperor of Rome
Who were the Roman emperors
Were they just violent and spoiled teenagers who didn't know how to express their emotions? Or were they fanatics about the control that was given to them when they obtained such positions? The only way to know is through study, but not just one that involves reading ancient history., but from the one that comes from the hand of someone who has dedicated his entire life to soaking in classical Rome, and that he understands it fully.
Mary Beard addresses the topic of the Roman emperors by defining the position itself: their obligations, what they had to study to exercise, the rules of succession, among other knowledge. In addition, The writer talks about the emperor as a figure, and also about the most important names that emerged during this period, such as Julius Caesar, Alexander Severus, Caligula, the philosopher Marcus Aurelius and Nero.
What is an emperor?
“Emperor” comes from the Latin word imperator —which can be translated as “commander”—. It is the highest political position that could be granted to a man during ancient Rome.. As a general rule, this was how the military winners of battles were named. It should be noted that this title was also imposed on Augustus and all his successors, whether the latter had won the contests or not.
An entertaining approach to classic history
History is rarely read as passionately as it is possible to do so with Mary Beard., since the British author interweaves the events of ancient Rome so that it is within the reach of the common person, which is not strange, given the knowledge that she has on the subject.
Firstly, Emperor of Rome offers a chronology outside historiographical norms. Furthermore, the lives of the monarchs are approached from a humanistic perspective.
mary Beard creates a balance between teaching and entertainment without losing either aspect. And why not? These do not have to be mutually exclusive. Thus, the author embarks on a deep journey towards topics such as the three requirements that an emperor must meet. Beard defines them as: “…he must conquer, he must be a benefactor and he must sponsor new constructions or restore those that have deteriorated.”
Structure of the work
Emperor of Rome is divided into ten chapters. The text begins with the experiences of Julius Caesar, who was assassinated in 44 BC. C., and the rise to power of his grandnephew Augustus, who, later, became the city's first official monarch. From there, The author analyzes in depth an era that extends until almost three hundred years later., from the middle of the XNUMXst century BC. C. until the middle of the XNUMXrd century AD. c.
This period covers the mandate of thirty emperors. The ten chapters of the book are preceded by a prologue where the author takes the figure of the controversial Elagabalus as her main protagonist. From him, Mary Beard proceeds to break down all the archetypes of the emperor, such as the “diligent bureaucrat and worker” and the dangerous libertine.
The transformation of Rome
Finally, the book ends with an epilogue as a balance, which highlights the relevance of classical Rome and its fall at the hands of the early Catholic church. In her volume, the author offers comments that are far from analyzes like those of Edward Gibbon. For example: She claims that the emperor's power did not decline with the arrival of Christianity., but it increased due to this religion. This is true, of course, only if we are talking about a Christian monarch.
The real difference between both types of government was the religious coordinates. The ancient Greeks defended their Olympian gods, while Orthodox Christians worshiped the figure of Jesus Christ. According to the author, the autocracy generally associated with Rome is a falsehood, an imposture, a distorting mirror.”
About the author, Winifred Mary Beard
Winifred Mary Beard was born in 1955, in Much Wenlock, United Kingdom. The writer attended Shrewsbury High School, a boarding school for young ladies. When summer came, she used to participate in archaeological excavations to earn her own money. Before starting your university stage He considered studying at King's College, but put it aside because that school only admitted young men..
This fact marked her later feminist positions in almost the same way as did Newnham College, the university in which she eventually enrolled. Despite the feminine nature of her facility, Mary Beard realized that the school's male administrators continued to minimize the efforts of women., so she urged herself to study twice as hard to lower those ideals.
Finally, He specialized in classical studies, and dedicated himself to learning, in addition to teaching classes at the universities of Cambridge, fellow of Newnham College and Royal Academy of Arts, where he is eminent for his lectures, his essays and his best-selling books.
Other books by Mary Beard
- Rome in the Late Republic (1985);
- The Good Working Mother's Guide (1989);
- Pagan Priests: Religion and Power in the Ancient World (1990);
- Classics: A Very Short Introduction (1995);
- Religions of Rome (1998);
- The Invention of Jane Harrison (2000);
- Classical Art from Greece to Rome (2001);
- The Parthenon (2002);
- The Colosseum (2005);
- The Roman Triumph (2007);
- Pompeii: The Life of a Roman Town (2008);
- Confronting the Classics: Traditions, Adventures and Innovations (2013);
- Laughter in Ancient Rome: On Joking, Tickling, and Cracking Up (2014);
- SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome (2016).