Ten Caesars

Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine by Barry S. Strauss As the title implies, this is a collection of biographical sketches 10 roman emperors. But the title is a bit odd, since the authors starts by pointing out that Julius Caesar was a dictator and not an emperor. The emperors begin with Augustus, and this book ends with Constantine, the first Christian emperor. Between the two of those there were many more than ten emperors, but the author concentrates on the most impactful. Hadrian, Nero, Diocletian, Marcus Aurelius are all well known names to people. But the succession from one emperor to another was not easy. Many times there were civil wars, and there could up to 4 emperors in a year before a victor came through. In many ways the times covered by this book helped to shape the modern world, as the empire evolved and the Roman empire engulfed many cultures.