Pax Romana by Adrian Goldsworthy
A groundbreaking and comprehensive history of the Roman Peace from one of the leading historians of the ancient world Best-selling author Adrian Goldsworthy turns his attention to the Pax Romana, the famous peace and prosperity brought by the Roman Empire at its height in the first and second centuries AD. Yet the Romans were conquerors, imperialists who took by force a vast empire stretching from the Euphrates to the Atlantic coast. Ruthless, Romans won peace not through coexistence but through dominance; millions died and were enslaved during the creation of their empire. Pax Romana examines how the Romans came to control so much of the world and asks whether traditionally favorable images of the Roman peace are true. Goldsworthy vividly recounts the rebellions of the conquered, examining why they broke out, why most failed, and how they became exceedingly rare. He reveals that hostility was just one reaction to the arrival of Rome and that from the outset, conquered peoples collaborated, formed alliances, and joined invaders, causing resistance movements to fade away.
"Goldsworthy brings a wonderful vitality to his subject. . The reader is treated to an enthralling view of a highly complex system of governance [in which] Goldsworthy gives statecraft its proper emphasis."—Gerard DeGroot, Times (London)
"The reign of Augustus—when the Romans learned to stop worrying and love the emperors—is the center of Adrian Goldsworthy’s powerful reassessment of Roman imperialism. Goldsworthy is well known for his books on the Roman army and on Roman warfare and is the author of vivid biographies of some of Rome’s greatest generals, so peace might seem a surprising topic for him. But Pax is not peace, or not quite peace as we know it . . . The Roman peace was an unusual calm after the violence of prehistoric and classical societies. How calm it really was is difficult to say, but Pax Romana offers a measured answer for which we may be grateful."—Greg Woolf, Wall Street Journal
"[Pax Romana] offers two cheers for imperialism, saluting the Romans for bringing peace and stability to the Mediterranean basin on a scale and duration not seen before or since . . . Two lessons for today stand out in the book: First, it is hard to make and keep a peace. Second, the greatest threat to the Pax Romana came not from foreigners but from the internal power struggles of the Romans themselves."—Thomas Ricks, New York Times Book Review
"Goldsworthy explores this epoch lucidly . . . He shows how those long-ago warriors and politicians wound taut the strings that continue to vibrate in our national life."—Richard Snow, "What to Give: History Books," Wall Street Journal
"The best of [Goldsworthy’s] many excellent books on ancient Rome for its range and depth."—Peter Jones, BBC History Magazine
"The reign of Augustus—when the Romans learned to stop worrying and love the emperors—is the center of Adrian Goldsworthy’s powerful reassessment of Roman imperialism. Goldsworthy is well known for his books on the Roman army and on Roman warfare and is the author of vivid biographies of some of Rome’s greatest generals, so peace might seem a surprising topic for him. But Pax is not peace, or not quite peace as we know it . . . The Roman peace was an unusual calm after the violence of prehistoric and classical societies. How calm it really was is difficult to say, but Pax Romana offers a measured answer for which we may be grateful."—Greg Woolf, Wall Street Journal
"[Pax Romana] offers two cheers for imperialism, saluting the Romans for bringing peace and stability to the Mediterranean basin on a scale and duration not seen before or since . . . Two lessons for today stand out in the book: First, it is hard to make and keep a peace. Second, the greatest threat to the Pax Romana came not from foreigners but from the internal power struggles of the Romans themselves."—Thomas Ricks, New York Times Book Review
"Goldsworthy explores this epoch lucidly . . . He shows how those long-ago warriors and politicians wound taut the strings that continue to vibrate in our national life."—Richard Snow, "What to Give: History Books," Wall Street Journal
"The best of [Goldsworthy’s] many excellent books on ancient Rome for its range and depth."—Peter Jones, BBC History Magazine
Adrian Goldsworthy is the author of numerous acclaimed books, including biographies of Julius Caesar and Augustus. He lectures widely and consults on historical documentaries for the History Channel, National Geographic, and the BBC. He lives in the UK.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780300178821 |
| ISBN 10 | 0300178824 |
| Title | Pax Romana |
| Author | Adrian Goldsworthy |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Yale University Press |
| Year published | 2016-09-13 |
| Number of pages | 528 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |