I, Claudius

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Author :
Publisher : Rosetta Books
ISBN 13 : 0795336799
Total Pages : 606 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (953 download)

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Book Synopsis I, Claudius by : Robert Graves

Download or read book I, Claudius written by Robert Graves and published by Rosetta Books. This book was released on 2014-03-06 with total page 606 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “One of the really remarkable books of our day”—the story of the Roman emperor on which the award-winning BBC TV series was based (The New York Times). Once a rather bookish young man with a limp and a stammer, a man who spent most of his time trying to stay away from the danger and risk of the line of ascension, Claudius seemed an unlikely candidate for emperor. Yet, on the death of Caligula, Claudius finds himself next in line for the throne, and must stay alive as well as keep control. Drawing on the histories of Plutarch, Suetonius, and Tacitus, noted historian and classicist Robert Graves tells the story of the much-maligned Emperor Claudius with both skill and compassion. Weaving important themes throughout about the nature of freedom and safety possible in a monarchy, Graves’s Claudius is both more effective and more tragic than history typically remembers him. A bestselling novel and one of Graves’ most successful, I, Claudius has been adapted to television, film, theatre, and audio. “[A] legendary tale of Claudius . . . [A] gem of modern literature.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Claudius

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Author :
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781722653927
Total Pages : 94 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (539 download)

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Book Synopsis Claudius by : Charles River Charles River Editors

Download or read book Claudius written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-07-08 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading Throughout the history of the Roman Empire, many rulers held the reins of ultimate power. Some of them, like Octavian, Trajan, Hadrian, Constantine, and Marcus Aurelius, are still celebrated and considered among antiquity's great statesmen, generals and thinkers. But the Roman Empire also had its fair share of notorious villains, from the sadistic Nero to the debauched Commodus. And yet, all of Rome's poor rulers pale in comparison to the record and legacy of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, a young man remembered by posterity as Caligula. Given how bad some of Rome's emperors were, it's a testament to just how insane and reviled Caligula was that he is still remembered nearly 2,000 years later as the epitome of everything that could be wrong with a tyrant. The Romans had high hopes for him after he succeeded Tiberius in 37 CE, and by all accounts he was a noble and just ruler during his first few months in power. But after that, he suffered some sort of mysterious illness that apparently rendered him insane, and the list of Caligula's strange actions became quite lengthy in almost no time at all. Among other things, Caligula began appearing in public dressed as gods and goddesses, and his incest, sexual perversion, and thirst for blood were legendary at the time, difficult accomplishments considering Roman society was fairly accustomed to and tolerant of such things. Caligula has always fascinated people, and people have speculated for centuries whether the stories about his misdeeds are true, but what is clear is that the Romans had more than enough by 41 CE, when the Praetorian Guard turned on the young emperor and assassinated him. Caligula's reign was so traumatic to the Romans that they even considered restoring the Republic, but military officials ultimately installed Claudius, the only male left in the Julian family line, as emperor. Today, Claudius is particularly remembered for the conquest of Britain, as Roman power there had weakened since Julius Caesar had invaded nearly a century before. Beyond this, he established Roman colonies on the frontiers of the empire, annexed several territories in North Africa (including Thrace and Mauritania), and made Judea a province. Claudius's rule stands out in other aspects as well. He paid great attention to Rome's judicial system and religious policy, and the Empire's infrastructure was improved during his reign, with the construction of new roads and aqueducts, as well as a new harbor at Ostia. Efforts were also made to import grain as a reliable food source for Italy. Claudius also made significant changes to the government's administrative system, increasing the emperor's control and using freedmen as the heads of several divisions of administration, such as the treasury. Additionally, he realized the importance of the provinces and worked to incorporate them into the empire fully. What makes Claudius such a surprisingly effective emperor, aside from his strange route to power, was that he was considered physically and mentally incompetent for political life. At the same time, Claudius managed to take the throne against the will of the Senate thanks to the support of the Praetorian Guard, and despite his efforts to work with the Senate, the relationship would always be troublesome. Under Claudius, the Senate lost power, which is partially why some of the most important sources on Claudius's life and reign are openly hostile toward him. The Apocolocyntosis divi Claudii, written by Seneca (who had been exiled at the beginning of Claudius's reign), ridicules the emperor's physical difficulties and judicial decisions. Later writers, such as Tacitus, Cassius Dio, and Suetonius, echo what Seneca wrote, claiming that Claudius was controlled by his wives and the freedmen he'd made a part of his government.

Claudius

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1135107718
Total Pages : 291 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (351 download)

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Book Synopsis Claudius by : Barbara Levick

Download or read book Claudius written by Barbara Levick and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-11-12 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Claudius became emperor after the assassination of Caligula, and was deified by his successor Nero in AD 54. Opinions of him have varied greatly over succeeding centuries, but he has mostly been caricatured as a reluctant emperor, hampered by a speech impediment, who preferred reading to ruling. Barbara Levick's authoritative study reassesses the reign of Claudius, examining his political objectives and activities within the constitutional, political, social and economic development of Rome. Out of Levick's critical scrutiny of the literary, archaeological and epigraphic sources emerges a different Claudius - an intelligent politician, ruthlessly determined to secure his position as ruler. A history of political and domestic intrigue, as well as an investigation into the development and limits of imperial power, this study is essential reading for historians of the Roman Empire.

The Emperor Claudius

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 352 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis The Emperor Claudius by : Vincent M. Scramuzza

Download or read book The Emperor Claudius written by Vincent M. Scramuzza and published by . This book was released on 1971 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Claudius Caesar

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Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 0521881811
Total Pages : 375 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (218 download)

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Book Synopsis Claudius Caesar by : Josiah Osgood

Download or read book Claudius Caesar written by Josiah Osgood and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2011 with total page 375 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A study of the reign of Claudius (AD 41-54), exploring what it can tell us about the developing Roman Empire.

Claudius

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Author :
Publisher : Psychology Press
ISBN 13 : 0415166195
Total Pages : 291 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (151 download)

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Book Synopsis Claudius by : Barbara Levick

Download or read book Claudius written by Barbara Levick and published by Psychology Press. This book was released on 2001 with total page 291 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Claudius became emperor after the assassination of Caligula, and was deified by his successor Nero in AD 54. Opinions of him have varied greatly over succeeding centuries, but he has mostly been caricatured as a reluctant emperor, hampered by a speech impediment, who preferred reading to ruling. Barbara Levick's authoritative study reassesses the reign of Claudius, examining his political objectives and activities within the constitutional, political, social and economic development of Rome. Out of Levick's critical scrutiny of the literary, archaeological and epigraphic sources emerges a different Claudius - an intelligent politician, ruthlessly determined to secure his position as ruler. A history of political and domestic intrigue, as well as an investigation into the development and limits of imperial power, this study is essential reading for historians of the Roman Empire.

Claudius

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Author :
Publisher : Random House
ISBN 13 : 140908406X
Total Pages : 466 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (9 download)

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Book Synopsis Claudius by : Douglas Jackson

Download or read book Claudius written by Douglas Jackson and published by Random House. This book was released on 2009-11-24 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From bestselling author Douglas Jackson, a gripping and visceral novel of the Roman invasion of Britain, for fans of Conn Iggulden and Simon Scarrow. "What stands out are Jackson's superb battle scenes. I lost myself in the riveting depictions of combat . . . I was gripped from start to finish." -- Ben Kane. "You will be reading this and saying to yourself, "Just one more page!"..." - ***** Reader review. "THIS is the story I was waiting on!" - ***** Reader review. ******************************************************************** EMPEROR OF ROME. CONQUEROR OF BRITAIN. 43 AD. Southern England. Caratacus, war chief of the Britons, watches as the scarlet cloaks of the Roman legions spread across his lands like blood. In Rome, Emperor Claudius desires total conquest and dreams of taking his place in history alongside his illustrious forebears Caesar and Augustus. Among the legions marches Rufus, keeper of the Emperor's elephant. War is coming and the united tribes of Britain will make a desperate stand against the might of Rome in their fight for freedom. The Emperor has a very special purpose for Rufus and his elephant in the midst of the battle - will the Gods favour him? Have you read Caligula - where Rufus's adventures begin?

The Emperor Claudius

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (6 download)

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Book Synopsis The Emperor Claudius by : Vincent Mary Scramuzza

Download or read book The Emperor Claudius written by Vincent Mary Scramuzza and published by . This book was released on 1940 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 1016 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis The Encyclopaedia Britannica by : Hugh Chisholm

Download or read book The Encyclopaedia Britannica written by Hugh Chisholm and published by . This book was released on 1911 with total page 1016 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Dying Every Day

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Author :
Publisher : Vintage
ISBN 13 : 0385351720
Total Pages : 328 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (853 download)

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Book Synopsis Dying Every Day by : James Romm

Download or read book Dying Every Day written by James Romm and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2014-03-11 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From acclaimed classical historian, author of Ghost on the Throne (“Gripping . . . the narrative verve of a born writer and the erudition of a scholar” —Daniel Mendelsohn) and editor of The Landmark Arrian:The Campaign of Alexander (“Thrilling” —The New York Times Book Review), a high-stakes drama full of murder, madness, tyranny, perversion, with the sweep of history on the grand scale. At the center, the tumultuous life of Seneca, ancient Rome’s preeminent writer and philosopher, beginning with banishment in his fifties and subsequent appointment as tutor to twelve-year-old Nero, future emperor of Rome. Controlling them both, Nero’s mother, Julia Agrippina the Younger, Roman empress, great-granddaughter of the Emperor Augustus, sister of the Emperor Caligula, niece and fourth wife of Emperor Claudius. James Romm seamlessly weaves together the life and written words, the moral struggles, political intrigue, and bloody vengeance that enmeshed Seneca the Younger in the twisted imperial family and the perverse, paranoid regime of Emperor Nero, despot and madman. Romm writes that Seneca watched over Nero as teacher, moral guide, and surrogate father, and, at seventeen, when Nero abruptly ascended to become emperor of Rome, Seneca, a man never avid for political power became, with Nero, the ruler of the Roman Empire. We see how Seneca was able to control his young student, how, under Seneca’s influence, Nero ruled with intelligence and moderation, banned capital punishment, reduced taxes, gave slaves the right to file complaints against their owners, pardoned prisoners arrested for sedition. But with time, as Nero grew vain and disillusioned, Seneca was unable to hold sway over the emperor, and between Nero’s mother, Agrippina—thought to have poisoned her second husband, and her third, who was her uncle (Claudius), and rumored to have entered into an incestuous relationship with her son—and Nero’s father, described by Suetonius as a murderer and cheat charged with treason, adultery, and incest, how long could the young Nero have been contained? Dying Every Day is a portrait of Seneca’s moral struggle in the midst of madness and excess. In his treatises, Seneca preached a rigorous ethical creed, exalting heroes who defied danger to do what was right or embrace a noble death. As Nero’s adviser, Seneca was presented with a more complex set of choices, as the only man capable of summoning the better aspect of Nero’s nature, yet, remaining at Nero’s side and colluding in the evil regime he created. Dying Every Day is the first book to tell the compelling and nightmarish story of the philosopher-poet who was almost a king, tied to a tyrant—as Seneca, the paragon of reason, watched his student spiral into madness and whose descent saw five family murders, the Fire of Rome, and a savage purge that destroyed the supreme minds of the Senate’s golden age.

Reading Claudius

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Author :
Publisher : Dial Press
ISBN 13 : 0812998219
Total Pages : 223 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (129 download)

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Book Synopsis Reading Claudius by : Caroline Heller

Download or read book Reading Claudius written by Caroline Heller and published by Dial Press. This book was released on 2015-08-04 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A stunning elegy to a vanished time, Caroline Heller’s memoir traces the lives of her parents, her uncle, and their circle of intellectuals and dreamers from Central Europe on the eve of World War II to present-day America. In this unforgettable dual memoir of her parents’ lives and her own, Caroline Heller brings to life the lost world of European café culture, and reminds us of the sustaining power of literature in the most challenging of times. Heller vividly evokes prewar Prague, where her parents lived, loved, and studied. Her mother, Liese Florsheim, was a young German refugee initially drawn to Erich Heller, a bright but detached intellectual, rather than to his brother, Paul. As Hitler’s power spreads and World War II becomes inevitable, their world is destroyed and they must flee the country and continent. Paul, who will eventually become the author’s father, is trapped and sent to Buchenwald, where he survives under hellish conditions. Though Paul’s life nearly ends in Europe, he reunites with Liese in the United States, where they marry. Their daughter Caroline, restless and insecure, carries the trauma of her parents’ story with her, but her quest to make peace with her heritage is eased by her love of books and writers, part of her family legacy. Through the darkest years of Hitler’s rule, Caroline’s parents and uncle had turned time and time again to literature to help them survive—and so she does as well. Written with sensitivity and grace, Reading Claudius is a profound meditation on the ways we strive to solve the mysteries of our pasts, and a window into understanding the ones we love. Praise for Reading Claudius “This fine book contains moments of emotion so pure that in the end, we too fall in love with the writer’s past.”—The New York Times Book Review “Heller plunges us lovingly and convincingly into [a] lost world.”—The Boston Globe “Caroline Heller writes with both honesty and delicacy. I was particularly enthralled by her finely drawn portrait of prewar Central Europe: a lost world whose memories are inestimably valuable and fiercely beautiful but which, without accounts like this, would fade forever.”—Anne Fadiman, author of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down “Reading Claudius is much more than a work of riveting personal history. It is a feat of passionate, radical integrity. Caroline Heller has wedded the greatest level of care in her scholarship to an even deeper form of search: that in which imagination becomes not only an act of love but an instrument of truth.”—Leah Hager Cohen, author of No Book but the World and The Grief of Others “A deeply felt and deeply thought memoir, it manages to unearth a whole lost world with aching tenderness and regret.”—Phillip Lopate, author of Portrait Inside My Head From the Hardcover edition.

The Emperor Nero

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Author :
Publisher : Princeton University Press
ISBN 13 : 1400881102
Total Pages : 331 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (8 download)

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Book Synopsis The Emperor Nero by : Anthony A. Barrett

Download or read book The Emperor Nero written by Anthony A. Barrett and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2016-07-12 with total page 331 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nero's reign (AD 54–68) witnessed some of the most memorable events in Roman history, such as the rebellion of Boudica and the first persecution of the Christians—not to mention Nero's murder of his mother, his tyranny and extravagance, and his suicide, which plunged the empire into civil war. The Emperor Nero gathers into a single collection the major sources for Nero's life and rule, providing students of Nero and ancient Rome with the most authoritative and accessible reader there is. The Emperor Nero features clear, contemporary translations of key literary sources along with translations and explanations of representative inscriptions and coins issued under Nero. The informative introduction situates the emperor's reign within the history of the Roman Empire, and the book's concise headnotes to chapters place the source material in historical and biographical context. Passages are accompanied by detailed notes and are organized around events, such as the Great Fire of Rome, or by topic, such as Nero's relationships with his wives. Complex events like the war with Parthia—split up among several chapters in Tacitus's Annals—are brought together in continuous narratives, making this the most comprehensible and user-friendly sourcebook on Nero available. Some images inside the book are unavailable due to digital copyright restrictions.

Claudius

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Author :
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781722653910
Total Pages : 46 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (539 download)

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Book Synopsis Claudius by : Charles River Charles River Editors

Download or read book Claudius written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2018-07-08 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes pictures *Includes ancient accounts *Includes online resources and a bibliography for further reading Throughout the history of the Roman Empire, many rulers held the reins of ultimate power. Some of them, like Octavian, Trajan, Hadrian, Constantine, and Marcus Aurelius, are still celebrated and considered among antiquity's great statesmen, generals and thinkers. But the Roman Empire also had its fair share of notorious villains, from the sadistic Nero to the debauched Commodus. And yet, all of Rome's poor rulers pale in comparison to the record and legacy of Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, a young man remembered by posterity as Caligula. Given how bad some of Rome's emperors were, it's a testament to just how insane and reviled Caligula was that he is still remembered nearly 2,000 years later as the epitome of everything that could be wrong with a tyrant. The Romans had high hopes for him after he succeeded Tiberius in 37 CE, and by all accounts he was a noble and just ruler during his first few months in power. But after that, he suffered some sort of mysterious illness that apparently rendered him insane, and the list of Caligula's strange actions became quite lengthy in almost no time at all. Among other things, Caligula began appearing in public dressed as gods and goddesses, and his incest, sexual perversion, and thirst for blood were legendary at the time, difficult accomplishments considering Roman society was fairly accustomed to and tolerant of such things. Caligula has always fascinated people, and people have speculated for centuries whether the stories about his misdeeds are true, but what is clear is that the Romans had more than enough by 41 CE, when the Praetorian Guard turned on the young emperor and assassinated him. Caligula's reign was so traumatic to the Romans that they even considered restoring the Republic, but military officials ultimately installed Claudius, the only male left in the Julian family line, as emperor. Today, Claudius is particularly remembered for the conquest of Britain, as Roman power there had weakened since Julius Caesar had invaded nearly a century before. Beyond this, he established Roman colonies on the frontiers of the empire, annexed several territories in North Africa (including Thrace and Mauritania), and made Judea a province. Claudius's rule stands out in other aspects as well. He paid great attention to Rome's judicial system and religious policy, and the Empire's infrastructure was improved during his reign, with the construction of new roads and aqueducts, as well as a new harbor at Ostia. Efforts were also made to import grain as a reliable food source for Italy. Claudius also made significant changes to the government's administrative system, increasing the emperor's control and using freedmen as the heads of several divisions of administration, such as the treasury. Additionally, he realized the importance of the provinces and worked to incorporate them into the empire fully. What makes Claudius such a surprisingly effective emperor, aside from his strange route to power, was that he was considered physically and mentally incompetent for political life. At the same time, Claudius managed to take the throne against the will of the Senate thanks to the support of the Praetorian Guard, and despite his efforts to work with the Senate, the relationship would always be troublesome. Under Claudius, the Senate lost power, which is partially why some of the most important sources on Claudius's life and reign are openly hostile toward him. The Apocolocyntosis divi Claudii, written by Seneca (who had been exiled at the beginning of Claudius's reign), ridicules the emperor's physical difficulties and judicial decisions. Later writers, such as Tacitus, Cassius Dio, and Suetonius, echo what Seneca wrote, claiming that Claudius was controlled by his wives and the freedmen he'd made a part of his government.

Apocolocyntosis

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Author :
Publisher : The Floating Press
ISBN 13 : 1775414647
Total Pages : 29 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (754 download)

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Book Synopsis Apocolocyntosis by : Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Download or read book Apocolocyntosis written by Lucius Annaeus Seneca and published by The Floating Press. This book was released on 2009-04-01 with total page 29 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Lucius Annaeus Seneca, also known as Seneca, or Seneca the Younger, was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman and dramatist, who also acted as a tutor and adviser to emperor Nero. Attributed to Seneca is this political satire on the Roman emperor Claudius, Apocolocyntosis or The Pumpkinification of Claudius. The title, meaning "Pumpkinification" or "Gourdification" is a play upon "apotheosis", the process of recognizing a dead Roman emperor as a god.

Apocolocyntosis (Hardcover)

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Author :
Publisher : Lulu.com
ISBN 13 : 9781387769124
Total Pages : 30 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (691 download)

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Book Synopsis Apocolocyntosis (Hardcover) by : Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Download or read book Apocolocyntosis (Hardcover) written by Lucius Annaeus Seneca and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2018-08-26 with total page 30 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This hardcover edition of Seneca's Apocolocyntosis contains the authoritative translation of W.H.D. Rouse, complete with notes. The Apocolocyntosis by Seneca is a satire aimed at the Roman Emperor Claudius. Together with Petronius's Satyricon, it holds the distinction of being the only surviving satire of the Menippean genre of classical antiquity. The title is a play upon words, with the term ""apotheosis"" connoting the process in which dead Roman emperors were recognized as Gods. Intended as a comedy, the play chronicles the death of the Emperor Claudius, and his rise toward the heavens. However, the Gods cast judgment that he should instead descend to Hades - a sentence which Claudius contests, by appealing to the God Hercules. Thereafter begins a drama in the divine court, wherein Claudius's deeds are examined by several figures in the Greek Pantheon. Unfortunately, the speeches of each of the Gods sitting at court have been lost to time, though the plot of the Apocolocyntosis survives.

Claudius the God and His Wife Messalina

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Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (126 download)

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Book Synopsis Claudius the God and His Wife Messalina by : Robert Graves

Download or read book Claudius the God and His Wife Messalina written by Robert Graves and published by . This book was released on 1968 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Claudius

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 131752909X
Total Pages : 287 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (175 download)

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Book Synopsis Claudius by : Barbara Levick

Download or read book Claudius written by Barbara Levick and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-05-08 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Claudius became emperor after the assassination of Caligula, and was deified by his successor Nero in AD 54. Opinions of him have varied greatly over succeeding centuries, but he has mostly been caricatured as a reluctant emperor, hampered by a speech impediment, who preferred reading to ruling. Barbara Levick's authoritative study reassesses the reign of Claudius, examining his political objectives and activities within the constitutional, political, social and economic development of Rome. Out of Levick's critical scrutiny of the literary, archaeological and epigraphic sources emerges a different Claudius - an intelligent politician, ruthlessly determined to secure his position as ruler. Now updated to take account of recent scholarship, Claudius remains essential reading for students and historians of the early Roman Empire.