What sort of men were the Roman emperors… and were they all men? What background and training, if any, prepared them for their awesome responsibilities? What depravities did they display? And what achievements can they claim? Dive into these questions and more with this introduction to the complex personalities of emperors such as Augustus, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero. These 36 gripping lectures bring to life the many emperors of Rome from the turn of the 1st century to the transition to the Middle Ages. For more than five centuries, these emperors - a checkered mix of the wise, the brutal, and the unhinged - presided over a multi-ethnic empire that was nearly always at war.
Professor Garrett Fagan of the Pennsylvania State University takes you deep into ancient Rome. As you witness the reigns of the successive rulers unfold, you will see how the office evolved with the political forces that sustained it, becoming more and more tightly bound to the military. Each step toward despotism was taken with a view toward expedience. But when that step became the new normal, it paved the way for the next step, and so on. You'll also study eyewitness reports, later compilations, archaeological remains, and inscriptions on monuments and coins as you play the role of detective, separating the truth from the legends of this spellbinding era.
