Augustus

Reviews / Votes

'Of all the great men of the ancient world, Augustus is the most elusive. Doing equal justice to his ruthlessness and his statesmanship is a difficult task, but Karl Galinsky manages it with clarity, sympathy, and good sense. Learned but readable, this portrait of the first of the Roman emperors is a brilliant achievement.' T. P. Wiseman, Emeritus Professor of Classics and Ancient History, University of Exeter 'Drawing on a lifetime's research, Galinsky has produced a magisterial summation of Augustus's life, combining precision and clarity with the readability of a best-selling biography.' Carin Green, University of Iowa 'Galinsky's study is the best succinct introduction to the age of Augustus in English. His insightful synthesis of the whole range of evidence (prose and verse texts, monuments, coins, and objects of art) provides an excellent account of Augustus's personal story within the larger context of the political and social conditions of his day.' Harriet I. Flower, Princeton University 'Galinsky's mastery of the material is on display on every page of this new biography of Augustus. Generously illustrated and enhanced by many tools to help the beginner, this will surely become the standard introduction to the life and times of Rome's first emperor.' Carlos Norena, University of California, Berkeley 'Students starting a course on the wider period or Augustus in particular will find this invaluable. Anyone else with an interest in the theme, or who simply wants to gain a glimpse of such a remarkable and important historical figure, can do no better than to start with this short book.' Dr Adrian Goldsworthy, adriangoldsworthy.com