Augustan Rome

Description

Written by Andrew Wallace-Hadrill, one of the world's foremost scholars on Roman social and cultural history, this introduction to Rome in the Age of Augustus provides a fascinating insight into the social and physical contexts of Augustan politics and poetry, exploring in detail the impact of the new regime of government on society. Taking an interpretative approach, the ideas and environment manipulated by Augustus are explored, along with reactions to that manipulation. Emphasizing the role and impact of art and architecture of the time, and on Roman attitudes and values, Augustan Rome explains how the victory of Octavian at Actium transformed Rome and Roman life. The second edition features a new introductory section on literary figures under Augustus, a final chapter on the reception of Augustus in later periods, updated references to recent scholarship, new figures and an expanded list of further reading. This thought-provoking yet concise volume sets political changes in the context of their impact on Roman values, on the imaginative world of poetry, on the visual world of art, and on the fabric of the city of Rome.

Andrew Wallace-Hadrill is Emeritus Professor of Roman Studies, University of Cambridge, UK. His publications include Herculaneum: Past and Future (2011), Rome's Cultural Revolution (2008), Domestic Space in the Roman World: Pompeii and Beyond (1997), Houses and Society in Pompeii and Herculaneum (1995) and Suetonius (1983).

This work offers a clear overview of major issues in the Augustan period: the major players, the political policies, the poetry, monuments, and propaganda (and, especially, the ways in which those intertwine). It is strong in unraveling the complexity of certain events (e.g. the Battle of Actium, Secular Games) or works of art (Ara Pacis, Vergil's Aeneid) in order to raise questions about power structures in the Augustan period and our conception of the figure of Augustus. It is a strong introduction to this period and will be particularly useful for undergraduate students and survey courses. * Ancient History Bulletin * Has quickly become an indispensable introduction to Augustus and his age ... It is a very important book and highly recommended for use in schools and universities as well as for a general audience ... Is a highly recommended read for anyone interested in the ancient world. * Classics Ireland * Le Goff's exposition of Blanqui's ideas is clear and compelling. * H-France Review * In its new incarnation the illustrations are now worthy of the text, thus ensuring that in a more visually demanding age Augustan Rome will surely maintain its special place in the teaching of the Augustan principate. * Bryn Mawr Classical Review *