June 28, 2003

Augustus, by John Williams

Highly, highly recommended:

John Williams (1974), Augustus (Little Rock: University of Arkansas: 1557283435).

Best if read in combination with:

Ronald Syme (1939), The Roman Revolution (Oxford: Oxford University Press: 0192803204).

Posted by DeLong at June 28, 2003 10:41 AM | TrackBack

Comments

Both those links go to the same book.

Posted by: Peter Cuthbertson on June 28, 2003 04:00 PM

Both those links go to the same book.

Posted by: Peter Cuthbertson on June 28, 2003 04:01 PM

Augustus understood that Romans owed profound obligations to their ancestors; he passed laws accordingly* and he established the hereditary principle for the transfer of imperial power. Augustus well knew that 'We aren't independent liberal individuals making a social contract in the rational light of Enlightenment Reason.' Can't see that he would've had any objections to Prof. DeLong's argument for affirmative action.

* - Res Gestae Divi Augustae, 'The Achievments of the Divine Augustus' inscription carved into Temple of Rome and Augustus. http://www.hadrians.com/rome/romans/emperors/emperor_augustus.html#49

Posted by: Ken Silber on June 29, 2003 09:55 AM

Decline in citizens' freedoms...
Increase in the rulers' powers...
Hmmm drawing any parallels here?

Posted by: Amused Reader on June 30, 2003 12:35 AM

If you want amusing parallels between today and Roman history, there's another in my article Flamininus at Corinth:

http://www.theculture.org/rich/sharpblue/archives/000034.html

Posted by: Richard Baker on July 1, 2003 11:22 AM
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