A Monument to Dynasty and Death

By Nathan T. Elkins,

Book cover of A Monument to Dynasty and Death: The Story of Rome's Colosseum and the Emperors Who Built It

Book description

Go behind the scenes to discover why the Colosseum was the king of amphitheaters in the Roman world-a paragon of Roman engineering prowess.

Early one morning in 80 CE, the Colosseum roared to life with the deafening cheers of tens of thousands of spectators as the emperor, Titus, inaugurated the…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked A Monument to Dynasty and Death as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

A large part of the last book of my trilogy focuses on one character’s involvement in the construction of the Flavian Amphitheater, known today as The Colosseum. As with other complex issues I’ve written about — the Jewish Revolt, social constraints on women, relationships between masters and slaves — I’ve had to make sense of this grandest construction project of the first century. Elkins’ scholarly book helped me get out of the “tourist-in-Rome mindset” and into the “you-are-there-as-it’s-being-built mindset.” I’m currently writing that section, so the jury is still out, but Elkins’ in-depth research and clear exposition provide a good…

From Martha's list on the Roman Empire in 1st Century AD.

Want books like A Monument to Dynasty and Death?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like A Monument to Dynasty and Death.

Browse books like A Monument to Dynasty and Death

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Rome, Italy, and emperors?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about Rome, Italy, and emperors.

Rome Explore 316 books about Rome
Italy Explore 372 books about Italy
Emperors Explore 31 books about emperors