Pax

In my own research, I’m interested in how Roman imperialism is shaped through the concept of peace and this is central to Tom Holland’s latest examination of power in the ancient Mediterranean world.

I found myself sucked into to the cinematic accounts of shocking and poignant events, such as the erection of Vesuvius and the sacking of Jerusalem, yet also really struck by how Holland manages to paint a picture of the vast diversity and difference to be experienced in the Roman world. And I particularly like that he reminds us how different the Romans are from ourselves.

This is non-fiction, essentially a history of the Flavian Imperators. It starts with the death of Nero, and the chaos that followed in the year of the four Emperors. It covers Vespasian, Titus, Nerva, Trajan and Hadrian, the Roman empire essentially over-reaching itself under Trajan, and pulled back by Hadrian.

Two of my novels are set during the times of Tiberius, Caligulae and Claudius, and having carried out the research into those times I found it fascinating to see what had changed in the way Romans behaved and what had not.

The book is very well-written, and shows how Rome… show more.