The Sons of Caesar: Imperial Rome's First Dynasty [Hardcover]

Philip Matyszak (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0500251282 | ISBN-13: 978-0500251287 | Publication Date: June 12, 2006 | Edition: 1

The story of one of the most colorful dynasties in history, from Caesar's rise to power in the first century BC to Nero's death in AD 68.

This engaging new study reviews the long history of the Julian and Claudian families in the Roman Republic and the social and political background of Rome. At the heart of the account are the lives of six men—Julius Caesar, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero—men who mastered Rome and then changed it from a democracy to a personal possession. It was no easy task: Caesar and Caligula were assassinated, Nero committed suicide, and Claudius was poisoned. Only Augustus and Tiberius died natural deaths—and even that is uncertain.

The Julio-Claudian saga has a host of other intriguing characters, from Cicero, the last great statesman of the Republic, to Livia, matriarch of the Empire; the passionate Mark Antony and the scheming Sejanus; and Agrippina, mother of Nero and sister of Caligula, who probably murdered her husband and was in turn killed by her son. Set against a background of foreign wars and domestic intrigue, the story of Rome's greatest dynasty is also the story of the birth of an imperial system that shaped the Europe of today. 80 illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When Rome became a republic in 509 BC, its citizens so deplored the idea of monarchy they would not even allow a foreign king into the city. Despite such thinking, the Republic's institutions were vulnerable to the power, money and influence of its aristocracy. Matyszak's book is an engrossing and expertly assembled presentation of Rome's first families, the Julio-Claudian line of leaders whose example, Matyszak argues, "continues to convince many that an effective autocracy is superior to a dysfunctional democracy." Two of Matyszak's main reasons for re-examining this oft-explored era are to overturn common myths, including the widely-accepted, "facile" explanation for Rome's downfall-strain caused by expansion and military campaigns-and to prove that empire is not always a dirty word. Matyszak follows the slow transformation of a republican government into an expansive imperial power, beginning with the awkward reconciliation between Julius Caesar's declaration of dictatorship and the existing Roman constitution, and continuing in small but significant steps amid civil wars and familial infighting. His profiles, from Julius to Nero, are fresh looks at characters marred by caricature and misconception, and his analysis of Rome's transformation is both instructive and precient, and will give those who employ the term "empire" in contemporary public dialogue much to consider. 90 illustrations.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Philip Matyszak has a doctorate in Roman history from St. John's College, Oxford, and has written several books on ancient Rome.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 296 pages
• Publisher: Thames & Hudson; 1 edition (June 12, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0500251282
• ISBN-13: 978-0500251287
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #894,252 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fresh new look at the Julio-Claudians, January 30, 2008

By 

J. Baer (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Sons of Caesar: Imperial Rome's First Dynasty (Hardcover)

Does the world need yet another book on the Caesars and the fall of the Republic? Well, yes, actually, as long as it is written with the clarity and probing analysis of Phillip "Maty" Matyszak. In The Sons of Caesar, the good Cambridge doctor of history offers a penetrating study of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, the convoluted and dysfunctional family that presided over Rome's transition from Republic to Empire.

I have read my share of modern books on the early empire, and they seldom improve upon the primary sources of Tacitus and Suetonius whose histories make excellent reading in their own right. The main problem with the two Roman historians are their biases. Tacitus the senator shared his order's jealousy and loathing for the imperial family, while Suetonius the equestrian let his history be colored by scandalous gossip whose veracity is sometimes in doubt. Taking their two accounts together, the ages have held all the early emperors (with the possible exception of Augustus) in a very dim light indeed. But given the biases at work how fair is the assessment? Matyszak is willing to take a step back and analyze the personalities and policies of the Julio-Claudians outside the biases of the primary sources. What emerges is a tale not quite as dire as either Tacitus or Suetonius would have you believe.

The Sons of Caesar is a brilliant book which offers a moderate revision of a much maligned family. Carried along with clear prose, elucidating charts, some great photographs, and plenty of juicy quotes from the primary sources, this is a book that anyone interested in imperial politics will want on their shelves.

For the full review, please visit http://www.unrv.com/book-review/sons-of-caesar.php

A Roman history website: www.unrv.com

11 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Overview of Julius Caesar and his hiers., August 22, 2006

By 

Paul F. Burdyn "PFB" (ELMHURST, NEW YORK United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sons of Caesar: Imperial Rome's First Dynasty (Hardcover)

Interesting book profiling Julius Caesar, Augustus, Caligula, Claudius and Nero.

While not the best book written on the subject, it encapsulates the Julio-Claudian dynasty excellently.

It provides a fairly detailed account of what each Caesar accomplished. Written in a conversational manner, it is easy to read and gives a good account of this families reign.

It deserves a place among your Roman history books.

7 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Apologia for Caesar & Sons, September 6, 2006

By 

J. Guberman (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Sons of Caesar: Imperial Rome's First Dynasty (Hardcover)

The overall impression one takes from this book, other than the fact that it is an interesting and fairly quick read, is that the author is seemingly apologetic for the heinous crimes and misdemeanors of the Julio-Claudian rulers of Rome.

He still addresses the rumors and innuendos of such authors as Suetonius, though seems to place these actions in the perspective of their times and questions the likelihood that they even occurred.

Granted, there is little if any way to confirm the entertaining gossip of Suetonius though trying to put a shine on the perceived rotten apple of Caligula after nearly two millenia of bad press is admirable but certainly a minority opinion.

The text appears to be a positive rendering of the Caesars and their contributions to the creation of and the century of stability that was the Roman Empire prior to the death of Nero.

Though for all the positives, the creative accounting utilized by the author does not do much towards altering the balance sheets of history. Despite all the positives, the negatives weigh heavily against these figures as they will against our present day best and worst in the centuries to come.

Overall, the book should be read as a compliment along with Tacitus, Suetonius and Dio et al.