Tiberius Caesar [Illustrated] [Paperback]

G. P. Baker (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 29, 2000

The great conundrum of his character and the political significance of his long reign, which solidified the imperial government of Rome, render the life of Tiberius Caesar (42 B. C.-37 A. D.)—second emperor of Rome and successor of Augustus—a subject of perennial interest. From the mass of available evidence, two men can be constructed, both equally credible: one, an upright, gruff soldier-statesman, austere, just, capable; the other, a corrupt, murderous tyrant with gargantuan and depraved appetites. In another in the series of superb biographies of ancient figures, G. P. Baker provides an astute and fair-minded assesment of Rome's most psychologically complex and contradictory emperor, a man who—according to Roman historian Dio Cassius— "possessed many virtues and many vices."

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Julius hogs all the publicity, but Tiberius ruled Rome with an iron hand for many years. Baker's astute 1929 biography portrays Tiberius both as a seasoned and crafty leader and military strategist and a psychopath of epic proportions.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

It is of great interest to look at Tiberius as an individual and as an administrator in a strictly modern and impartial way as Baker has done. (New York Times )

The personal and political struggles of Tiberius, second emperor of Rome, are chronicled in this fascinating biography. ... Less depraved than his successor, Caligula, but nowhere near the greatness of his predecessor, Augustus, Tiberius Caesar deserves Baker's fresh study. This is an engrossing story of one of ancient Rome's most overlooked emperors (Today's Librarian )

Julius hogs all the publicity, but Tiberius ruled Rome with an iron hand for many years. Baker's astute 1929 biography portrays Tiberius both as a seasoned and crafty leader and military strategist and a psychopath of epic proportions. (Library Journal )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 344 pages
• Publisher: Cooper Square Press; 1 edition (November 29, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815411138
• ISBN-13: 978-0815411130
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #819,326 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent biography, July 11, 2005

By 

Reader "a_reader_999" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tiberius Caesar (Paperback)

A middling work, interesting to read, and a good introduction to Tiberius and his world. But the book never delves deeply into any given topic. That's not too surprising, considering the paucity of sources on Tiberius outside of Tacitus and Suetonius. Still, I was left feeling that the picture could have been painted more convincingly. The author veers in different directions. At one point, Germanicus is a mere "cypher" next to his wife Agrippina, who is (according to Baker) the potent, determined head of the Julian party. At another point, Agrippina is a political non-entity. Julia herself remains a mere abstraction. And Tiberius' mother Livia is hardly mentioned until fairly late in the chronology of his life. Even Sejanus, in spite of the vivid nickname "The Tuscan" and a few salacious details, never comes aive as a person.

Also, the concluding chapter is full of empty platitudes and sweeping generalizations, many of them concerning events that took place centuries after Tiberius, and few of which are supportable. That chapter was very disappointing, and would be savaged by serious historians.

Nevertheless, the book was a good quick read, and as I mentioned before, a good first primer on Tiberius. The accounts of the German campaigns are particularly good, and well-provided with maps. They're by no means detailed, but the overall story is told very well, and the campaigns are woven into the overall story of Tiberius' early career and later reign.

The author clearly rejects the view of Tiberius presented by Tacitus and Suetonius. He's undecided as to whether Tiberius murdered Postumus or Germanicus, or whether the stories about his debaucheries were true. (He highly doubts the latter.) He considers Tiberius to have been a sober, serious statesman who did his best to look out for the empire's best interests.

In summary, the book is not terribly demanding on the reader, but not empty-headed fluff either. I plan on getting his book on Constantine.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting, March 22, 2002

By 

Stephane Verreault "somatophylax" (Laval, Canada) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Tiberius Caesar (Paperback)

A very interesting biography of an emperor who is not that well known. Interesting facts and information on him and his rise to power, his relations, and his last years.