Tiberius , Reluctant Caesar [Paperback]

George Vass (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 13, 2002

'I implore our citizens and allies that when I shall have departed this life they will honor my deeds and name with their praise and kind remembrance.' Vain hope! In death, as in life, political intrigues, family hatreds and betrayals, and sexual passions and jealousies combine with a succession of personal tragedies to destroy the character and good name of Tiberius, the brilliant stepson and successor of the deified Augustus. The 'ablest of all the sovereigns the empire ever had' surges to life with all his stiff pride, mordant wit and penetrating intelligence in this adventure-packed tale of love, war, political double-dealing, partisan struggle and brazen treachery. The hand of fate lays waste all rivals, leaving Tiberius the reluctant Caesar, burdened by the twin griefs of having to give up the woman he loves in order to wed Augustus's licentious daughter, and the bitter humiliation of having been the choice of last resort to govern Rome. While his military prowess shields the empire, his reputation and political authority are under incessant assault and treachery, not only from enemies but even his most trusted lieutenant, Sejanus, in this epic novel of an age whose events often mirror those of the present. Tiberius - Reluctant Caesar depicts a world whose political duplicity, cynical manipulations, fanatical hatreds, public gullibility and sexual intrigues are difficult to distinguish from our own.

Product Details

• Paperback: 568 pages
• Publisher: Upfront Publishing Ltd. (September 13, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1844260623
• ISBN-13: 978-1844260621
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,184,192 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sympathetic portrait, December 8, 2006

By 

M. Retallick (Tacoma, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tiberius , Reluctant Caesar (Paperback)

I was introduced to Tiberius via Robert Graves' "I, Claudius" where Graves depicts Tiberius as one of the "bad Claudians." Vass takes the same source material (Suetonius, Tacitus) and weaves a believeable, sympathetic portrait of Rome's second Emperor. He also takes a different tack than Graves on Tiberius' mother Livia, here portrayed as a loving mother and wife. Even Caligula receives a more favorable treatment. I found this book to be a excellent reconstruction of first century Rome and would highly recommend it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tiberius--The Novel, November 16, 2008

By 

publius hadrianus - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tiberius , Reluctant Caesar (Paperback)

The product description fails to mention that this is a novelized version of the life of Tiberius. I'm not a scholar of ancient Roman history so I can't contest any specific facts--which as far as I can tell are generally accurate. However, there are clearly many portions of the book that describe characters' thoughts, feelings, and verbalizations which seem to have no basis in fact. They are the author's conjecture. The author offers no preface, introduction, or any statement that clarifies the nature of the book. There are no notes or bibliographic references to assist readers in differentiating information in the book that is derived from historical sources and information that is the merely the authors' speculation. I have no objection to the novel--but let's call it one--preferably on the cover. I enjoyed the novel, but I'm not sure I would have purchased it if I had known what it was. After finishing the book I don't know what was fact and what was fiction.