Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman RepublicDoubleday, 2003 - 408 pages A masterful, witty, brilliantly researched popular history of perhaps the greatest civilization ever and the events and people that led to its transformation from a republic to an empire. On a dark January morning, Julius Caesar, the governor of Gaul, rode with his closest aides towards a river named the Rubicon, which marked the line of the frontier with Italy. A governor was forbidden to lead troops out of his allotted province - to break this severest of laws was tantamount to a declaration of civil war. Caesar was a gambler, however. Like the consummate actor on the public stage he had always been, he quoted a line from one of Menander's plays: "It's time to roll the die." Then he ordered the legion behind him to advance, over the river and on towards Rome. Crossing the Rubicon was a step so consequential that it has come to stand for every fateful step in history since. When Caesar rolled his die, the result was indeed a civil war, one that would end up destroying Rome's traditional freedoms and establishing a permanent dictatorship on the wreckage of her constitution. In "Rubicon," Cambridge- and Oxford-educated historian and novelist Tom Holland gives us a harrowing and exciting account of the fall of the Republic, one that begins in 100 BC, the approximate birthdate of the generation that was to bring about the Republic's ruin. He then traces the development of these men into the ruling minds of the Republic, and the occurrence at the Rubicon that marked the end of the expansionism for which they had fought. "Rubicon" captures the suspense and drama of Rome's most famous political rivalries and shows its vibrant and charged atmosphere, all the while featuring some ofthe most celebrated personalities in history-Julius Caesar, Cicero, Spartacus, Cleopatra, Brutus, Pompey, Virgil, and Augustus. As America embarks on its own imperial adventures, "Rubicon" is the chronicle of Rome for which we have all been waiting-carefully researched and wildly compelling. |
Table des matières
THE PARADOXICAL REPUBLIC | 1 |
THE SIBYLS CURSE | 31 |
LUCK BE A LADY | 59 |
Droits d'auteur | |
10 autres sections non affichées
Autres éditions - Tout afficher
Expressions et termes fréquents
achievements Alexandria ambitions ancient Antony Antony's appeared Appian army Asia Athens Atticus Augustus back in Rome Baiae began blood brought Brutus Caelius Caesar Campania Campus Martius career Carthage Catiline Cato Cato's Catulus celebrated century Cicero Cinna civil Cleopatra Clodius Clodius's command consul consulship course Crassus Crassus's Curio death defeat desperate despite Domitius duly East election empire enemies fellow citizens Forum Gaius Gaul gladiators glory Greece Greek head honor Hortensius Italian Italy king knew legionaries legions Lucullus Macedon magistracy magistrates Marius Marius's Mithridates murder never Octavian once Pergamum pirates Plutarch political Pompey Pompey's Posidonius proconsul proved province rebels refused remained Republic Republic's rival Roman Roman Republic Rome's Samnites Samnium Senate House served shadow slaves Spain status stood Strabo streets Sulla Sulla's temple theater Tigranes tion traditions tribune triumph triumvirate turned Vercingetorix victory villa Villa Publica vote wonder