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Pax Romana: War, Peace, and Conquest in the Roman World
Pax Romana: War, Peace, and Conquest in the Roman World
Pax Romana: War, Peace, and Conquest in the Roman World
Audiobook15 hours

Pax Romana: War, Peace, and Conquest in the Roman World

Written by Adrian Goldsworthy

Narrated by Derek Perkins

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

Bestselling author Adrian Goldsworthy turns his attention to the Pax Romana, the famous peace and prosperity brought by the Roman Empire at its height in the first and second centuries AD. Yet the Romans were conquerors, imperialists who took by force a vast empire stretching from the Euphrates to the Atlantic coast. Ruthless, Romans won peace not through coexistence but through dominance; millions died and were enslaved during the creation of their empire.

Pax Romana examines how the Romans came to control so much of the world and asks whether traditionally favorable images of the Roman peace are true. Goldsworthy vividly recounts the rebellions of the conquered, examines why they broke out, why most failed, and how they became exceeding rare. He reveals that hostility was just one reaction to the arrival of Rome and that from the outset, conquered peoples collaborated, formed alliances, and joined invaders, causing resistance movements to fade away.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateAug 23, 2016
ISBN9781515974833
Author

Adrian Goldsworthy

Adrian Goldsworthy's doctoral thesis formed the basis for his first book, The Roman Army at War 100 BC–AD 200 (OUP, 1996), and his research has focused on aspects of warfare in the Graeco-Roman world. He is the bestselling author of many ancient world titles, including both military history and historical novels. He also consults on historical documentaries for the History Channel, National Geographic, and the BBC. Adrian Goldsworthy studied at Oxford, where his doctoral thesis examined the Roman army. He went on to become an acclaimed historian of Ancient Rome. He is the author of numerous works of non-fiction, including Philip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors, Caesar, The Fall of the West, Pax Romana and Hadrian's Wall.

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Reviews for Pax Romana

Rating: 4.094827606896552 out of 5 stars
4/5

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Adrian Goldsworthy did what he does best in this book, bring the ancient world to life.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    My kind of history book. Discussing the history of Romans running their empire in the context of their relationships with conquered people. Well structured, no pointless dates or minutiae.

    The one annoying bit are the constant apologies on behalf of Romans and people in the past in general. Why does the author have to explain that violence is bad and he doesn't condone it? It's really sad that historians nowadays have to so afraid writing books about history. Being a historian in the west today is almost like being a historian in China. You have to be very careful writing about the past. Especially about the facts - these are most dangerous.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    As always, a thorough and well researched study of ancient Rome. I personally did not find the topic as compelling as certain prior works, such as the biography of Caesar (in fairness few subjects match Caesar for interest level) - nonetheless this was a highly informative analysis of a topic rarely studied. Given the nature of the subject, this work covers a huge swath of time, spanning from the end of the republic until the latter imperial era. Nonetheless, the author does his best to keep the narrative flowing by incorporating many concepts and supporting examples throughout the centuries.Mr. Goldsworthy always presents his material objectively, devoid of ideology or personal bias. I recommend this book both novices and those with a firm background in the Republican or Imperial periods.