Pax
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4.7 • 41 Ratings
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
The definitive history of Rome’s golden age—an ultimate superpower at the pinnacle of its greatness
The Pax Romana has long been shorthand for the empire’s golden age. Stretching from Caledonia to Arabia, Rome ruled over a quarter of the world’s population. It was the wealthiest and most formidable state in the history of humankind.
Pax is a captivating narrative history of Rome at the height of its power. From the gilded capital to realms beyond the frontier, historian Tom Holland shows ancient Rome in all its glory: Nero’s downfall, the destruction of Jerusalem and Pompeii, the building of the Colosseum and Hadrian’s Wall, the conquests of Trajan. Vividly sketching the lives of Romans both ordinary and spectacular, from slaves to emperors, Holland shows that Roman peace was the fruit of unprecedented military violence.
A stunning portrait of Rome’s glory days, this is the epic history of the Pax Romana.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This history of the pinnacle of the Roman Empire leaves no stone unturned, depicting everything from the opulent lifestyles of the ruling class to the extreme violence that helped them keep power. The third in a fascinating trilogy by classical historian Tom Holland, Pax tells the tale of how the most powerful Roman emperors imposed order over huge swaths of land and offered citizens unimaginable luxuries like central heating, while also getting into the warts-and-all dark side with shocking details of slavery, massacres, and sexual impropriety in the empire. Holland makes history approachable rather than abstract with unbelievably vivid details—look no further than his thriller-like depiction of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. By relating his stories to everything from Game of Thrones to Rudyard Kipling’s novels, Holland makes it easy to wrap your head around the sprawling Roman Empire. And his crisp English accent lends authority to this audiobook. Whether you’re a history buff or just curious, Pax is as close as you can get to experiencing the Roman Empire firsthand.
