The Antonines: The Roman Empire in Transition

Manufacturer: Routledge Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours List Price:$115.00 Our Price:$115.00 Authors: Michael Grant Description:

Reviews:

Dry, and lacking in detail
I was sadly disappointed by this book, the first (and probably last) I have read by Michael Grant.

The writing seems to deliberately remove all specific details. I suspect this is because the author wants to present an `objective' view of what the emperors did, instead of the gossip and innuendo that is, like it or not, a major source of information for Roman history. This sanitization goes to such extreme length that important information is not given. For example we are told Antoninus Pius did certain things to try to dispel the reputation he had of being stingy, but we are not told how we know he had this reputation, or whether it was deserved.

Another more blatant example comes from the start of the chapter on Marcus Aurelias. The author tries to demonstrate how Marcus Aurelias increased the strength of the upper classes. The example is a dispute between the farmers of a small town along the route that cattle took between their winter and summer pastures and the owners of these cattle (apparently the emperor). The farmers complained directly to the emperor. `The emperor passed the decision to the praetorian prefects, Marcus Bassaeus Rufus and Marcus Macrinus Avitus Catonius Vindex, and their ruling gave the [farmers] no satisfaction whatsoever.' So we learn the names of two prefects but we don't know exactly what the dispute or resolution was nor how this is an example of increasing the upper classes strength.

Although I certainly agree that authors should declare their opinions, I expect that they will give me enough information so that I can decide whether I agree with them.

I don't think I will finish this book, it irritates me so. I recommend Colin Wells `The Roman Empire'. It covers a longer period, and has almost as much detail (if not more) about both the political and social history of this era.
The Roman Empire: Second Edition

If you want a bare bones history, and are willing to accept the author's opinions without question, then this book is adequate.


A good general history of the Antonines
` the Antonines is a necessary job on according to century A.D. from one the historical respected Roman. The part one of this job from Michael Grant gives one short presentation of the salienti imperial feedings of the time, of the Antonius Pius (138-161), of the Marcus Aurelius (161-180), of the Lucius Verus (161-169) and of Commodus (180-192) in a concise way. However, it is while it reads - an pleasantly introduced sinossi of roman imperial history from 138 to the understood one it of opening of the 192 A.D. Part One' s supplies to the reader the particular of the actions of Antonius Pius, a diagnostic one on its character in order to explain those actions - the heavy inclinzione on the explanations upgrades them for the denomination of Pius - the traditionalism of the Aurelius, the inefficiency of Veres and dramatic effect of Commodus on the empire to a degree not seen from Black. Muovendosi quickly on Marcus Aurelius, Grant ricapito it its reign like making forehead "to the terrible problems with a conscientiousness that it has raised it to the code advanced category of the righelli." Touching on the time of the Aurelius spold on the frontier of the Reno, its famous meditations, the conflict with Avidius Cassius, its moglie Faustina and its declare of health, Grant ritrae Marcus Aurelius like righello that it has generated the very many respect, a respect that disappears quickly with the biography of Commodus. After that famous a highly summarized one on the critcism eternal of Aurelius for having its son succeeds it, (there is an insistence from the author on the idea of the hereditary succession dynastic to imperial Rome that sopporta much test especially like two pages more subsequently that it declares that "the senate, benchè aware who the selection of the better man of the ` ' was stopped of having all the truth..." therefore to imply not is concept) swept of Grant in its biography of Commodus. The comment of Grant on Commodus evidences it like righello that it has supplied a strong and favorable impression during the first years of its reign, but the successive biographies describes it like drunkard, debauched from the first years and the fire on its enthusiasm unseemly gladiatorial that it leads to the serious administrative disaster for the empire. Finally, as Grant declares: its wild car-indulgence of the ` and religiosity autocratic quasi-quasi-mystical ' has lead to its homicide. The transactions of part two with two topics of the Antonine age: literature and art. The first one is cut in three sections: The Latin, Greek and Christian writings and are nient' other of short biography and the synopis of the systems extant of everyone. Muovendosi from the first authors of rate (poichè the author calls it) which Fronto, Lucian, Aurelius, Pausanias Justin to other authors comprised the second Sophists, the apologists, the producers gnostic Grant gives that what is fundamentalally one short history, systems of the reassumed notable and of the main writings of everyone in every section. The second fires on the art and the architecture of the period of Antonine, from the envelopes and the statues to the theatres, expanded from many images and Grant conclude with understanding it on the age of Antonine. The job comes through like one history biographical taken care of of the emperors of Antonine and main the artistic names literay and of the period. Such Poichè this is an excellent book of the device of starter for anyone interested to the period and a book of useful consultation to the more expert students with the period.


Typical Michael Grant Greatness!
That is a book on the golden age de Rome "." It regards the period from Antoninus Pius to Commodus (138-192 A.D.). Antoninus Pius



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