The Makers of Rome

Nov 26, 2024 12:27 PM

Author:Plutarch,Ian Scott-Kilvert

The Makers of Rome

These nine biographies illuminate the careers, personalities and military campaigns of some of Rome's greatest statesmen, whose lives span the earliest days of the Republic to the establishment of the Empire. Selected from Plutarch's Roman Lives, they include prominent figures who achieved fame for their pivotal roles in Roman history, such as soldierly Marcellus, eloquent Cato and cautious Fabius. Here too are vivid portraits of ambitious, hot-tempered Coriolanus; objective, principled Brutus and open-hearted Mark Anthony, who would later be brought to life by Shakespeare. In recounting the lives of these great leaders, Plutarch also explores the problems of statecraft and power and illustrates the Roman people's genius for political compromise, which led to their mastery of the ancient world.

Reviews

This is much more than history; it is a tapestry of inspiration and love

—— The Guardian

One cannot but marvel at Ackroyd's erudition, his energy in marshallin g minutiae, his ear for quotation, his flair for dazzling juxtapositions, his vibrant imagination and sheer exuberance

—— The Times

Ackroyd covers not only literature but art, architecture, music and almost everything else that has passed through the minds of the English...just one damn interesting thing after another

—— Sunday Times

This magisterial work... An unrivaled account of how the Nazi leadership ended up with a policy of industrialized mass murder of Jews - Probably no one is better qualified for this task than Christopher Browning.

—— Mark Mazower, New York Times

Browning is persuasive because he marshals his evidence with unrivalled skill and writes with awesome clarity.

—— Literary Review

To seek an answer to "why", we have first to grasp "how" and pick our way down the track which leads...from "Expel to Exploit to Exterminate". On that journey, this book is the best guide.

—— Observer

A winning combination of forensic precision with the historian's skill of telling a story clearly and powerfully... A demonstration of what good history is about

—— Evening Standard

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