Augustus
by Adrian Keith Goldsworthy · first published 2014
4mentions
2recommended by
4HN commenters
2016–2025first – last mentioned
50% recommend50% neutral
Tells the story of the heir to the murdered Julius Caesar who, as Rome's first emperor, brought peace and stability to the empire and presided over a new system of government.
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I recommend "Augustus: First Emperor of Rome" by Adrian Goldsworthy. Given that "democratic" didn't mean the same thing then it does now (with suffrage limited to a small group of the uber-rich), and that some of the problems…
on “Former Supreme Court justice David Souter has died” ↗…Before the Storm" is very good, focusing on the events that began the collapse of the Roman Republic: Sulla, and his civil wars. If you enjoy biographies then Adrian Goldsworthy's books "Caesar" and "Augustus" are very good as well.
on “How to be a Roman emperor” ↗…Cixin Liu 2. One L by Scott Turow 3. The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu 4. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells 5. Believer: My Forty Years in Politics by David Axelrod 6. The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells 7. Augustus: First Emperor of Rome by Adrian Goldsworthy 8. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (re-read) 9. I, Claudius by Robert Graves 10. Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks 11. The Fear Index…
on “Ask HN: What books have you read in the first half of 2016?” ↗…Caesar or his heir Gaius Julius Caesar would be called XYZ Lex Julia to distinguish it from previous and later legislation that happened to share the same name. Sources - Caesar, Life of a Colossus and Augustus, First Emperor of Rome by Adrian Goldsworthy.
on “Pandora papers: biggest leak of offshore data exposes financial secrets of rich” ↗