SonsofCaesar

Thestoryofoneofthemostcolorfuldynastiesinhistory,fromCaesar'srisetopowerinthefirstcenturyBCtoNero'sdeathinAD68.ThisengagingnewstudyreviewsthelonghistoryoftheJulianandClaudianfamiliesintheRomanRepublicandthesocialandpoliticalbackgroundofRome.Attheheartoftheaccountarethelivesofsixmen--JuliusCaesar,Augustus,Tiberius,Caligula,Claudius,andNero--menwhomasteredRomeandthenchangeditfromademocracytoapersonalpossession.Itwasnoeasytask:CaesarandCaligulawereassassinated,Nerocommittedsuicide,andClaudiuswaspoisoned.OnlyAugustusandTiberiusdiednaturaldeaths--andeventhatisuncertain.TheJulio-Claudiansagahasahostofotherintriguingcharacters,fromCicero,thelastgreatstatesmanoftheRepublic,toLivia,matriarchoftheEmpire;thepassionateMarkAntonyandtheschemingSejanus;andAgrippina,motherofNeroandsisterofCaligula,whoprobablymurderedherhusbandandwasinturnkilledbyherson.Setagainstabackgroundofforeignwarsanddomesticintrigue,thestoryofRome'sgreatestdynastyisalsothestoryofthebirthofanimperialsystemthatshapedtheEuropeoftoday.80illustrations.