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Augustus: First Emperor of Rome Paperback – September 29, 2015

by Adrian Goldsworthy (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 798 ratings
Editors' pick Best Biographies & Memoirs
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The dramatic story of Augustus, Rome’s first emperor, who plunged into Rome’s violent power struggles at the age of nineteen, proceeded to destroy all rivals, and more than anyone else created the Roman Empire
 
"A fascinating study of political life in ancient Rome."—Nick Romeo, Christian Science Monitor

Caesar Augustus’ story, one of the most riveting in Western history, is filled with drama and contradiction, risky gambles and unexpected success. Thrusting himself into Rome’s extremely violent politics while yet a very young man, Augustus skillfully maneuvered his way through twisting alliances during years of civil war. Named heir to the murdered Julius Caesar, he outwitted and outlasted far more experienced rivals like Antony and Brutus. Ruling supreme, he reinvented himself as a benevolent man of peace and created a new system of government.
 
In this highly anticipated biography Goldsworthy puts his deep knowledge of ancient sources to full use, recounting the events of Augustus’ long life in greater detail than ever before. Goldsworthy pins down the man behind the myths: a consummate manipulator, propagandist, and showman, both generous and ruthless. Under Augustus’ rule the empire prospered, yet his success was never assured and the events of his life unfolded with exciting unpredictability. Goldsworthy captures the passion and savagery, the public image and private struggles of the real man whose epic life continues to influence Western history.
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  1. Print length
    640 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Yale University Press
  4. Publication date
    September 29, 2015
  5. Dimensions
    9.2 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0300216661
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0300216660
  8. See all details
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  1. For them it was better that a problem not be dealt with than to permit a rival to gain the credit for solving it.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Superb. . . . Augustus is a first-rate popular biography by a skilled and knowing hand, a fine companion to Goldsworthy’s Caesar."—Steve Donoghue, Washington Post

"Impressive . . . Mr. Goldsworthy . . . moves nimbly around other important evidence about Augustus’ life . . . The resulting life is, in one sense, deeply unified. This is a welcome corrective to traditional presentations."—Brendan Boyle, Wall Street Journal

"Goldsworthy's true expertise is as a military historian, and this is what really gives his biography its strength and bite: his depiction of Augustus's relationship with his legions is masterly."—Robert Harris, London Sunday Times

"Goldsworthy capably guides us over the rapids of 'modern scholarship.' He challenges stories that are repeated often but never questioned, . . . [and] is particularly sound on senatorial power struggles and the use of marriage to cement or break political alliances. . . . [Augustus] is the most trustworthy [portrait] we are likely to get."—Nicholas Shakespeare, Daily Telegraph

"[Goldsworthy,] the author of the best-selling Caesar: The Life of a Colossus, . . . relates [Augustus’] military victories, the hairbreadth escapes, the diplomatic successes and the dark family quarrels with a storyteller’s brio, bringing alive the empire’s tense standoffs with Eastern kingdoms such as Parthia and along the way giving us some quite wonderful readings of poets such as Virgil and Horace. . . . [Goldsworthy’s] insights and inferences are superb throughout. . . . Augustus is a first-rate popular biography by a skilled and knowing hand, a fine companion to Goldsworthy’s Caesar volume."—Steve Donoghue, Washington Post

"Historian and biographer Goldsworthy (Caesar) showcases his deep knowledge of Ancient Rome in this masterful document of a life whose themes still resonate in modern times. . . . A strong narrative emphasis ties the work together and is enriched by evocative details of Roman life. . . . The overall effect that Goldsworthy generates is of meeting a man whose life seems hardly distant from the modern experience. While ancient cultural practices can often feel foreign, the political motivations and machinations, the familial relations and emotions, ring as true today as at the turn of the Common Era."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Goldsworthy’s prodigious biography of this first and greatest Roman emperor is thorough and well-researched. . . . Goldsworthy is a superb historian and talented writer, . . . [and Augustus] will likely join the pantheon of biographies of a truly great Roman leader. . . . Goldsworthy reminds readers . . . that human nature does not change. Augustus cultivated what passed for the Roman media as assiduously as any American politician today woos Fox News or CNN. One gets the impression that Augustus would have adapted well to 21st-century politics while still ruling wisely."—Gary Anderson, Washington Times

"The dramatic rise and long rule of Caesar Augustus is the subject of Adrian Goldsworthy’s substantial new biography, Augustus: First Emperor of Rome. The book is a fascinating study of political life in ancient Rome, and the parallels with our own political system are numerous and interesting. But the discontinuities between America and the Roman Empire are just as revealing."—Nick Romeo, Christian Science Monitor

"In too many of the numerous histories of this period, Augustus as an individual is blurred, if not overlooked, as strange as that may seem. Goldsworthy’s goal is to rescue the life of Augustus from the history, limning the passions, cruelty, and wiliness that made up that often-dismissed character. . . . Adrian Goldsworthy’s fine new biography tells the founder’s story as it deserves to be told."—Michael Auslin, National Review Online

"Goldsworthy (Caesar: Life of a Colossus, 2008, etc.) obviously has ancient Rome in his bones, and his biography of Augustus is also a solid chronicle of Rome and its development. . . . Goldsworthy questions why Augustus has slipped off of many historians' lists of great leaders, which include Julius Caesar, Alexander, Hannibal and Hadrian. He provides plenty of reasons why he should be at the top of those lists."—Kirkus Reviews

"Augustus is the greatest ancient Roman leader, . . . and yet, [he is] something of an enigma. Adrian Goldsworthy’s wonderful biography will change all that. Augustus is revealing of its subject’s character and the time in which he lived, judicious on his shortcomings, and rich in portraits of secondary figures—everything a biography should be. . . . Augustus is the best sort of biography because it inspires readers to make these comparisons [between ancient times and our own], without making them explicit. It deserves wide readership, and, in the best way, demonstrates the truth of Petrarch’s famous query: 'What else is all history, but the praise of Rome?'"—Ted Lawrence, Washington Free Beacon

"Adrian Goldsworthy has done it again. His biography of Augustus, just released by Yale University Press, is the most balanced and nuanced explanation of how Augustus succeeded. . . . The book  reads like a novel in part, perhaps, because, having written several novels, Goldsworthy has learned to think about motivation. He is clearly the best Roman historian of our day."—Martin Lobel, PhDiva.com

"An absolutely must read for Roman history fans and students of the Julio-Claudians."—NS Gill’s Ancient Matters

"The 2,000th anniversary of the death of Augustus has renewed interest in the man regarded as the founder of the Roman Empire and its first emperor. With a canny sense for timing, acclaimed military historian Adrian Goldsworthy has published a new biography of this important, and still controversial, historical figure. . . . Goldsworthy presents the known facts of the life of the enigmatic and complex Augustus evenhandedly. He admirably charts the events of his rise to power, revealing him variously as a second-rate military commander, clever manipulator, confident showman and consummate politician."—Lindsay Powell, UNRV

"A biography that can interest scholars, but also be read with ease by anyone interested in the ancient world. Goldsworthy has an unusual ability to make his detailed histories readable and interesting to a general audience, and that is a rare talent. I recommend it very highly."—Richard Weigel, Bowling Green [KY] Daily News

Won an Honorable Mention for the 2014 American Publishers Awards for Professional and Scholarly Excellence (PROSE) in the Biography & Autobiography category

"Goldsworthy peers like a master jeweler into the strange cold diamond at the heart of Roman history—the emperor Augustus—and reveals the whole Roman world reflected in its facets. But the book itself is warm with human sympathy, elegant writing, and the sheer joy and love of history it evokes in its reader."—J. E. Lendon, author of Soldiers and Ghosts: A History of Battle in Classical Antiquity and Song of Wrath: The Peloponnesian War Begins

"Goldsworthy has produced an elegantly written and well-argued biography of Augustus that pulls no punches. Sifting through the literature of the Augustan Age, he brings together the ancient evidence with the best of modern scholarship, producing a meticulously researched, but highly readable, volume on Rome’s first emperor. The result is a study on the nature of leadership, the wielding of power, and the price to be paid by both."—Col. Rose Mary Sheldon, Virginia Military Institute

"For all his importance, Augustus is often an enigma behind a classical façade. Goldsworthy’s Augustus reveals all the drama and detail surrounding Rome’s first emperor. Brimming with energy, scholarship, and wisdom, it is a history book to savor."—Barry Strauss, author of Masters of Command: Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar and the Genius of Leadership

"Augustus splendidly completes the trilogy that started with Caesar and continued with Antony and Cleopatra. It is the best extended treatment in English of Augustus' career and his many contradictions."—Karl Galinsky, University of Texas at Austin

About the Author

Adrian Goldsworthy is a leading historian of the ancient world and author of acclaimed biographies of Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra among many other books. He lectures widely and consults on historical documentaries produced by the History Channel, National Geographic, and the BBC. He lives in the Vale of Glamorgan, UK.
 

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yale University Press; Reprint edition (September 29, 2015)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 640 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0300216661
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0300216660
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.95 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 798 ratings

About the author

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Adrian Keith Goldsworthy

Adrian Keith Goldsworthy

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Adrian Goldsworthy has a doctorate from Oxford University. His first book, THE ROMAN ARMY AT WAR was recognised by John Keegan as an exceptionally impressive work, original in treatment and impressive in style. He has gone on to write several other books, including THE FALL OF THE WEST, CAESAR, IN THE NAME OF ROME, CANNAE and ROMAN WARFARE, which have sold more than a quarter of a million copies and been translated into more than a dozen languages. A full-time author, he regularly contributes to TV documentaries on Roman themes.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
798 global ratings
Roman History at its best
5 Stars
Roman History at its best
This review is in regard to Augustus, by Adrian GoldsworthyThis book flowed well, it does present a comprehensive understanding of the life and times of Augustus, and for the most part does that very nicely.I found the maps, battle illustrations, index, glossary, notes, all to be invaluable, adding another layer of excellence to this bookI really enjoyed the 100 or so pages leading up the reign of Augustus, explaining in part the leadership of Julius Caesar, Pompey, Mark Anthony, Crassus, Cato, the Civil War, the assassination of Julius Caesar etc. It also lightly touches on the iconic writers and poets of the time, such as Cicero, Virgil, and others.Enjoyed learning of Livia, Augustus wife, her son Tiberius, Sextus Pompeius, Marcus Junius Brutus and Decimus Brutus’, both conspirators, one that I dislike more then the other, due to a deeper level of betrayalAlso enjoyed the intermingling stories of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra, the battle of Actium. The invaluable lifelong loyalty and military leadership of Marcus Agrippa towards Augustus, and so much more.Overall I would highly recommend the book as it covers a lot of territory, leaving the reader with a broad understanding of the complicated power struggles within the Roman Empire at the time.Currently reading Antony and Cleopatra by the same author Adrian Goldsworthy. At the half way point I have realized how well these books merge with each other, simply outstanding.I am happy to have read Augustus first, but not certain it would have been any different the other way around, Goldsworthy is a master of historical storytelling, both books are superb
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Top reviews from the United States

Rey Mundo Magnus
5.0 out of 5 stars Roman History at its best
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2023
Verified Purchase
This review is in regard to Augustus, by Adrian Goldsworthy

This book flowed well, it does present a comprehensive understanding of the life and times of Augustus, and for the most part does that very nicely.

I found the maps, battle illustrations, index, glossary, notes, all to be invaluable, adding another layer of excellence to this book

I really enjoyed the 100 or so pages leading up the reign of Augustus, explaining in part the leadership of Julius Caesar, Pompey, Mark Anthony, Crassus, Cato, the Civil War, the assassination of Julius Caesar etc. It also lightly touches on the iconic writers and poets of the time, such as Cicero, Virgil, and others.

Enjoyed learning of Livia, Augustus wife, her son Tiberius, Sextus Pompeius, Marcus Junius Brutus and Decimus Brutus’, both conspirators, one that I dislike more then the other, due to a deeper level of betrayal

Also enjoyed the intermingling stories of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra, the battle of Actium. The invaluable lifelong loyalty and military leadership of Marcus Agrippa towards Augustus, and so much more.

Overall I would highly recommend the book as it covers a lot of territory, leaving the reader with a broad understanding of the complicated power struggles within the Roman Empire at the time.

Currently reading Antony and Cleopatra by the same author Adrian Goldsworthy. At the half way point I have realized how well these books merge with each other, simply outstanding.

I am happy to have read Augustus first, but not certain it would have been any different the other way around, Goldsworthy is a master of historical storytelling, both books are superb
Customer image
Rey Mundo Magnus
5.0 out of 5 stars Roman History at its best
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2023
This review is in regard to Augustus, by Adrian Goldsworthy

This book flowed well, it does present a comprehensive understanding of the life and times of Augustus, and for the most part does that very nicely.

I found the maps, battle illustrations, index, glossary, notes, all to be invaluable, adding another layer of excellence to this book

I really enjoyed the 100 or so pages leading up the reign of Augustus, explaining in part the leadership of Julius Caesar, Pompey, Mark Anthony, Crassus, Cato, the Civil War, the assassination of Julius Caesar etc. It also lightly touches on the iconic writers and poets of the time, such as Cicero, Virgil, and others.

Enjoyed learning of Livia, Augustus wife, her son Tiberius, Sextus Pompeius, Marcus Junius Brutus and Decimus Brutus’, both conspirators, one that I dislike more then the other, due to a deeper level of betrayal

Also enjoyed the intermingling stories of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra, the battle of Actium. The invaluable lifelong loyalty and military leadership of Marcus Agrippa towards Augustus, and so much more.

Overall I would highly recommend the book as it covers a lot of territory, leaving the reader with a broad understanding of the complicated power struggles within the Roman Empire at the time.

Currently reading Antony and Cleopatra by the same author Adrian Goldsworthy. At the half way point I have realized how well these books merge with each other, simply outstanding.

I am happy to have read Augustus first, but not certain it would have been any different the other way around, Goldsworthy is a master of historical storytelling, both books are superb
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Gerardo Ulloa Castro
4.0 out of 5 stars detailed and packed with information
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2023
Verified Purchase
Doesn’t flow very easily. It is a relatively dense book, with lots of information, and I had to go back, time and time again. It is a well written book, and covers the life of Augustus, with all its complexities and contradictions.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Life of a Truly Great Man
Reviewed in the United States on September 2, 2014
Verified Purchase
In his biography of Julius Caesar  Caesar: Life of a Colossus , the image of the great man emerges almost immediately. Not so in this account of Augustus. Instead the features of Augustus emerge gradually as if one were watching a photo in a bath of developing solution. And the first faint images of Augustus are not very flattering.

The young Augustus seems cold, indifferent to the point of cruelty, and monstrously calculating. Of course, he had to be all of those things and more. At nineteen he was thrust into the blood-drenched world of Roman politics and was probably the least likely person to emerge on top. Yet, he somehow did reach the pinnacle and from there, and in the latter half of Goldsworthy's biography, he emerges in full view as a truly great and decent man and probably one of the most accomplished leaders in history.

Unlike his great-uncle, Julius Caesar, Augustus was not a great general. That he left to such men as Agrippa, who was a general and a great deal more. Almost our first understanding of the quality of Augustus comes from the fact that he could attract the love and loyalty of a man like Agrippa. Though a great general, Agrippa was not fond of war. Indeed, Goldsworthy quotes him as saying, "If peace makes small things grow, discord will tear down great things.' p. 353. Augustus and Agrippa built great things, roads and magnificent buildings, but because of them the Empire flourished with the growth of many of the fine, small things that are the true ornaments of civilization.

I was particularly struck by the problems that Augustus faced building his great Forum Augustum in the Roman Forum. Construction was delayed because nearby property owners refused to sell their interest. Ultimately, although much of the needed property was acquired, one or two obstinate property owners held out to the end and Augustus was compelled to build his great structure with an irregular shape in the northeastern corner. Goldsworthy says, "Perhaps it was frustrating for Augustus, but his willingness to accept this showed his respect for the rights of property and an unwillingness to override them even for the wider good of the state, let alone his own fame. In some ways this very imperfection of the new Forum was a more valuable symbol than perfect symmetry would have been." p. 403.

One may contrast the restraint of Augustus with the situation in the present United States where the Supreme Court's infamous KELO decision grants state powers not only to seize private property for the use of the public but also for resale to another, more attractive, private party.

Augustus in later life saw himself as a sentry guarding the Roman people and he worked very hard to improve their lives. The work was so arduous that his ultimate successor in training, Tiberius, dropped out and fled to Rhodes to listen to lectures and rest rather than grind away every day helping Augustus solve the problems of the empire. Ultimately, when Tiberius became emperor because there was no one else left to take the job, he held the title and fled to another island, Capri, leaving much of the toil to Sejanus with ugly consequences. But Augustus never quit until overtaken by death.

The first emperor cherished and encouraged the friendship of the likes of Agrippa, Livy, Vergil, Horace and many others. He boasted that he found Rome a city of bricks and left it a city of marble. On his last voyage down the coast of Italy his ship passed a merchant vessel from Alexandria. When they recognized the emperor's ship they shouted acclaim and praise, and thanked him for making their lives so good. Augustus seemed to take greater pride in this than the triumphs awarded to him. Many of the triumphs he turned down. He sent gifts to the Alexandrian merchants. Like his friend Agrippa, Augustus wanted to make the world safe for many priceless little things to grow.

Goldsworthy has given us a readable, interesting and valuable biography of one of the greatest men in history.
10 people found this helpful
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Rich B
5.0 out of 5 stars The First and Greatest Emperor?
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2024
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Augustus: First Emperor of Rome by Adrian Goldsworthy
 
I have to admit that going into this, Augustus/Octavian/Octavius was probably one of my favorite people in ancient history and this book certainly reconfirms that for me. 
 
Goldsworthy's style, in all his Roman history books, is engaging and easy to follow, providing a detailed account that really allows you to learn what is going on. I particularly liked how he organized the book, shifting the way he refers to Augustus to match the Emperor's changing preferences over time.
 
Throughout Augustus' life he drastically changed his approaches, from being incredibly ruthless during times of civil war to more of a seemingly benevolent dictator, oh I mean benevolent "Princeps". This book always reminds the reader that Augustus, though later in life generous and often forgiving, was still basically a warlord.  Overall, this book provides a comprehensive and engaging exploration of the life of the first Roman Emperor.
 
Note: I highly recommend reading Caesar by Goldsworthy first. That book provides a deeper world-building aspect than this one and serves as a somewhat prequel to Augustus. Reading Caesar first, provided me an understanding of the Republic's political landscape that wasn't as defined in Augustus (which I believe was purposely done to not repeat too much).
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ben collier-mccoy
5.0 out of 5 stars AN EXCELLENT BIOGRAPHY
Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2024
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THE AUTHOR HAS WOVEN HISTORICAL DETAILS INTO THE NARRATIVE OF THE FIRST ROMAN EMPEROR'S LIFE AND TIMES WHICH MAKES READING THIS BOOK A GOOD TRIP TO AN EXCITING ERA OF INTEREST!
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g j houstn
4.0 out of 5 stars Very good history by someone who loves the era and presents ...
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2016
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Very good history by someone who loves the era and presents it like a treasured neighborhood. Could use an editor (BC and AD dates often mangled, too long). Interesting in that he avoids psychoanalysis of the players as so many current historians do. Missing a real feel for the man and his place in the historical flow of Roman history and how he was perceived by his successors and used as a symbol after death. Generally a great read.
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Rack
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in Canada on April 6, 2021
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Great
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Jose Garcia
5.0 out of 5 stars Otro Hito de Goldsworthy
Reviewed in Mexico on November 21, 2020
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La forma en la que cuenta la vida y obras de Augusto es magnífica, logra unir y explicar al explosivo Triunviro Octavio y afable y Sabio Augusto
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mercur3
5.0 out of 5 stars goldsworthy en estado puro
Reviewed in Spain on February 21, 2022
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Estupendo libro sobre Augusto ,personaje capital de occidente.Escrito en el inconfundible estilo de goldsworthy,ideal para sus lectores.
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Tom Reilly
5.0 out of 5 stars Debunking the Roman myths
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 24, 2020
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Most people have an image of Ancient Rome based more on films/TV than history. Andrian Goldworthy, like any worthy historian, gets to the "warts and all" truth about the man Augustus. From the young ruthless Octavian to the old wise Imperator Caesar he clearly charts the rise to prominence of the (possibly) only benevolent dictator who has ever existed. Fascinating history and legacy. A must read for all lovers of factual Roman History.
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Richard
3.0 out of 5 stars Small text size.
Reviewed in Japan on July 14, 2019
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It is not easy to read. text and spacing.
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