The Roman Empire of the Second Century: Or, The Age of the Antonines
William Wolfe Capes
Read by Pamela Nagami
This short overview of the Roman Empire from AD 96-180 opens as the murderers of Domitian raise to power the wise old senator, Nerva. Ignoring assassination rumors, his successor, the brave soldier Trajan, "went about the streets almost unguarded" and was easy of access to all classes. He was followed by the brilliant, gay emperor, Hadrian, who "revised the imperial budget with the skill of a trained accountant." We meet the immortal Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-emperor who spent his life fighting barbarians along the Danube. The book closes with chapters on the religions of the empire, on the state's response to Christianity, and on imperial administration. (Summary by Pamela Nagami) (7 hr 12 min)
Chapters
Reviews
Exactly what it advertised in the title.
Jeremiah Gottwaldt
An excellent illustration of the early Empire Period. With some added Pathos at the end. Particularly the last few minutes of the final chapter we're chilling to hear both as a vivid image of the general sentiment of the times and as a prophecy for the ultimate fate of any tyranny. Pamela Nagami is of course a flawless reader as always, there must be paid audiobooks that aren't as good as her recordings.