The Roman Emperors: A Dark History by Michael Kerrigan

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Synopsis

Five of the first eleven emperors of Rome were assassinated, and another two killed themselves rather than face the fury of their subjects. Nero sang while Rome burned. Caligula proclaimed himself a god. If not mad enough already, he also gave one of his horses a place on the senate. Rome rejoiced when many emperors died, only to find that they hated the next one just as much.

From the death of Julius Caesar in 44 B.C. to the fall of Rome in 476 A.D., A Dark History: The Roman Emperors presents a wry and witty look at five centuries of Roman mayhem, murder, incest, infanticide, sadism, sexual depravity and madness. Featuring such notorious names as Claudius, Tiberius and Commodus, this book retells all of the most salacious and eye-opening accounts of imperial misdeeds, drawing on many original Roman sources.

Illustrated with striking images of the protagonists and their deeds, from ancient statues to medieval engravings and renaissance masterpieces, A Dark History: The Roman Emperors is an entertaining and visually spectacular account of the skullduggery behind the scenes of the greatest empire the world has ever known—and the hubris that came with it.

Biography

Michael Kerrigan is the author of The History of Death, Who Lies Where: A Guide to Famous Graves and Greece and the Mediterranean (part of the BBC Ancient Civilizations series). He is a columnist, book reviewer, and feature writer for publications including the Scotsman and the Times Literary Supplement. He lives in Edinburgh, Scotland.