Septimius Severus was the unchallenged ruler of the Roman Empire. In every direction he cast his eye across the frontiers in search of new territories he could subdue. But the one challenge that he could never master was controlling his family.His son was nicknamed "Caracalla" for the clothing from his boyhood which he continued to wear. He was formally named "Antoninus" in hopes that he would turn out like the Five Good Emperors of recent times. He preferred to call himself "Alexa...

The vicious Emperor Commodus is dead, after one cruelty too many. How should a successor be chosen?By election? The Senate chooses the capable bureaucrat Pertinax.By purchase? The Praetorians like Didius Julianus, or at least his money.By inheritance? Clodius Albinus is from an ancient family with imperial ties.By force? A major branch of the army backs the blunt Septimius Severus.By acclamation? The common people adore the humble Pescennius Niger.

The vicious Emperor Commodus is dead, after one cruelty too many. How should a successor be chosen?By election? The Senate chooses the capable bureaucrat Pertinax.By purchase? The Praetorians like Didius Julianus, or at least his money.By inheritance? Clodius Albinus is from an ancient family with imperial ties.By force? A major branch of the army backs the blunt Septimius Severus.By acclamation? The common people adore the humble Pescennius Niger.

This is a thoroughly researched, panoramic view of a pivotal year in mid-imperial Roman history. It can still be seen how the old Roman society functioned, but it is beginning to break down. The viewpoint shifts from chapter to chapter to show what is happening not only in the capital, where the Praetorian Guard, the City Legion, and the Senate are vying for control, but also at the frontiers: in the far northwest, the Caledonians are willing to consider joining but only on their own terms...

This book is a comprehensive survey on safety for older adults. It contains contributions by experts from over a dozen disciplines, including physicians, audiologists, optometrists, mental health professionals, lawyers, occupational therapists, and policy makers. This multi-disciplinary approach provides a new and expansive conceptual framework for health care professionals, students, policymakers, and others who care for older adults, and promotes an understanding of the many challenges t...

The New York Times bestselling and legendary author of Helen of Troy and Elizabeth I now turns her gaze on Emperor Nero, one of the most notorious and misunderstood figures in history.Built on the backs of those who fell before it, Julius Caesar’s imperial dynasty is only as strong as the next person who seeks to control it. In the Roman Empire no one is safe from the sting of betrayal: man, woman—or child.As a boy, Nero’s royal h...

Blackmail, corruption, treachery, murder--the glory that was Rome.In this Edgar Award-nominated mystery, John Maddox Roberts takes readers back to a Rome filled with violence and evil. Vicious gangs ruled the streets of Crassus and Pompey, routinely preying on plebeian and patrician alike, so the garroting of a lowly ex-slaved and the disembowelment of a foreign merchant in the dangerous Subura district seemed of little consequence to the Roman hierarchy. But Decius...

After saving the Empire's richest province from a foreign army, Marcus and the men who protect him have been in hiding. Their lives will be forfeit if they are seen in Rome.But times have changed. Marcus's protector, the patrician legion commander Scaurus, has been summoned home by his mentor, a powerful senator who has decided he must act to save the empire from its debauched ruler's reign of terror.Rome is a hotbed of conspiracy and treachery: and the senator is not the o...

Marcus Aquila and his allies spearhead a daring attack into enemy territory, as three generals claim to be the true Roman Emperor.A new civil war has begun: with the emperor Pertinax's murder Marcus and his protector Scaurus have escaped Rome, seeking sanctuary for their familia in the East.But they are soon pressed back into service by Septimus Severus, the ruthless commander who has seized the imperial capital and who holds the military balance of power o...

Three fearless men are drawn into the endless battles of ancient Rome's Fiery War, fighting for power, for victory, for survival - and above all, for honour. Brennos, the barbarian leader of the Celtic tribes, faces bloody personal consequences when his enemies hatch a vicious assassination plot. Aquila, now fighting for Rome, carries with him his lucky talisman; a golden amulet shaped like an eagle in flight, the only clue to his true identity. And Marcellus, son of Rome's most powerful s...

Alan Baker weaves an extraordinary, vivid picture of Roman life as his compelling and evocative history tells the story of Rome's most notable gladiators. They were condemned and feared by emperors, slaughtered and adored by the masses and worshipped by their female fans, yet their lives were invariably violently short.Whether their enemy was a starved tiger or a battle-hardened criminal, their numbered days were dark and bloody. Yet men gave up their wealth and freedom to become g...

One woman's thirst for power changes history forever...Domina is a dramatic historical novel about the turbulent life and death of Agrippina, Empress of Rome, from the master of historical fiction, Paul Doherty. Perfect for fans of Lindsey Davis and Steven Saylor.Agrippina - mother of Nero, wife of Claudius - has no choice but to fight with her wits to stay alive. Emerging victorious in the secretive plot to end the reign of Tiberi...