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by Lindsay Powell.
Hardback (6.5×9.5 inches). 518 pages. 2025.
The biography of Rome’s emperor after Augustus begins with a chronology. The actual biography is from page 1 to 202. Following are: assessments of his reign through history, including plays, paintings, and TV shows (p203-p285), his quotes (p286-p292), an examination of coins during his reign, including translated inscriptions and historic notes for each coin and type (p293-p317), glossary (p318-p324), Roman place names (p325-p327), End notes (p328-p411), and Bibliography (p412-p470).
The overall impression is one of competence — an able administrator and commander. Some of the representations through history come from distortions of events likely repeated and amplified by ancient writers.
He was, in some ways, an accidental emperor. Augustus sent him over and over again to various hot spots of rebellion or invasion, where he succeeded in retaining Rome’s supremacy. His military efforts in Illyria and Germania are amply explained. Yet Tiberius also suffered from burn out and voluntarily requested a leave of absence so he could stay in Rhodes.
Eventually, he requested a return to duty. In this he was fortunate that other members of Augustus’ family who were potential successors died in varying circumstances and the remainder were too young. It also didn’t hurt that Livia, Augustus’ wife, advocated for his return to power.
The book contains 45 color photos, 68 black and white photos, three color illustrations, 20 black and white maps, and seven black and white illustrations.
This smooth read offers a generally positive examination of Tiberius and a far more nuanced look at his life.
Enjoyed it.
— Reviewed by Russ Lockwood
