The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome
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The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome
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Narrated by:
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Gregory S. Aldrete
About this listen
When Octavian, who took the title of Augustus as the first emperor of Rome, defeated Mark Antony to become the sole ruler of the Roman world, it was a major turning point in Western civilization. Not only did his decades-long rule completely transform the old Roman Republic into the Roman Empire, but it also profoundly shaped the culture and history of our world today. The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome traces this breathtaking history from the empire’s foundation by Augustus to its Golden Age in the 2nd century CE through a series of ever-worsening crises until its ultimate disintegration.
Taught by acclaimed Professor Gregory S. Aldrete of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, these 24 captivating lectures offer you the chance to experience this story like never before, incorporating the latest historical insights that challenge our previous notions of Rome’s decline. You’ll examine the major events and familiar figures of the Roman Empire, including:
- The political innovations of Augustus
- The mental instability and cruel acts of Caligula and Nero
- Writers such as Ovid, Horace, and Virgil
- The stoic philosophy of Marcus Aurelius
- Constantine’s startling conversion to Christianity
You’ll also look beyond the famous figures and delve deeply into the lives of ordinary Roman citizens. You’ll hear the messages they left on tombstones or scribbled on walls as graffiti; examine what life was really like for average city-dwellers and the hazards they faced every day; spend a day at Rome’s spectacular public entertainments, such as gladiator games and chariot races; and explore some of the city’s marvelous architectural and engineering works, including the Pantheon and the aqueducts.
We cannot truly understand ourselves unless we comprehend the vital influences of Rome on the modern world - and the lessons the empire can still teach us. The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome is an excellent guide to one of the most important periods in world history.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2019 The Great Courses (P)2019 The Teaching Company, LLCListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The Roman Empire: From Augustus to the Fall of Rome
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Saralexis
- 16-04-23
Very interesting and well told
An entertaining and in depth survey, well worth listening. There are quite a few good Great Courses series about Rome, and this was interesting for the way it focuses specifically on the empire.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- William Robertson
- 14-02-23
Very enjoyable
Narrator was fantastic and made the listen very enjoyable. Been looking for a book about the romans for a while and this one ticked the box. Would recommend.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- smjm
- 01-02-19
Enjoy Gregory S. Aldrete as a narrator
I have listened to the Rise of Rome, Roman Emporers: Good, Bad, and Crazy, and Spartan Warfare also narrated by Gregory. The content is always well put together and Gregory’s passion for the topic comes through and I never felt any part was difficult to listen to. I also listen to all audiobooks twice and have done the same with these.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Benjamin Wright
- 16-06-20
Great overview of the Roman Empire
This series does a great job of giving the listener top-down information about the Roman empire. While there is no discussion about the reliability or historical sources, nor much nuance at how ancient evidence can be interpreted - it still gives a good overview of major historical figures and goings-on. For a more in depth book on Rome I would recommend SPQR by Mary Beard. However, this is a great, well organized series.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 22-01-23
Would have appreciated more info on late antiquity
Would have liked a more thorough coverage of political events during late antiquity. The collapse of the Western Empire is dealt with rather briskly.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Nick Bedson
- 09-03-19
Entertaining and informative.
A good listen. Pleasent speaking voice and full of interesting anecdotes. Particularly interesting to hear the emphasis on everyday folks' experiences.
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3 people found this helpful
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- NorthernStar!
- 18-05-21
comprehensive and accessible
loved this. didn't care for the literature overview, but that is personal preference. i will listen to it again
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- ME WOOD
- 23-03-23
Sensational
Loved it from beginning to end. Watched and listened to it twice . Fantastic knowledge. Balanced views. Terrific enthusiasm so contagious.
Looking forward to listening , watching or reading anything by Gregory Aldrete
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- Alex F.
- 03-11-22
A Remarkably Detailed & Engaging History
Washed engaged thoroughly during the book. Personally loved the minor details regarding the normal lives of the people of the roman empire as well as the deep dive into the potential endings of the empire. Highly recommend
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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- A
- 01-10-21
Not bad, not good, and oddly presented.
The most noticeable feature of this course is its narration. Aldrete breaks up each sentence in chunks of one to five words long. Occasionally, he even breaks up "complicated" words like "pro-fe-ssio-nal." Does that sound excessive? That's because it is! The resulting effect is a bit like someone's caring but clueless uncle reading out an age-inappropriate book to his young nephews as a bedtime story. If you can get over that, and with the fact that Aldrete can't pronounce Latin or Italian and evidently believes that the "ph" in "amphitheatre" is actually a "p", the course is passable. It's clearly aimed at an audience of American undergraduates and therefore very basic, but it is engaging. There are much better courses covering this period, though, both in terms of content and presentation, so unless you have some time to spare and you fancy something relatively light and fluffy, I can't recommend this.
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2 people found this helpful