Pax

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER

Holland, who co-hosts the podcast The Rest Is History, is at his best when having fun with Romes bloody historyThe Times

A book for lovers of traditional, grand sweep narrative historySunday Times

The definitive history of Romes golden age - antiquitys ultimate superpower at the pinnacle of its greatness

The Pax Romana has long been revered as a golden age. At its peak, the Roman Empire stretched from Scotland to Arabia, and contained perhaps a quarter of humanity. It was the wealthiest and most formidable state the world had yet seen.

Beginning in 69AD, a year that saw four Caesars in succession rule the empire, and ending some seven decades later with the death of Hadrian, Pax presents a dazzling history of Rome at the height of its power. From the gilded capital to realms beyond the frontier, historian Tom Holland portrays the Roman Empire in all its predatory glory. Vivid scene follows vivid scene: the destruction of Jerusalem and Pompeii, the building of the Colosseum and Hadrians Wall, the conquests of Trajan. Vividly sketching the lives of Romans both ordinary and spectacular, from slaves to emperors, Holland demonstrates how Roman peace was the fruit of unprecedented military violence.

A stunning portrait of Romes glory days, this is the epic history of the pax Romana.

PAX was a Sunday Times bestseller 16/07/23