David Potter

Atlas of the Roman Empire explores every aspect of the empire's rise, apogee and fall. Comprehensive political maps show the dynamic ebb and flow of conquest and resistance. Battle maps illustrate key victories and defeats, illuminating the tactics that made Rome so successful, as well as its errors and disasters. Political and social life is not neglected, featuring surprisingly intimate portaits of life across the empire, from the emperors and their rivals to ordinary soldiers. Packed with detail, anecdote, and remarkable maps, this is the ultimate guide to the imperial era.

By any measure, Julius Caesar is one of the most significant and famous figures in Roman history. Self-identified as a "popular" politician, he advocated for effective government to better the lives of average Romans,but believed such a government could not be based upon the existing democracy. Only through his personal authority and the massive organization he built to overthrow the government could the prosperity of all Rome''s citizens be ensured.Through a careful analysis of the ancient sources, especially Caesar''s own writings, David Potter offers us a stunning and original portrait of this great general and statesman.Master of Rome reveals Caesar as a highly organized manager with an extraordinary ability to adjust to circumstances while maintaining the ancient equivalent of a positive "media presence." After his death, Caesar''s followers put forward a narrative of his life that made his rise to power seem inevitable, but Caesar''s own writing tells us a different story--one of a detail-oriented general who demanded a high degree of accountability from his subordinates.A critical aspect of Caesar''s philosophy of command was the need to find room for former enemies to serve in his organization. While this philosophy catapulted Caesar to great fame as a general during the wars in Gaul, when he attempted to put this method into effect in the wake of the civil war that established him as the master of Rome, it led to his brutal assassination in 44 BCE.Master of Rome tells the dramatic story of one of history''s most intriguing figures, who rose from the fringes of Roman political society to unprecedented heights. Along the way, Potter identifies the extraordinary qualities that enabled Caesar to dominate the world in which he lived.