Pax: War and Peace in Rome’s Golden Age
Tom Holland
Basic Books
Copyright 2023 by the author

We’ve long been fascinated with the Roman Empire. It’s not just that their language of Latin is one of the grandparents of English, or that a good deal of our shared culture and society can be traced back to Roman origins. There’s something about the Empire that has led it to keep reappearing in popular culture, from the epic costume dramas of the 1950s to the TV shows of more recent times. Could it be we’re obsessed with the details of Roman life – the food, drink, and clothing? Or perhaps it’s the more abstract things – the philosophy, the “ethos”, the “mindset” of what a Proper Roman Citizen aspired to?

Oh, come off it, it’s the palace intrigue, corruption, and depravity of the ruling class. It’s the rise to power of Julius Caesar and his assassination, the depravity of Caligula and Nero, and the slow, sputtering decline of the Empire that attract us.

With this third work (the previous, Rubicon and Dynasty, covered Julius Caesar and Augustus through Nero), Holland continues his chronicling of the Empire. This volume takes us from the reign of Nero through the death of Hadrian – the final ascent to the peak of the Imperial power. It’s an interesting journey; there’s the “Year of the Four Emperors”, revolts in Judea, and fighting on the frontiers from Scotland to the Danube to Persia.

We are actually quite fortunate that we have a number of writers from that era who gave us detailed chronicles. Tacitus, Seutonius, Dio Chrysostum, Josephus, Pliny the Younger… Holland has tied them all together, giving us a wonderfully vivid picture of the era. If there’s a bit too much focus on one specific time and place, it’s due to the vagaries of the record. The section on Pompeii and the Bay of Naples doesn’t really add much to the narrative, but thanks to Pliny (the Elder and Younger), and the speed in which Pompeii was buried, we are given a great look at urban life circa 80 CE – local government, commerce, etc. – which can pretty easily be assumed to be a good example for the Empire as a whole.

Holland also doesn’t shy away from discussing slavery in the Empire, but he might just spend a bit too much time on how the upper class liked to buy the best looking slaves to satisfy their carnal desires show them off like any art object or piece of jewelry. He also notes that you shouldn’t consider the rebellions in Judea as being “Jewish” rebellions; the province of Judea was very “polyglot” at the time, and the issues behind the rebellion affected the entire province, not just the Jews.

The real story here, though, is how the Empire got its act together and became one of the greatest powers in history. Holland is great at making the history flow smoothly. No getting bogged down in dates and statistics! One has to wonder if – and when – he’ll continue this grand chronicle of the Roman Empire. The next phase, from emperors Antoninus Pius through Commodus, is actually pretty dull. It’s the era known as the “Pax Romana”. No rebellions, wars, or even disasters of note. Come to think of it, there are only a handful of movies set in that era, compared to the several dozens set in earlier eras. I’m sure Holland will make it fascinating…..