Empire and nationhood
submitted by SimonA world in flux with multiple seemingly unresolvable and dangerous issues
(Russian aggression, Chinese expansionism, climate change, pandemics, the potential
end of American post economic and military domination) and an apparent lack of
ideas, vision and cohesion across the world from those in power creates a worrying
prospect. History tells us that change is inevitable but what might it look like? So
the theme is the concept of empire and nationhood. The context to start discussions
off is the Roman world of 50 BC to 50 AD and what it might tell us about what’s
happening now or might happen in the future.
- 'Augustus' by John Williams pub 1972 pp 330 Available on Kindle and in paperback. It’s Williams’ third book after
Stoner and Butcher’s Crossing. Augustus was the nephew of Julius Caesar and his
successor as emperor of Rome. His story is told both in first person narrative
and from multiple viewpoints attributed to poets, philosophers and other key
characters known to have been around at the time. It’s a story of political
infighting and intrigue, war and empire building over 60 years of Augustus’ life
from early youth to old age. From troubled beginnings Augustus managed to create
a stable and prosperous empire and presided over the main period of the Pax
Romana where Rome effectively provided stability across what was then the
‘known’ world. There is much discussion of what makes people seek dominance over
others, the effects of colonisation and the inevitable decline that follows. An
extensive knowledge of Roman history is not required to enjoy / understand the
book.
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