The Decadent Emperors: Power and Depravity in Third-Century Rome

by George C. Brauer

Originally The Young Emperors. This is the story of Caracalla, Geta, Elagabalus, Severus Alexander and Gordian III.

Genres: History, Roman History, Nonfiction

252 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Birgitta Hoffmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are not many histories of the later Severans or the Gordians. So Dr Brauer's book will probably feature sooner or later. And on the whole it is a straightforward biography.
Unfortunately, at a period when our sources are full of invective for all sorts of reasons, a straight retelling without even to stop and query what corroborating or contradicting evidence there might be is not the best approach.

[Tina Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting at first and tied into a special on Timewatch on the mystery of the headless Romans, but became too compressed and confusing at the end but I suppose that how it was at the end of the Roman Empire

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers the 50 year period between 193-244 AD--and centers on the 5 emperors of that period (Geta, Caracalla, Elagabalus, Severus Alexander and Gordian), though there are a lot of very brief transition emperors in the mix. Naturally Elababulus had the most outrageous life but I felt the most for Alexander, who tried so hard to be good and was basically punished for it.