eBooks - Literature - Modern Fiction - Thomas De Quincey - The Caesars
The Caesars eBooks
by Thomas De Quincey
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Windows Vista / XP / 2000, Mac OS X, Sony Reader Features
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Platforms
Windows Vista / XP / 2000, Mac OS X, Sony Reader Features
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Availability:
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Platforms
Windows Vista / XP / 2000, Mac OS X, Sony Reader Features
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Download Now Price: $3.99
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Windows PC, Windows Mobile 5.0-6.0, Pocket PC 2003 Features
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The Caesars Summary
| The condition of the Roman Emperors has never yet been fully appreciated; nor has it been sufficiently perceived in what respects it was absolutely unique. There was but one Rome: no other city, as we are satisfied by the collation of many facts, either of ancient or modern times, has ever rivalled this astonishing metropolis in the grandeur of magnitude; and not many - if we except the cities of Greece, none at all - in the grandeur of architectural display. Speaking even of London, we ought in all reason to say - the Nation of London, and not the City of London; but of Rome in her palmy days, nothing less could be said in the naked severity of logic. A million and a half of souls - that population, apart from any other distinctions, is per se for London a justifying ground for such a classification; ? fortiori, then, will it belong to a city which counted from one horn to the other of its mighty suburbs not less than four millions of inhabitants [Footnote: Concerning this question - once so fervidly debated, yet so unprofitably for the final adjudication, and in some respects, we may add, so erroneously - on a future occasion.] at the very least, as we resolutely maintain after reviewing all that has been written on that much vexed theme, and very probably half as many more. Republican Rome had her prerogative tribe; the earth has its prerogative city; and that city was Rome. |
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| Nero (for as to Claudius, he came too late to the throne to indulge any propensities of this nature with so little discretion) was but a variety of the same species. He also was an amateur, and an enthusiastic amateur of murder. But as this taste, in the most ingenious hands, is limited and monotonous in its modes of manifestation, it would be tedious to run through the long Suetonian roll-call of his peccadilloes in this way. One only we shall cite, to illustrate the amorous delight with which he pursued any murder which happened to be seasoned highly to his taste by enormous atrocity, and by almost unconquerable difficulty. |
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| The condition of the Roman Emperors has never yet been fully appreciated; nor has it been sufficiently perceived in what respects it was absolutely unique. There was but one Rome: no other city, as we are satisfied by the collation of many facts, either of ancient or modern times, has ever rivalled this astonishing metropolis in the grandeur of magnitude; and not many - if we except the cities of Greece, none at all - in the grandeur of architectural display. |
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eBooks - Titles - Authors - Literature - Modern Fiction - Thomas De Quincey - The Caesars