Carevi ne umiru u postelji

In his exciting and thorough historical study, Emperors Do Not Die in Bed, the distinguished Dutch classical philologist and historian Fik Meijer dissects the lives and violent ends of the rulers of the Roman Empire. The book's title is also the grim truth about the Roman emperors: of the eighty-two emperors who ruled from Augustus to the fall of the Empire, only a small number met their natural deaths in their beds. Most of them died in intrigues, civil wars, assassinations by the Praetorian Guard, or under accusations of treason.

With an exceptional storytelling gift and relying on ancient sources, Meijer leads the reader through the intrigues of Roman palaces, military camps, and bloody struggles for power. The author does not only offer a chronicle of assassinations and murders, but also deeply analyzes the political system and the circumstances that made absolute power an extremely dangerous and short-lived calling. The book demystifies the Roman imperial court in an accessible, tense, and journalistically appealing way and provides a clear insight into the mechanisms of ancient politics.

This work is an indispensable and extremely entertaining read for all lovers of ancient history, archaeology, political intrigue, and top-notch historical journalism that can be read in one sitting.