Pax: War and Peace in Rome's Golden Age

From an award-winning historian, the definitive account of the golden age of Rome—an ultimate superpower at the pinnacle of its greatness.

“Rarely has the distant past seemed so vividly alive.” —Financial Times

The Pax Romana has long been shorthand for the empire’s golden age. Stretching from Caledonia to Arabia, Rome ruled over a quarter of the world’s population. It was the wealthiest and most formidable state in the history of humankind.

Pax is a captivating narrative history of Rome at the height of its power. From the gilded capital to realms beyond the frontier, historian Tom Holland shows ancient Rome in all its glory: Nero’s downfall, the destruction of Jerusalem and Pompeii, the building of the Colosseum and Hadrian’s Wall, the conquests of Trajan. Vividly sketching the lives of Romans both ordinary and spectacular, from slaves to emperors, Holland shows that Roman peace was the fruit of unprecedented military violence.

A stunning portrait of Rome’s glory days, this is the epic history of the Pax Romana.