Description
A dual biography of Julius Caesar and Cato the Younger that offers a dire warning: republics collapse when personal pride overrides the common good. In Uncommon Wrath, historian Josiah Osgood tells the story of how the political rivalry between Julius Caesar and Marcus Cato precipitated the end of the Roman Republic. As the champions of two dominant but distinct visions for Rome, Caesar and Cato each represented qualities that had made the Republic strong, but their ideological differences entrenched into enmity and mutual fear. The intensity of their collective factions became a tribal divide, hampering their ability to make good decisions and undermining democratic government. The men's toxic polarity meant that despite their shared devotion to the Republic, they pushed it into civil war. Deeply researched and compellingly told, Uncommon Wrath is a groundbreaking biography of two men whose hatred for each other destroyed the world they loved.
About the Author
Josiah Osgood is Professor of Classics at Georgetown University, and holds a PhD from Yale University. A winner of the Rome Prize, he is the author of five books on Roman history and the translator and editor of How to Be A Bad Emperor, a 2020 edition of Suetonius's Lives of the Caesars.
Reviews
Josiah Osgood makes a valiant attempt not to choose sides between Caesar and Cato. * Joseph Epstein, Washington Free Beacon *
An accessible, vivid and engaging account of Rome's seemingly inevitable descent into civil war... As well as being an entertaining read, Uncommon Wrath is a timely and thought-provoking one. * Jane Draycott, BBC History Magazine *
The story that Osgood tells so clearly, learnedly, and engagingly does indeed illuminate the lasting costs of polarised conflict. * Rowan Williams, New Statesman *
vividly told history ... [a] wide-ranging book * Armand D'Angour, Engeslberg Ideas *
A highly readable book about ancient republican Rome... It is also a timely story - a kind of case study of political meltdown that is relevant given the heat in politics today, particularly in the US. * Popular History Books *
This well-written book, underpinned by profound erudition, deserves the widest readership * Harry Sidebottom, Sunday Telegraph *
Osgood writes with great clarity... It takes skill to bring the reader as close to the complex events of the Late Republic as this... It is a sign of a good book when the ending comes as a pulse-quickening surprise - even to those who already know what is coming. * Daisy Dunn, The Critic *
lively and insightful * Adrian Goldsworthy, The New Criterion *
...fast-paced, well-written and authoritative narrative * David Stuttard, Classics for All *
An incisive and accessible dual biography of Julius Caesar and Cato the Younger focused on their shared responsibility for the Roman Republic's downfall... Along the way, Osgood issues incisive warnings about the dangers of polarization that resonate with today's political landscape and vividly describes the era's religious rituals, military battles, and Senate debates... He builds a persuasive and entertaining case. Roman history buffs will be intrigued. * Publishers Weekly *
The respective sagas of Cato and Caesar, always timely, seem even more so in today's America. Osgood's interwoven retelling of their raucous and violent careers, and their impact on a tottering republic, makes for compelling reading. * Steven Saylor, author of Dominus: A Novel of the Roman Empire *
A brilliant dual biography of Caesar and Cato: two titanic personalities whose fame illumined the death throes of the Roman Republic, and continues to blaze to this day. * Tom Holland, author of Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic *
Lively, literate, and readable, Uncommon Wrath is all that you could want in a book on one of the most destructive feuds in history. As Osgood recounts, Cato and Caesar's refusal to compromise did much to destabilize the Roman Republic. Informed by scholarship and executed with grace. * Barry Strauss, author of The War that Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium *
A gripping account of the rivalry between Julius Caesar and Cato, two men at the heart of the political dysfunction that brought down Rome's Republic. This is the rare book that warns us about the dangers of the modern political moment while offering a nuanced and insightful analysis of the character of some of Rome's most famous leaders. * Edwards Watts, author of Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny *
Uncommon Wrath is a riveting re-telling of the violent end of the Roman Republic. By restoring Cato to the center of the story, Osgood reminds us that this symbol of old-fashioned virtue was not just a myth, but a leader nearly as crafty as his hated rival. Here is a vivid and human-scale account, whose focus on partisanship and political rivalry makes for a resonant and all-too-timely reflection. * Kyle Harper, author of The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire *
Book Information
ISBN 9780192859563
Author Josiah Osgood
Format Hardback
Page Count 352
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 1g
Dimensions(mm) 242mm * 161mm * 30mm
About the Author
Josiah Osgood is Professor of Classics at Georgetown University, and holds a PhD from Yale University. A winner of the Rome Prize, he is the author of five books on Roman history and the translator and editor of How to Be A Bad Emperor, a 2020 edition of Suetonius's Lives of the Caesars.
Reviews
Josiah Osgood makes a valiant attempt not to choose sides between Caesar and Cato. * Joseph Epstein, Washington Free Beacon *
An accessible, vivid and engaging account of Rome's seemingly inevitable descent into civil war... As well as being an entertaining read, Uncommon Wrath is a timely and thought-provoking one. * Jane Draycott, BBC History Magazine *
The story that Osgood tells so clearly, learnedly, and engagingly does indeed illuminate the lasting costs of polarised conflict. * Rowan Williams, New Statesman *
vividly told history ... [a] wide-ranging book * Armand D'Angour, Engeslberg Ideas *
A highly readable book about ancient republican Rome... It is also a timely story - a kind of case study of political meltdown that is relevant given the heat in politics today, particularly in the US. * Popular History Books *
This well-written book, underpinned by profound erudition, deserves the widest readership * Harry Sidebottom, Sunday Telegraph *
Osgood writes with great clarity... It takes skill to bring the reader as close to the complex events of the Late Republic as this... It is a sign of a good book when the ending comes as a pulse-quickening surprise - even to those who already know what is coming. * Daisy Dunn, The Critic *
lively and insightful * Adrian Goldsworthy, The New Criterion *
...fast-paced, well-written and authoritative narrative * David Stuttard, Classics for All *
An incisive and accessible dual biography of Julius Caesar and Cato the Younger focused on their shared responsibility for the Roman Republic's downfall... Along the way, Osgood issues incisive warnings about the dangers of polarization that resonate with today's political landscape and vividly describes the era's religious rituals, military battles, and Senate debates... He builds a persuasive and entertaining case. Roman history buffs will be intrigued. * Publishers Weekly *
The respective sagas of Cato and Caesar, always timely, seem even more so in today's America. Osgood's interwoven retelling of their raucous and violent careers, and their impact on a tottering republic, makes for compelling reading. * Steven Saylor, author of Dominus: A Novel of the Roman Empire *
A brilliant dual biography of Caesar and Cato: two titanic personalities whose fame illumined the death throes of the Roman Republic, and continues to blaze to this day. * Tom Holland, author of Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic *
Lively, literate, and readable, Uncommon Wrath is all that you could want in a book on one of the most destructive feuds in history. As Osgood recounts, Cato and Caesar's refusal to compromise did much to destabilize the Roman Republic. Informed by scholarship and executed with grace. * Barry Strauss, author of The War that Made the Roman Empire: Antony, Cleopatra, and Octavian at Actium *
A gripping account of the rivalry between Julius Caesar and Cato, two men at the heart of the political dysfunction that brought down Rome's Republic. This is the rare book that warns us about the dangers of the modern political moment while offering a nuanced and insightful analysis of the character of some of Rome's most famous leaders. * Edwards Watts, author of Mortal Republic: How Rome Fell into Tyranny *
Uncommon Wrath is a riveting re-telling of the violent end of the Roman Republic. By restoring Cato to the center of the story, Osgood reminds us that this symbol of old-fashioned virtue was not just a myth, but a leader nearly as crafty as his hated rival. Here is a vivid and human-scale account, whose focus on partisanship and political rivalry makes for a resonant and all-too-timely reflection. * Kyle Harper, author of The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire *
Book Information
ISBN 9780192859563
Author Josiah Osgood
Format Hardback
Page Count 352
Imprint Oxford University Press
Publisher Oxford University Press
Weight(grams) 1g
Dimensions(mm) 242mm * 161mm * 30mm
