RomaPolacchi

Let's face it, Rome is a big city. And in big cities filled with tourists, petty crime is rampant. The writer of the International Herald Tribune's Rome Blog , Elizabeth Rosenthal, has a few tips for playing it safe in Rome . Among her pointers: Don't wear a backpack, don't leave your valuables on the table while you are dining outside, and don't keep your wallet (or iPod) in your pocket!

The emperor Augustus has always been enigmatic. Anthony Everitt attempts to shed light on Augustus the man-his motivations, his relationships, his desires. Alas, even though we have many contemporary accounts of Augustus' life, the dearth of sources who were on intimate terms with the emperor keeps him in the shadows. If you are at all interested in the fall of Republican Rome, then Anthony Everitt's attention to detail will intrigue you. You will find many references to famous Roman writers and even to Augustus' own (impersonal) autobiography, the Res Gestae. My only complaint is the lack of footnotes and citation within the text directing the reader to those ancient authors to learn more. The end of the book does include a source list by chapter for reference. Augustus