The last two books I mentioned have both contributed to my own views of how the Christian church ought to relate to the state. More specifically, the first Christians were challenged to give their allegiance to the Lamb. But they were tempted by all the Roman Empire had to offer, from a fantastic military to a comfortable life. The Roman Empire was what it was due to, among other things, Julius Caesar.
This book is a brilliant biography of Caesar. For any who like biographies or history, it is worth a read. Goldsworthy also wrote a biography of Augustus Caesar, which is quite good. But I’ll put this one first, simply because Julius came first and set the stage for his less famous but equally influential nephew.