Imperial Purple

Saltus, Edgar, 1855-1921Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 156K words
Chapters: 16

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Imperial Purple by Edgar SaltusAuthor: Saltus, Edgar, 1855-1921,Language: English, Class: DG: History: General and Eastern Hemisphere: Italy, Vatican City, Malta, Release Date: Jul 1, 2003

Editor's review

Imperial Purple is a historical essay by Edgar Saltus on the Roman Empire, a public-domain ebook from Project Gutenberg. Taking "imperial purple"—the color symbolizing power and luxury—as its thread, the book links key figures and scenes from Roman history in a florid, image-dense style characteristic of late nineteenth-century aestheticist prose. Its value lies not in systematic historical fact but in literary evocation of Roman power, desire, and decline; it is best read as historical-cultural prose. Read it as a model of English prose, appreciating its rhythm and diction, while remaining cautious about historical accuracy and not treating it as an introduction to Roman history. Suitable for slow reading in short sections in quiet moments, and for English learners studying nineteenth-century prose syntax and vocabulary.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who enjoy Roman history and classical culture and are willing to read literary historical essays
English learners who wish to study the rhetoric and syntax of late nineteenth-century English prose
Culture enthusiasts interested in the themes of power symbols, luxury, and decline
Collectors of public-domain ebooks and users of Project Gutenberg

Not a good fit for

Beginners who need a systematic, accurate framework of Roman history
Readers who prefer concise modern prose and have little patience for ornate rhetoric
Researchers seeking scholarly annotations and source criticism

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and opening first to grasp how "imperial purple" organizes the book as a symbolic thread, then read the sections slowly.
Slow down at dense rhetoric, excerpt favorite sentences, and feel the rhythm of nineteenth-century prose.
Read alongside a concise Roman history timeline to distinguish literary imagination from historical record.
Use it as material for reading aloud in English; after each section, retell the gist in your own words to check comprehension.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a rigorous work of Roman history?

No. It is closer to a literary historical essay on Rome, focused on imagery, rhetoric, and atmosphere rather than systematic source criticism and annotation. Readers may enjoy it as prose; for accurate historical facts, they should consult a general history or scholarly work alongside it.

How difficult is the English, and what level of reader is it suitable for?

The original is late nineteenth-century English prose with long sentences and rich diction, so it is fairly difficult. It suits readers with college-level English reading ability who are willing to read slowly and look up words; beginners may start with a Chinese translation or introduction before returning to the original to appreciate the language.

Why does the title emphasize "imperial purple"?

In the Roman context, purple was associated with high status and expensive dyes and was often used to symbolize power and luxury. The author uses this color as an overarching image linking Roman figures and scenes, giving the book a prose structure organized by color rather than a chronological narrative.

Is this a print book or an ebook?

This is a public-domain English ebook released by Project Gutenberg, available to obtain and read through the platform's provided methods. It is not a new book from a contemporary commercial publisher and has no modern editorial annotations or introduction, so readers need to prepare supplementary materials themselves.

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About the author

Saltus, Edgar, 1855-1921 Author

Edgar Saltus (1855–1921) was an American writer whose life and education are poorly documented in publicly available sources; the library currently holds fifteen of his works. His subject matter is notably varied. He produced popular cultural histories built around broad themes, such as Historia Amoris: A History of Love, Ancient and Modern and The Lords of the Ghostland: A History of the Ideal, as well as Imperial Purple, a work centered on the Roman Empire, and essays with a speculative, pessimistic bent in The Philosophy of Disenchantment. His novels, including The Truth About Tristrem Varick, Eden: An Episode and Mr. Incoul's Misadventure, often draw on upper-class society and combine satire with sensational incident in an ornate, faintly decadent style. The library classifies him under inspirational and personal growth, but his work is in fact a blend of popular history, reflective essay and plot-driven fiction, suited to readers interested in late nineteenth-century American popular genres.