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rider
Tsar
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Topic: Fictious Literature About The Everyday Roman Life Posted: 09-May-2008 at 20:23 |
Well... The heading seems quite clear. I'm interested in what sorts of historical novels you've encountered that speak of the Roman life or the state.....
I can bring out a few (one that I've read, one that I've forgotten and two that I suspect that are of Rome, respectively):
'Quo Vadis' by Henryk Sienkiewicz Something that spoke of Sulla's second dictatorship 'I, Claudius' although I've forgotten the author once again 'The Ides of March'....
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Aelfgifu
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Posted: 10-May-2008 at 12:53 |
Robert Graves, you platypus.
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Women hold their councils of war in kitchens: the knives are there, and the cups of coffee, and the towels to dry the tears.
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Constantine XI
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Posted: 10-May-2008 at 13:24 |
Julian by Gore Vidal, not to be missed.
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Efraz
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Posted: 10-May-2008 at 13:30 |
"Memoirs of Hadrian" by Marguerite Yourcenar. A great writer.
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rider
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Posted: 10-May-2008 at 22:58 |
Yes. I've read that Efraz. A nice book indeed.
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dexippus
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Posted: 11-May-2008 at 18:18 |
A very well researched and entertaining series of novels by Australian writer Colleen McCullough covers the tumultous period between the Jurgurthan Wars and the Death of Caesar, profiling the larger than life characters of Marius, Sulla, Cicero and Caesar. McCullough has done her homework, and the books offer at once a trashy read with lots of sex and violence and also a good introduction to the "last generation of the Roman Republic"
The First Man in Rome
The Grass Crown
Fortune's Favorites
Caesar's Women
Caesar
The October Horse
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gcle2003
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Posted: 11-May-2008 at 20:37 |
Steven Saylor's novels are pretty reasonable, if you like whodunnits (quisfecits?).
And as well as I, Claudius, there also Graves' Claudius the God.
Edited by gcle2003 - 11-May-2008 at 20:38
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rider
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Posted: 12-May-2008 at 19:25 |
Could you name a few gcle?
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gcle2003
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Posted: 12-May-2008 at 21:24 |
Originally posted by rider
Could you name a few gcle? |
Roma Sub Rosa
- Roman Blood (1991), in which Gordianus is hired by the great orator and advocate Cicero in 80 BC. This novel is based on Cicero's speech In Defence of Sextus Roscius of Ameria, which is published in the Penguin Classics edition of Cicero's Murder Trials.
- The House Of The Vestals (1997) (a collection of short stories which appeared later, but which take place between the first book and the second)
- Arms Of Nemesis (1992), about the slave revolt of Spartacus in 72 BC
- A Gladiator Dies Only Once (2005) (another collection of short stories which appeared later, but which take place between the second book and the third)
- Catilina's Riddle (1993), featuring Cicero and the title character, Catiline, during his rebellion in 63 BC
- The Venus Throw (1995), featuring the poet Catullus, set during the trial of Marcus Caelius in 56 BC
- A Murder On The Appian Way (1996), set just before the civil war between Caesar and Pompey
- Rubicon (1999), after Caesar crosses the Rubicon and disperses the Senate, dragging the Roman world into civil war
- Last Seen In Massilia (2000), taking place in Massilia (now Marseille) during the siege of the city by Caesar's men
- Mist Of Prophecies (2002), set during the Roman civil war in the city of Rome, divided between hopes and fears
- The Judgment Of Caesar (2004), taking place in Egypt, when Caesar met queen Cleopatra in 48 BC
- The Triumph of Caesar (2008), set in Rome during Ceasar's triumphal celebrations in 46 BC
I've read down to and including Mist of Propehcies. I see I have some catching up to do. As with all this kind of series, it's good to start at the beginning.
I lifted this from the wikipedia article on Steven Saylor.
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Aelfgifu
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Posted: 12-May-2008 at 23:16 |
yeah, I like Steven Sailor. And I have the whole series of whodunnits on M. Didius Falco by Lindsey Davis. I think they are good fun too.
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Women hold their councils of war in kitchens: the knives are there, and the cups of coffee, and the towels to dry the tears.
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Aster Thrax Eupator
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Posted: 13-May-2008 at 00:09 |
One thing - this isn't fiction, but this is a book about everyday life in ancient Rome that just...sticks in your mind, even though it's quite academic. Jeremy Carcopino's "daily life in ancient Rome".
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calvo
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Posted: 13-May-2008 at 10:27 |
My favourite is Robert Harris, who wrote 2 very exciting novels:
- Imperium, about the life of Cicero as told by his slave tiro
- Pompeii, about the daily lives of 4 romans prior to the erruption of the volcano.
His style is as gripping as a thriller.
The Spanish author Leon Arsenal has also written a couple of books about Romans:
- La Boca del Nilo (The mouth of the Nile, about a military expedition during Nero to the heart of Africa)
- Lanza rotas (broken lances, set in Roman Hispania)
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Mosquito
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Posted: 04-Apr-2011 at 14:55 |
Probably the best of all with the exception for Robert Graves are the books of Coleen McCullough from the Masters of Rome Series:
1. The First Man in Rome
2. The Grass Crown
3. Fortune's Favorites
4.Caesar's Women
5. Caesar
6.The October Horse
7. Antony and Cleopatra
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"I am a pure-blooded Polish nobleman, without a single drop of bad blood, certainly not German blood" - Friedrich Nietzsche
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