Rome-ing!

Rome was not built in a day. Electrifying stories abound in the building of this empire: potions, augers, conspiracies, rebellions, gladiator fights, orations in the Senate, battles on land and the high seas, grand public constructions, art, literature, exiles, famines, curses, superstition, and treacheries.

Infinitely more exciting, heart pumping, and nerve-wracking than those weaved by Scheherazade in her one thousand and one nights.

I had more than a few sleepless nights in 2019 adventuring in these amazing tales. Caveat: this is a historical fiction list, but I dare say that with these ancient Romans, facts, myth, and ancient gossip blur.

1. Roma by Steven Saylor

Astoundingly ambitious and utterly successful weaving of the personal stories of the Potitii and Pinarii ancient Roman families into the tumultuous "history" of Rome years before the time of Romulus and Remus, the rise and fall of the Roman Republic, up to the assassination of Julius Caesar and the ascension of Rome's first emperor.

2. Empire: The Novel of Imperial Rome by Steven Saylor

An incredibly massive story spanning five generations of the Pinarii (Lucius the Lightning Reader, Titus and Kaeso the twins, Lucius the Seeker, Marcus the Sculptor, and Lucius, comrade of Marcus Aurelius) amidst the backdrop of Imperial Rome (from the Julio-Claudian dynasty to the Year of the Four Emperors, the Flavian Dynasty and finally to the end of the reign of Hadrian of the Nerva-Antonine dynasty) and the mysterious fascinus which had made its way from one Pinarius family member to another.

3. The Last King of Rome: Lucius Tarquinus Superbus by Laura Dowers

Tarquin the Proud, 7th king of Rome, seized the throne by literally throwing Servius, the reigning king, down the steps of the Senate house and into the street (with this ignominious start, it wasn't a big surprise when the Romans said "enough" after 26 years, sent Tarquin into exile, abolished the monarchy, and established the Republic).

4. Augustus by John Williams

A collection of edicts, letters, and fragments of memoirs of the members of the first emperor of Rome's inner circle create a suspense-filled narrative from the time Augustus (then known as Octavius) received news of his adoptive father/uncle Julius Caesar's assassination; his climb and consolidation of power; his loyalty to his friends, his enduring (although fractious at certain points) partnership with his third wife, Livia; his painful decision to exile his only child Julia to the lonely island of Pandateria; and to the ponderous question at the end, "Was it all worth it?".

5. I am Livia by Phyllis T. Smith

While the book does not reach the soaring heights of John Williams’s "Augustus", it is an absorbing read on the thoughts of Livia Drusilla, the other half of the power couple that ruled and dominated Rome for 40 years.

6. Roman Blood (Roma Sub Rosa #1) by Steven Saylor

Absolutely brilliant - Cicero in his early years as advocate, an indefatigable Finder, powers-that-be whose feathers cannot be ruffled, and the slow peeling of layers and layers of a political intrigue!

7.  Antonius: Son of Rome by Brook Allen

Volume 1 of the trilogy provides a sympathetic narrative on the early years of Marcus Antonius and how these influenced his actions and decisions later on - his mixed feelings about Julius Ceasar, his dogged enmity towards Cicero, his relations with Publius Clodius Polcher and Curio, his utter lack of sympathy for Octavius, and his position on the restoration of the Republic (helmet off to Brook Allen who has made me re-think my views on Marcus, a character I've long written off from my Imperial Rome saga)

8. Antonius: Second in Command by Brook Allen

Volume 2 of the trilogy expands on how Marcus Antonius has strived long and hard to prove himself to Julius Caesar but these  did not seem enough - Caesar threw him into the snake pit of Roman politics with scant support, refused to consider taking him along on the Parthian campaign, and the last straw, stroked out Marcus from his will and instead named Octavius as his adopted son and heir (this book is so well written that I got distressed, less enamoured with my heroes, and kept saying to myself all throughout the book, "Oh Caesar, how could you?", "Chickpea, surely you can rise above your prejudices and ambitions!" and "Octavian young man, pay heed to your betters!").

I can't wait for the last and final segment to this trilogy and I look forward to how Brook Allen defends Marcus in the Parthian War and his last stand at the Battle of Actium against Octavian and Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa. 

9. The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George

Cleopatra's scrolls provide a vivid and in-depth look at THE queen's childhood, her struggles to keep the throne, her dreams, her loves, and through all these, her drive to keep Egypt not only independent but survive and thrive amidst Rome's growing and encroaching power.

10. The Daughters of Palatine Hill by Phyllis T. Smith

The daring, cunning, and political acuity of Livia Drusilla (wife of Emperor Augustus), Julia (Augustus's only child), and Selene (only daughter of Marcus Antonius and Cleopatra) during the early precarious years of Augustus leave us breathless page after page.

11.  Julia, Daughter of Rome by Elizabeth Elson

It is irresistible to fall into the notion that Julia, only child of the first emperor of the Roman empire, lived a charmed life; but the bar was so set so high for this girl from the onset that it does not come as a big surprise that she'd rebel against the life that's been set up for her, gets mixed up with the wrong crowd, and comes to a very sad and painful end.

12. Cleopatra’s Daughter by Michelle Moran

Selene, Cleopatra's daughter by Marcus Antonius, has shown herself a true heir to the Ptolemies - she diligently applies herself in Octavia's household, diplomatically makes sure she does not cross Augustus and Livia (the power-behind-the-throne), astutely understands her position in the political marriage arrangements, and rises to the challenge and her true potential when she agrees to become Juba's queen in Mauretania.

13. I, Claudius by Robert Graves

A vindication for those who do not subscribe to self-promotion: because he was considered a total washout by the powers that be, Claudius not only survived the violent reign of Tiberius and the mad years of Caligula but at 50 years old, became the fourth Emperor of Rome, reigning for almost 14 years.

14. The Confessions of Young Nero by Margaret George

The traumatic childhood of Nero under Caligula's shadow; his ascent to the throne as manipulated by Agrippina the Younger, his mother; and his passion for art, athletics, music, and architecture all provide a more sympathetic picture of the last Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty who has come down in history as the tyrant who cruelly persecuted the early Christians and instigated the Great Fire of Rome.

15. Domina by Paul Doherty

Agrippina Minor (great granddaughter of Julia and Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and daughter of the famous Germanicus)'s life story is unbelievably so harrowing and full of conspiracies (she managed not only to survive but surmount the rules of her grand uncle Tiberius, her brother Caligula, and her husband Claudius) that how she perishes in the end, seems to be the ultimate dramatic flourish to a 43-year life of constant plotting, waiting, and striking.