Masters of Rome Books In Order
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The First Man in Rome | (1990) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
The Grass Crown | (1991) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Fortune's Favorites | (1993) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Caesar's Women | (1996) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Caesar | (1997) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
The October Horse | (2002) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Antony and Cleopatra | (2007) | Description / Buy at Amazon |
Masters of Rome . A series of historical fictional novels by Colleen McCullough. It’s set in ancient Rome, the end times of old Roman Republic. It lives from January 1, 11OBC through to January 16, 27 BC. It features many prominent historical figures playing a major role in the series. The lives and early career of Caesar Augustus, Pompeius Magnus, Gaius Cornelius Sulla and many others are primarily chronicled in this series. This awesome Australian Author began this series so epic in 19990, with the first book The First Man in Rome and concluded in 2007 with the seventh book of the series, Antony and Cleopatra.
Most of us are a big fan of the ancient Roman history. The evidence is all over. Movies produced, paintings everywhere, books, and proofs how interesting it is to know about the legendary Gaius Julius Caesar. His cunning nature and power practice of these ancient masters is so persuasive and interesting that everyone coming across its description wants to hear more and more. In this case, you may want to try the Masters of Rome series where all this lies. On the other hand, you may love to learn about the history of, but hate reading books written for scholarly purpose. The author solves all this; presence of war scenes, politics, and deceitful murders, sex, honest and emotional moments and tragedies adds the piquancy that brings characters back to life. She does a wonderful job, since regardless of all this flavor, she maintains historical accuracy.
Following this “Master of Rome” series about the last days of Roman republic is among the most astonishing achievements of the recent times. It traces all the years that led to death of this empire commencing with the political combats between Marius and Sulla. Surrounding terrible intimidation from barbarian intruders, slave rebellion, and a civil war, they go to an extent of rising against Julius Caesar, his victory over his enemies, the endeavors of his successors after they assassinate him and the astonishing triumph of his adoptive son and nephew Octavius.
These books may not suite those who like short, rapid books revolving around romance. However, I will recommend them. They are rich political books, handling in detail the core workings of the republic and unending struggles of determined men craving for fame and power. Here you will know more than you ever wanted to know about Rome and its administrative procedures. How the consuls were chose by the senate, how tribunes were selected by the plebian assembly, and you will also know what praetors , censors, Pontifex Maximus and questers were expected to do. The books will also give you a trip down the private lives of the Roman citizens, their rooms of pleasure, dining halls, and across the coverage of the world to mysterious world where crucial wars happened and where they achieved victory.
According to these novels, and of Couse history, Rome was powerful and carried on becoming more powerful within the Mediterranean world. The normal and old way of doing things however, became more burdensome and therefore it became more and more difficult to run an empire with bodies initially planned to govern a city-state. Some men wanted to change this but met strong opposition from others. Caesar therefore comes out as a great military man, very popular and a reformist. His death and the end of the republic is a great loss.
The first book, “The First Man in Rome” brings out a lively beginning of this epic series on the last decades of Roman republic. Gaius Marius, a great military leader, who is a powerful political force for the party favoring the Roman people, is the title character in this book. Lucius Cornelius is an intelligent and charming man with no money who counterpoints the upright Marius. He begins as a hopeless man who has affairs with both men and women, but events and his lack of morals and conscience eventually changes Cornelius life and he finds himself working hand in hand with Marius while the Republic goes through a series of chaos. An African king, by the name Jugurtha remunerates war, a huge group of barbarians puts an end to two Roman Armies, and a rebellion made in the streets of Rome by a reckless agitator. The thrilling part is when the novel describes how the doubtful duo deals with these threats . The heart of the novel however, lies in the innumerable subplots, political of course and drives of subordinate characters
Marius has a major ally, named Gaius Julius Caesar, who later becomes his father-in law and as the novel approaches, the end there is an infant by the same name who is cared for by his mother Aurelia in an apartment in Rome’s slum. This first novel of the series brings a tale with melodramatic social issues in a great city made so live by great character.
The Grass Crown is the second historical novel that opens a short while just after the first men Marius and Cornelius eat dinner with their wives discussing the threat recently presented. The plot revolves around the social war of 19 to 88BC. Cornelius and Marius face Italian threats together as allies and they succeed in putting down the rebellion. Marius suffers a second and serious stroke and is forced to withdraw from war. Cornelius leads the troops and is awarded the greatest honor a Roman general can receive. “Grass Crown”
The Rome settles this pressuring domestic matter. They begin plotting revenge and here the two allies have serious disagreement who should lead the troops. Marius believes he only has the talent to defeat the so connected Kings. Cornelius feels uneasy that his mentor is not willing to be outshined. The senate, out of manipulation cites Marius’s poor health as a reason to back Cornelius. This marks the beginning of a serious conflict.
At the end, the Roman committee drastically turns out to be the source of political disagreements between the two men. Later Marius is portrayed as going mad in the book as going made after a series of stroke.
The success of the Master of Rome series is due to the succession of great characters the author creates. There is interpretation of familiar historical figures and presence of vivid female characters who are often left out in history. Looking for entertaining historical stories, “Masters of Rome” series is for you
Book Series In Order » Characters »