The Masters of Rome
I’ve just finished re-reading the “Masters of Rome” series by Colleen McCullough. They comprise six books of around 1,000 pages each so are not for the faint hearted. But if you are interested in the history of that era, or like novels with political and military themes, they are a great read.
McCullough spent 13 years researching the era to write the novels, and in all but a very few areas (which she explains) they are very much in keeping with the known history of the era. However she manages to bring the characters to life in a way no history textbook can.
The first book, The First Man in Rome, is focused mainly on Gaius Marius, his battales as a general, and six of his seven consulships. Supporting characters are the grandfather of the famous Gaius Julius Caesar and Sulla.
The second book, The Grass Crown, documents the rise of Sulla and his growing rivalvy with the now elderly Marius. It ends with Marius having achieved his unprecedented seventh consulship, but dieing a few days later. He appoints a young Gaius Julius Caesar as a special priest of Jupiter, to prevent young Caesar from being able to have a military career and upstage his uncle Marius.
Book three, Fortune’s Favorites, has the return of Sulla, his dictatorship and death, plus very enjoyably his shocking of polite Roman society. Caesar is released from his priestly position and has early military sucess, displaying great arrogance to go with his ability. Pompey also enters the scene. Caesar’s capture by pirates is a very enjoyable section.
The fourth book, Caesar’s Women, is my favouriite. It has the most politics of the series and Roman Republic politics was fascinating with its various offices and balances of power to stop a man becoming sole ruler. We also see a lot of Caesar’s mother, daughter, wives and pre-eminent mistress (mother of Brutus). Cato accidentially revealing Caesar’s affair with his half sister is hilarious.
The fith novel, simply called Caesar, and has by far the most military action. It covers his proconsulship in Gaul and many of his famous battles there where he achieved victory after victory despite massives numbers against him. Then we see the Civil War against Pompey after his political foes will not allow him to keep any of his armies so they could prosecute him. It ends with victory against Pompey who flees to Egypt and is killed.
The final novel, The October Horse, chronicles his affair with Cleopatra, the remaining battles against the Pompey Republican faction including the memorable suicide of Cato his most implacable foe.
Then his governing of Rome is shown, along with the growing conspiracy to murder him which happens, as most know, on the Ides of March. We see young Gaius Octavius become Caesar’s heir and both political and military intrigue between Octavian and the assassins (or liberators as they called themselves) led by Brutus and Cassius, but also with his rivals in the Caesar faction, especially Marcus Antonius.
The series finished with the suicides of Brutus and Cassius. Octavian has not yet become the Emperor Augustus but is well on his way.
August 23rd, 2004 at 9:52 am
Interesting. I have just finished reading “Caesar” and two bits really stck in the memory. First, an opinion which paraphrased went “philosophy is nice to have because it allows scoundrels to justify any position on any issue.” So we can see where the lefties get it from. Second was the general (Marius?) besieging a large city (Marseilles?) who upon receiving a note from the besieged commander to say that “the city had ten years guaranteed water supply and food so you might as well bugger off” relpied “that’s fine, we’ll come and get you in the eleventh year.” Whereupon the besieged commander surrendered the city!!!!! Now there’s persistence for you. None of the modern day television soundbite of battle success required every day to sustain the jelly backed polies, jounos and arm chair generals at home.
August 23rd, 2004 at 10:05 am
A truly interesting series. I just wish she had it in her to write another six books on the beginning of the Empire…
August 23rd, 2004 at 1:53 pm
Sounds interesting, how did you find her writing.
There is a a nice book called “Caesars Legion” by Stephen Dando-Collins which has alot of the political intrigue & also some interesting insights into Roman military strategy.
Nigel
August 23rd, 2004 at 4:11 pm
Jordan – I don’t think she is young enough to manage another six books. I must admit I would one more to cover Octavian becoming Augustus and defeating Mark Anthony.
Nigel – I think she has a great writing style. You can almost forget the dialogue is mainly fictitious as she makes the characters so realistic. I have always loved The Thorn Birds so am a long-time fan. I only disocvered the Rome series this year though.
August 24th, 2004 at 1:11 am
DPF – ah, I see. I started them in 1995 for classics, in the sixth form.
Great prose, you’re right – feels like a really good novel, not 1000 pages of history.
August 24th, 2004 at 12:55 pm
It’s wonderful that historical novels are having something of a revival – I love them, in large part because they’re so hard to do well. Bad memories of ‘The Thorn Birds’ put me off McCullough’s series but I’ll give them a try.
I strongly recommend Robert Graves’ ‘I Claudius’ and ‘Claudius The God’ (no, watching the admittedly excellent BBC adaptation doesn’t count), and Alan Massie’s ‘Imperial’ sequence: Tiberius, Caesar, Antony, Nero’s Heirs, Caligula.
On a lighter note, mystery fans might like Steven Saylor’s ‘Roma Sub Rosa’ series. (http://www.stevensaylor.com/RomaSubRosa.html)
August 24th, 2004 at 4:19 pm
Just been to the library and McCullouch has the ultimate seal of approval – “Oh, they’re never in. Better put the first one on reserve.” Public taste is far from infallible, but it’s generally better than all the alternatives.
August 24th, 2004 at 5:50 pm
Public taste is a great guide I find. For example the ratings at Internet Movie Database tend to be great guides to me for movies because the sheer quantity of votes tends to eliminate any personal biases with reviews.