Roman religion was an interesting mixture of ancient and new deities whose rites were a function of the state. There were some exceptions, and one was the rite of the Bona Dea, the Good Goddess, which was the worship of an ancient female earth deity that predated the advent of the ruling sky god...
The best in the series. So far :)I've long wanted to find out how the Roman Empire became, well, an empire. This book is a perfect peek into the Roman legion—the well-known secret (pardon the oxymoron) behind Rome's rise to historical glory. Pair that with J.M. Roberts' enviable writing (a perfec...
Part of me wonders why I keep returning to this series. It IS full of interesting details of Roman life during this time period, and reflects some of the complexity of Roman politics and relations in the empire. The protagonist is maturing as the series progresses and it is difficult not to like ...
This is a vivid retelling of a critical moment in the history of the Late Roman Republic, and is accurate. Yes, the Tribune Ateius Capito did pronounce a bizarre curse upon Crassus as he left Rome, which led to the purification rites described herein; only the historical Ateius did live for a few...
Recommend: Yes Pros: Very short concise book; characterization, plot, setting, are all strong.Cons: Very short. The ending was a little off.The Bottom Line:Best book in the nine book SPQR series (at the time of review, 9 book series). Very quick read, very enjoyable dip into this time period. His...
Rating: 2.7 / 10Disclaimer: this review is written a year and a half after the fact. For me, this book has become the standard against which to judge all other bad Roman sword and sandal. I have a sweet spot for sword and sandal, or general “historical” fiction, and particular sweet tooth for Rom...
It was a summer of glorious triumph for the mighty Roman Republic. Her invincible legions had brought all foreign enemies to their knees. But in Rome there was no peace. The streets were flooded with the blood of murdered citizens, and there were rumors of more atrocities to come. Decius Caeciliu...
Although I'm reading these a bit out of order, courtesy the public library, it really doesn't matter much. The books tie together, but not in any critical way, so reading book 3 then book 9 then book 1 will not be a problem; you can jump in at any point.I've read quite a few of these so far, and...
When Roman junior senator Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger has a chance to join a diplomatic mission to Alexandria, he welcomes the opportunity to temporarily elude his enemies in the Eternal City-even though it means leaving his beloved Rome. Decius is just beginning to enjoy the outpost's ...
Things are going well for Decius Caecilius Metellus. He is Praetor Peregrinus. His cases will be those dealing with foreigners, and all of Italy is his province. His first stop is Campania, Italy's most popular resort district. Decius and his wife, Julia, are happy for a change of scenery. But th...
This book has to be one of the best books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It wasn't just a fantasy-adventure but it was a fantasy-adventure-mystery which made it a whole lot more entertaining. I have to admit that I didn't expect the murderer to be Boreas at all. :) Have a great day and ...
Have we got a planet for you. And don't worry: nothing native to Delta Pavonis is likely to hurt you; humans are too alien to be tasty. At least that's what they said during orientation. Dierdre Jamail isn't quite sure she believes them -- she's never believed an authority figure in her young lif...
On the Saturnian moon Rhea, Derek Kuroda unearths two enigmatic objects of immense power. He joins forces with a genius inventor hoping to use the objects for space exploration, but others are intent on using the artifacts for more sinister purposes.
THE ASTEROID BELT WANTS YOU! It is the 21st century, and life on Planet Earth is not what it used to be, as the warnings of Left and Right have proved all too accurate. Teh rich have grown richer, the poor poorer, and raw materials ever scarcer and more expensive -- perhaps because a world-spann...
In his native Cimmeria, Conan discovers foreign sorcerers defiling the most sacred place in the land as they struggle for the power to command the very gods. As ancient blood-enemies of his people invade, Conan must unite the ever-feuding clans to face an even greater foe... Demons ride to war on...
John Maddox Roberts's provocative Hannibal's Children answered a fascinating question: What if Rome fell to Carthage, then rose again? Now, the Romans' victory is complete, but their legendary unity-and commander Marcus Scipio's leadership-will be tested...
Decius Caecilius Metellus, this year's magistrate for cases involving foreigners, is living the good life in southern Italy, happy to be away from Rome, a city suffering war jitters over Caesar's impending actions. He thinks he is merely visiting one of the local sights when he takes a party to v...
JULIA SAID, still delighted with the prospect. “You haven’t wasted your day entirely if you’ve arranged that!” She sat at her vanity table while her handmaid, a sly, devious girl named Cypria, applied her cosmetics. “We were invited by Milo,” I reminded her, nettled as alw...
The slaves were in a good humor because they knew my father was able to set a far better table than I. I was less eager because my father had a lot of slaves. That, I decided, was why he had insisted that I come. He wanted me to help out. We found the house laid out with t...
The weather was beautiful, and the hired mourners wailed superbly. The whole Roman population of Paphos and neighboring towns turned out for the occasion, and there were more of them than I had expected. The visitors from Alexandria were there, naturally, and Photinus represented King Ptolemy, dr...
Beyond them towered the true mountains, climbing level upon level, growing white with snow as they rose. The mountains ascended seemingly without end until they reached the roof of the world, Mount Pajaram, Pillar of the Gods.Before him lay the steppe, a sea of grass stretching from the Vilayet t...
Look how close together the levels of the ramp are." "They probably weren't very quick, either," said Achmed. "Everything we've seen move, moves slowly." "Last one down's a landsman." With that, Ham stepped over the edge. The rest followed suit, taking about six seconds to make the drop to the de...
That year my family wanted me out of Rome. I, in turn, did not want to go back to Caesar's army in Gaul. For once the family concurred, not because Gaul was so dangerous and unpleasant but because nobody was winning any glory there except Caesar. If you believed the dispatches he sent back for pu...
All the victims were equites. Even for Rome, this was something unusual and the city was abuzz. One was bludgeoned, one had his throat cut, one was stabbed and the fourth was found floating in the Tiber, drowned. This last may have been accidental, but after five clear murders, nobody was ready t...
Unlike other quarters of the City, this one had its own wall, low but strong, its heavy gates guarded by club-wielding slaves whose loyalty was guaranteed by their excellent terms of service: five years of duty followed by freedom and a large enough stake to buy a house or a small shop. The Golds...
The killers were still behind her. She scrambled on bare feet over the rubble of a half-col lapsed building. There was a narrow alley to her right and she ducked into it. Maybe they wouldn't see the move and would pass up the alley. She had not been quick enough. "There she is!" a voice yelled. W...
Being a dictator's enemy is one of them. Thus, when Julius Caesar had a mission for me to perform, I was always more than happy to undertake it as long as it didn't mean killing anyone I really liked. Not that Caesar ever asked me to do anything so distasteful. It was just that, had he asked, I p...
We sat in his spacious quarters at the Ludus of Statilius Taurus. I had never been in a physician's quarters before, and I suspected that his decor was odd by the standards of that profession. Every manner of weapon hung on his walls or stood in racks around the rooms. Many of them had scrolls af...
The smith, like many of the legion’s artisans, was a soldier who earned himself extra pay and exemption from fatigue by practicing a necessary craft. Luckily, repairing the lock on Vinius’s chest and crafting a key for it was not beyond his level of skill. I stood close while he did the work and ...
Julia said. We stood on the steps of the Soma, the tomb of Alexander the Great. She was beautifully dressed as a Roman lady, but she had already started to use Egyptian cosmetics. It was a bad sign. “Of course it’s nonsense,” I said. “When everybody is lying, as they usually do when you’re invest...
Building inspection is part of the job, and you can spend your whole year just prosecuting violations of the building codes, never mind putting on the Games and inspecting all the whorehouses, also part of the job. And I'd landed the office in a year when a plebeian couldn't be Curule Aedile. The...