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    Roma: The Novel of Ancient Rome
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    Roma: The Novel of Ancient Rome
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    Roma: The Novel of Ancient Rome
    Ebook850 pages14 hours

    Roma: The Novel of Ancient Rome

    By Steven Saylor

    3.5/5

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    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Spanning a thousand years, and following the shifting fortunes of two families though the ages, this is the epic saga of Rome, the city and its people.
    Weaving history, legend, and new archaeological discoveries into a spellbinding narrative, critically acclaimed novelist Steven Saylor gives new life to the drama of the city's first thousand years — from the founding of the city by the ill-fated twins Romulus and Remus, through Rome's astonishing ascent to become the capitol of the most powerful empire in history. Roma recounts the tragedy of the hero-traitor Coriolanus, the capture of the city by the Gauls, the invasion of Hannibal, the bitter political struggles of the patricians and plebeians, and the ultimate death of Rome's republic with the triumph, and assassination, of Julius Caesar.
    Witnessing this history, and sometimes playing key roles, are the descendents of two of Rome's first families, the Potitius and Pinarius clans: One is the confidant of Romulus. One is born a slave and tempts a Vestal virgin to break her vows. One becomes a mass murderer. And one becomes the heir of Julius Caesar. Linking the generations is a mysterious talisman as ancient as the city itself.
    Epic in every sense of the word, Roma is a panoramic historical saga and Saylor's finest achievement to date.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateMar 6, 2007
    ISBN9781429917063
    Unavailable
    Roma: The Novel of Ancient Rome
    Author

    Steven Saylor

    Steven Saylor is the author of the long running Roma Sub Rosa series featuring Gordianus the Finder, as well as the New York Times bestselling novel, Roma and its follow-up, Empire. He has appeared as an on-air expert on Roman history and life on The History Channel. Saylor was born in Texas and graduated with high honors from The University of Texas at Austin, where he studied history and classics. He divides his time between Berkeley, California, and Austin, Texas.

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    Reviews for Roma

    3.5/5

    350 ratings42 reviews

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    • 5/5
      "Roma" by Steven Saylor takes the reader on a wonderfully researched and incredibly well thought out journey through a familial line. An amulet is passed from one family member to the next and as we follow the family member through their chapter, we are introduced to historically relevant events. It is incredibly enticing and difficult to put down.
    • 4/5
      Roma is a novel with the city of Roma as its main character. The history of the place is told through a series of short pieces following the adventures and fortunes of several key families, who interact repeatedly, and always have a hand or point of observation at the major turning points of history. It is readable and plausible presentation of a thousand years of development. I studied some ancient history, took Latin and have read plenty of books set in ancient Rome, but never had a very good grasp of the early chronology and development. Although a novelization, with associated fictions and inventions by the author, this reads well and meets its purpose of laying out the history in an accessible way. Steven Saylor clearly knows the classical stories and myths, and his fictions are interesting and plausible. I enjoyed the book, as will others who want to understand teh history of a major part of western civilization. ,
    • 5/5
      I approached Roma with a great deal of enthusiasm. I assumed that Roma was going to be similar to many of the Roma Sub Rosa works of Mr. Saylor. I was wrong!!Roma, while sharing the same basics (time/place) with the Roma Sub Rosa series, stands on its own. It creates a multi-generational story line using the possession of an amulet to tie the many generations together. And it renders a fascinating tale of early Rome, from its foundation as a crossroads of commerce to its eventual rise to become the center of the known world.Once again, Saylor gives us a lesson in history by making history come alive. All of the prominent characters are here, beginning with Romulus and Remus, as well as characters of Saylor’s own very fertile imagination.Initially, I was a little wary of how this plot device was going to work. However, after reading three chapters, I was hooked. I found myself completely losing track of real-world time. Before I knew it I’d finished the book!! Then I picked it up and started at the beginning again. It’s safe to say that I enjoyed it even more upon the second reading.Saylor has the unique ability to create three dimensional characters and believable plots. For anyone familiar with his work this will come as no surprise. For those who have yet to discover Saylor – this is a perfect way to become acquainted with him. The man is a master storyteller!!My advice is: READ IT and then READ IT again!There’s a reason that Steven Saylor is my favorite author. Roma adds to that reason!!!
    • 3/5
      Lacks a certian something because of the scope of the book: no central sympathetic character (a la Gordianus) to carry us through. A bit more subject to historical expository (characters stiltedly filling us in on history while supposedly talking to each other), but otherwise solid. Of interest mostly to those who know and like Roman history, not to those looking for a good story. But still pretty good.
    • 4/5
      Through the story of two families, this novel retells the story of Rome from its beginning to the beginning of the empire. In each chapter, the reader is introduced to a different time and different characters. On this point, the novel feels a little like reading a short stories book; you barely have the time to know the characters that already, you’re leaving them for new ones. Rather than telling their story in the context of Rome, the author uses them to tell the story of Rome.The novel insists a lot on the religion and politics of ancient Rome, and although it could be a good introduction to those topics for those who have never studied them, it can be, at times, a little “heavy” on the facts. There again, Saylor uses the characters to tell Rome’s story in discussions that sometimes seem less than natural. I’m personally really interested in the mythology and religion, and I really enjoyed to read about the different gods and their “arrival” in Rome’s society.Mostly, the facts seem right although I would certainly not recommend this as a history book! It is still, of course, historical fiction. But it certainly makes for an interesting read.
    • 4/5
      I have a BA in Latin, which is the real reason I requested this book from Early Reviewers. I have to say that I really ended up enjoying it. The narrative structure, wherein the tale follows the members of two families through time from the earliest foundation of Rome up until the founding of the Empire with the death of Caesar, was quite clever. Some of the characters of the family were less likeable than others, but I suppose that all families were like that. I was also surprised by the amount of sex that was the book - not that its ever really explicit and I wasn't turned off by it, just surprised and I think some people would be offended by it. I also enjoyed how Saylor worked around the biggest events in Roman history and remained true to the historical narrative. He never tried to change the facts of history, just provide possible explanations for some of them. The research was flawless. I plan to read the sequel, "Empire", and I am positive that it will be just as enjoyable, if not more so.
    • 4/5
      If you like history, love the Roman Empire, and enjoy historical fiction, then I would definitely recommend this book. I admit that I'm a Saylor fan - I love his Roma Sub Rosa series - but this is quite a different undertaking. He does not shy away from the grittier parts - I love that. Some may complain that it is fragmented and the breadth is too large to attempt with cohesion, but I think it was really well done. I enjoyed watching the Potitii/Pinarii morph through history, and I found myself wanting more all the time. I read it quickly and I'm happily delving into Empire now. Obviously by covering so much you cannot develop characters as much as a traditional novel might, but I didn't feel like it was lacking. I devoured the book, the history, the hypothetical characters intertwined with the lives of great men and women of the past. It may not be for everyone, but I recommend it!
    • 4/5
      Over three thousand years ago, a murder takes place on an island in a river flowing through the hilly region of Italy later known as the ruma. This bloody act presages the rise of one of the ancient world’s most ruthless empires. In Roma: The Novel of Ancient Rome, Steven Saylor takes us on a thousand-year journey from Rome’s mythical beginnings as a trading post for salt sellers through its evolution into an empire, in a style reminiscent of James Michner. Along the way we witness Hercules‘ destruction of the monster Cacus; the founding of the walled city of Rome by a couple of young bandits named Romulus and Remus; the abduction of the Sabine women; invasions by enemies; and revolutions by generals, plebians and slaves. Throughout, Saylor provides us with real people and understandable motivations, whose stories have been transformed over time into the stuff of myth and legend.Covering a thousand years in 555 pages is impossible, so Saylor uses a series of eleven linked chapters, dipping in and out of the stream of time; while following two families, the Potitii and Penarii, through the generations. Through it all, these families interact with key players in Roman history: Coriolanus, the rebel general; Scipio, known as Africanus for his defeat of Carthage; the heroes of the people, the Gracchi brothers; Sulla the dictator; and, of course, Julius Caesar. Saylor gives several key female characters some space, as well; from Lara, the founder of the line; to Potitia, a Vestal Virgin trapped on the Capitoline Hill during the siege of Rome by the Gauls; to Cornelia, the mother of the Gracchi.The stories are not only linked by the generations, but also a physical object—a gold amulet in the shape of a winged phallus representative of an ancient nature god Fascinus. The main character—whether warrior, slave, vestal virgin, or murderer—always wears the fascinum. It begins its existence as a simple lump of gold on a chain, is later molded into the winged phallus, and ends the book worn into the shape of a simple cross. Saylor tells us in his Author’s Note that Fascinus was the name of a god sacred to the Vestal Virgins. They would place a fascinum under the chariot of those who triumphed through Rome to avoid “fascination” or the “evil eye.”This book required a tremendous amount of research, above and beyond the stories of individual people. Saylor deftly weaves in information about the evolution of place names, food, clothing, religious institutions and practices, public holidays and celebrations, political ebb and flow. The problems faced by the growing Republic are eerily reminiscent of the challenges faced by our own, much younger country: class war, religious intolerance and witch hunts, cynical political manipulation by the rich and powerful, and war mongering to avoid domestic unrest.I truly enjoyed this reading experience. Roma introduces the reader to events that receive short shrift in most history books. Although it covered a vast sweep of time, I felt the story telling was consistent and the characters varied and interesting. This is a wonderful achievement in both effort and results. Among the “extras”–including an interview with the author, a historical essay and reading group questions–I particularly liked the maps of Rome at the beginning of each chapter, showing the walls, major landmarks, public buildings, temples, and altars. It’s a great way of showing Rome’s expansion and evolution. “Thanks” to Saylor for a great read.
    • 4/5
      First there was Michener, then came Rutherfurd, and now Saylor tells a multi generational story to give us a feel for a place from distant time and far off lands. He though while excellent is not quite as good as the other two I mentioned. Gordianus the Finder is slightly better and possibly because instead of spanning such a long timeline, we are much more focused in those works of Saylor.One problem always with a generational tale is that just as you find you like a character of the vignette, the period closes and the child (and in this tale it is usually two or three generations later) now becomes the lead. Saylor tries to focus on rich periods to give us protagonists, but when we have had McCullough's Masters of Rome series before this, it is hard to see his holding up to the profusion we had there of Caesar and Marius and Sulla. Or even the television series of Rome with Ciaran Hinds as Caesar.The tale though is carefully woven and as we watch the generations come one after the other we see the way that each builds upon the previous. Tales, such as Coriolanus are brought forth in a detail with background that make a legend humanized. And brings all of the Republic of Rome and the need for it to fall, in clear perspective.Indeed, part of the telling seems to be a commentary on that of America, or other democracies that have become long in the tooth. That as these governments age, they do not keep pace and represent what is right for the people, but need to fall since so much power has been grasped by so few. So much wealth taken by handful. There seems to be an agenda to the writing almost crying out from Saylor saying that there is a comparison here. And that we too are in search of those, like the Dictator Cincinnatus who would be altruistic, but that we probably will end up with men who will want to do the right thing, but will also want to be enriched for it as well, and will be pulled down by men who have their own agendas professing that they too want to do right, but will be further enriching their own selves.Now I come to it. I recommend this to be read. You will get a lot of history, though sometimes told with device and a little heavy handed exposition. I may even reread it one day. It won't be a classic, but it will fill a hole in a library of books about the Republic of Rome.
    • 4/5
      A multi-generational historical fiction of the history of Rome from the before founding of Rome through the end of the Republic. I have loved Steven Saylor's Sub Rosa mystery series, and although I very much enjoyed this book I was a little disappointed that it follows the same formula as Rutherford or Michener books. But they're all great reads, so what the hey!
    • 3/5
      Would recommend to someone who enjoys historical fiction and mythology.
    • 2/5
      I've never cared for epic sagas, and this one was no exception. Saylor attempts to fictionalize a millennium of Roman history through the device of a fictional family that witnesses or participates in all the key events of ancient Rome. There are two major problems I have with this. First, there is no opportunity to develop real characters when you're on a millennial treadmill -- you meet them, learn something about them, they do something, they're dead. I wasn't able to summon any emotional attachment to any character in the book. Second (and its more disturbing for me because of my love of history) I never know how much I'm reading has a basis in fact and how much is the fictional embroidery that Saylor used to tie the book together. I don't question that he knows a lot about Rome, but I get the uneasy feeling that what I'm reading is a smattering of reality, a dollop of theory, and a large helping of fiction. The trouble is, I sometimes can't tell which is which. I'm not accusing the author of pawning off this book as a factual history of Rome, but if it isn't that and I don't care about the characters, what's the point?
    • 4/5
      One word summary: Meh... I really wanted to like this more. The stories sometimes flowed into one another, sometimes not. Each story followed the holder of a "fascinum" flying phallus necklace that is passed down from generation to generation. Readers would do well to do some brushing up on their Roman history, because Saylor's work isn't to give you the broad strokes, it is more to fill in some of the minute details. My biggest problem with this book is the typos. The first and last hundred pages are relatively free of errors, but the middle 350 have many; I figure about 1 error every 4 pages. They are big errors too, like missing words and replacing though with through. Would not recommend to teen readers based on lack framework for overall history of Rome, size, and ability to hold interest. I have heard Conn Iggulden's series on Rome, though significantly longer, might be much preferable to young readers.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book very much. It tells the history of Rome through one's family's lineage, traced by the wearing of an amulet. Spanning from 1000 BC to 1 BC, it seems to be fairly accurate, if I remember my history properly ... and yet entertaining as it is told in prose rather than dry facts.
    • 4/5
      I love Steven Saylor's Roman mysteries, but the fictional characters in this were not as well drawn or sympathetic, with a couple of exceptions like the Vestal Pinaria during the sack of Rome by the Gauls in 393 BC. I also love sweeping historical epics covering vast swathes of time a la Rutherfurd or Michener, but this lacked the depth of those. So to some extent this was a bit disappointing, especially when plot and action were sacrificed for lengthy expositions by older characters explaining the events of the past decades or centuries to younger characters. But much of it was still a good read with some memorable setpieces such as the aforementioned sack of Rome (for me, the best section of the whole novel), the massacre of the supporters of Gaius Gracchus and the assassination of Julius Caesar. The book stimulates wider non-fiction reading about Roman history and is a worthy book for this reason, though probably more likely to appeal to the reader who already has some interest in this area, rather than the general reader who might pick up one of the author's mysteries.
    • 3/5
      I have enjoyed Saylor's Roman mysteries and looked forward to reading this novel. It's not that it is bad, but it fell short of my expectations. It reminded me too much of Michener's epics trying to cover one thousand years of Roman history. It comes to life in parts, but others drag along. I'd rather than he had attempted a series of novels and left out the dull sections to flesh out further the parts he did well.
    • 4/5
      This was an interesting novel tracing an ancient family throughout Roman history. I liked the span of history Saylor covered in his novel and he really kept the storyline flowing nicely. My favorite sections involved Romulus and Remus' antics as teenage boys. He truly tried to capture the essence of these historical characters. Some transitions ran more smoothly than others, but overall, the story flowed well and was very entertaining.
    • 4/5
      Steven Saylor has written a thousand years of Roman history viewed through the eyes of two Patrician families--the Potitii and Pinarii. While some might be put off by the 500+ pages, it is actually a light read. That said, it is a book filled with violence from beginning to end, as is appropriate for a novel about Rome. The book starts with a murder and ends with a murder. In between there are murders for hate, jealousy, greed, political revenge, etc. If people aren't murdering their enemies they are murdering their friends. If they aren't murdering their friends, they are murdering their families. The one constant through the story is the fascinum (a winged penis) that is the good luck charm of the Potitii family--for all the good it does them.Throughout the book we are given the opportunity to glimpse the major historical and mythical high and low points of the Roman Empire from its earliest days1000 BC to the death of Julius Caesar in 1 BC. Saylor brings Roma to life with vignettes from the points of view of multiple generations of Potitii and Pinarii family members. In the end, the reader is left with a sense that living in Roma was not conducive to a long life, whether you were high born or low born. If you are looking for a light reading overview of Roman history with lots of literary license applied by the author, this is the book for you. Just don't get it confused with a factual history of the Roman Empire. Enjoy it for the characters and the broad brush view of "Everyday Life in Ancient Rome", and remember to wear your fascinum.
    • 2/5
      Through this massive book we learn not only about the lives and lineage of two Roman families, we learn about the history and making of Rome itself. Many subtle misunderstandings we have as to how the empire was formed are corrected and many other things we suspected were confirmed. History is truly shown to repeat itself chapter by chapter as we follow families and citizens struggle for safety and power.Is this a novel, a blueprint for a television series on the History Channel, or a craftily written textbook on Roman history? Quite frankly it's hard to tell. The basic premise that history repeats itself is both the pivotal intelligence of the book and its downfall. It took me a few pages into the second chapter to realize I did not have a misprint in my hands and that the two chapters were actually different. The chapters are extremely similar in that they tell of how beginning of Rome started in a small settlement through the earthly desires of the men and women who are struggling to come to terms with their harsh environment. In order to compress large stretches of history in a few pages the author, at least on the surface, takes liberties with character descriptions. Some of the people we encounter therefor are larger than life, even larger than could be historically possible, but most of the natives of this book are either caricatures of what we expect of Romans or incredibly flat lending support that we're actually reading a history text book.This book could have been a remarkable in-depth look at how many generations of dedicated families it takes to form the nexus of a stable and long lasting society. Rome wasn't built in a day and this novel could have been the proof. Instead we read chapter after chapter the same cycle, which although true to life and honest, doesn't drive the reader forwards and doesn't provide those glimpses of personal struggle we know must have been the foundation of the city we know today.
    • 2/5
      I think the greatest issue with this book is that it tries to cover too much; centuries of history are compacted into 550 pages. This is only possible by focusing on a select few events in Rome's history. Saylor has tried to create a historically accurate fiction novel but instead has come away with a lightweight fictionalised history text book. His attempts to keep the novel together as a whole by following two families has failed. Each section feels like a stand alone short story, though many of them are lacking in depth caused by trying to include too much history between the covers.I couldn't finish this book; it was becoming a struggle to be interested in the story about half way through. I would only recommend this to someone who wanted to know the basic history of Rome and not to someone looking for a good fiction novel to read.
    • 3/5
      Good:

      Easy to read. Saylor knows all the tricks of the trade to keep the suspense going, to keep the story line moving and to make his characters interesting. He also brings to life many of the "heroes" of Roman history and humanizes their motivations. He gives the reader a good feel for the day to day life of Rome at all levels of it's society. Finally he brings to life all the themes that led Rome to become a great empire along with the internal conflicts that eventually led to it's collapse: it's ruthless militarism, it's religious conservatism, the conflict between plebes and patricians along with the outsized egos of generals, senators and businessman.

      Bad:

      Didactic explanations of the missed decades between chapters to fill in the missing gaps. Surely he could have found a better way to do this. Also the trite "follow the family through the centuries" approach to historical fiction was just a hack trick. The Source is the granddaddy of all these but Michener is a much finer craftsman than Saylor and the rest. Some more innovative approach is needed.

      And as some other review noted, turning the winged phallus into a cross was jarring and totally absurd.

      Nonetheless worth a read. Rome is so central to human history and this is an easy way to pick up the basics.
    • 3/5
      I'm not especially well-versed in Roman history, but this seemed like a good overview. It doesn't dive very deep into the topic, but Saylor does a good job of leading you along the major stopping points in Rome's development.
    • 2/5
      I read this a couple of years ago and liked the beginning, but ended up not liking it by the end. Maybe it was too long, maybe I find nomads more interesting than emperors, I don't know, but I think I may reread it sometime to see if it is more interesting to me now.
    • 4/5
      This is a honkin, great big book (as in lots and lots of pages) - but don't be scared, come back out from behind that chair or bookcase - you *can* read this and even...enjoy it. I know I know honkin big books are scary, they tend to be dense and require time and effort and you get tired just thinking about reading them. But it's ok. No really It's OK. This book is a delightful read. Think of yourself catching glimpses into windows (time periods) of an enormous building (Rome). Get sucked along with an ancestral line and witness the changes of fortune which occur both to the family and Rome herself. Roma's accessible and easy style makes reading in small or large chunks possible. It's size may be intimidating, but that only lasts until you've read the first sentence then you'll see it is a light but interesting read. Rome's history is long and varied but never uninteresting.
    • 3/5
      Saylor is well know for his Roman mystery series. Roma is a little differemt. It's what you could call a panoramic history of early Rome from about 1000 BC to the time of Juilus Caesar. We see the growth of Rome through the centuries, stopping every two hundred years or so on a person who has inherited a golden amulet originally bequeathed by a Phonecian trader in 1000 BC when there was no Rome, only an encampment at the base of some foothills, one of the seven hills of Rome. The salt traders who trodded the path near the hills to the wooded areas to the North eventually saw the wisdom of establishing a trading base. This base grew over a thousand years to Rome itself. Saylor does a good job of portraying the changes in Roman life, from worshipping the "numma" in all things to changing to worship essentially the Gods of the Greeks. He shows how the legend of Hercules arose from a strong ox trader vanquishing a hideous beast praying on the town into a legend. He shows how the legend of Romulus and Remus might have arisen. Through it all the patrician families arose to prominence, culminating, at least so far, in the reign of Caesar. I found the earlier chapters more enligthening, probably because more changed in those early years of transfomation compared to the last 500 years when Rome was already a well-established state. If you want an overview of Roman life over its forst thousand years, this is really a very good way to pick up the pieces and relate them to the whole.
    • 3/5
      I was highly disappointed in the writing. There wasn't any passion, the writing lacked beauty. Normally a non-fiction reader, I thought I would give it a shot, granted there was some interesting facts and views, the writing sucked. The characters were not developed well and really didn't convey any emotion to me. HUGE freaking let down.
    • 4/5
      This book started out a bit weak, and led into a bit of dribble at times. But over all for a book to center and for the most take place in location it turned out very well. I enjoyed this book.
    • 4/5
      I read a number of Steven Saylor's Roman mysteries years ago because they combined an intimate view of an ancient society and a good mystery. Now that's a combination I just can't resist. Still, when I received ROMA as a Library Thing Early Reviewer I paused just a bit.Would Rome come to life equally well in an extensive almost 550 page novel? The answer is yes. That's because there is a link from one chapter to the next from 1000 B.C. to 44-1 B.C. This link is a carefully developed family tree that helps guide the way through the centuries. Using this device and splitting the book into a number of smaller, almost short stories, produced a workable scale.Moreover, Saylor has a real knack for writing believable and life like characters. So instead of reading like Gibson's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, the characters in ROMA spring to life. And, they can easily be pictured in a more modern era. Backed up with an intriguing story line and graphic descriptions the book become more easily read as one tries to anticipate what will happen in the next chapter. And, you are not disappointed.When asked what was it like to do the research for such a big novel Saylor answered, "Sheer pleasure." I predict that should you read this fascinating and informative book you will experience the same emotion. I, for one, intend to revisit his previous Roman novels with perhaps a new insight.
    • 5/5
      I love all of Steven Saylor's writings, since he brings the ancient world to life and somehow binds the reader to the book's characters with an emotion that endures. The added bonus is that you can actually learn some history along the way. This book recounts the history of Rome, giving a likely scenario of how diverse legendary characters developed. It is a great read, as are all his books. I am going to read the 7 Wonders next
    • 4/5
      For any reader interested in the history of Early Rome (up to about 44 B.C.), one could do far worse than to start with this well-written generational saga. It traces the history of Ancient Rome before it was a twinkle in the eye of either Romulus or Aeneus.The author, Steven Saylor, has written a series of historical detective novels that take place in Rome as well. This book is filled with the same period detail, the same eye for character, dialogue, and setting. Additionally this is one author who knows hoe to spin out a tail.Beautifully written, at times strangely evocative, this is novel for all who want to know more about ancient Rome. The only way to learn more is to read through the books Mr. Saylor recommends in his bibliography. And this novel is a good deal easier than any of those sources