∎ PDF Free Roma A Novel of Ancient Rome Steven Saylor 9780312328313 Books

Roma A Novel of Ancient Rome Steven Saylor 9780312328313 Books

Download As PDF : Roma A Novel of Ancient Rome Steven Saylor 9780312328313 Books

Roma A Novel of Ancient Rome Steven Saylor 9780312328313 Books

This is a wonderful and long novel about the history of Rome starting with the time when it was just road crossing, going on to the collapse of the Roman Republic about 700 years later. As the author is very well versed in the subject, the plot has an accurate historical backdrop. Indeed, the fictional elements serve mainly to give readers a painless and easily understandable history of perhaps the most important enigmas of Western history: just how did an unimportant city state become the sole power in Europe in a few centuries.

Mr. Saylor describes all this is in a simple and clear literary style, so much so, that without its fictional elements, this book would make a good introductory text book on the history of the Roman Republic, even at the high school level, (assuming that Ancient History is still taught at the high school or college freshman level). However, as this book is a novel, I would add that character development is good, the plot moves along with many surprising turns and it is a very good read even for adults with at least some knowledge of Rome. I found the chapters on the conflicts between the plebeians and the patricians most useful because this is a long and complicated story well explained by the author.

All in all, this is an excellent book for anyone interested in an educational history or just an engaging novel. The history of the Roman Empire that followed the end of the Republic is covered by another thick volume by Mr. Saylor, and I imagine most readers of this book will want to read it after finishing this book.


Tags : Roma: A Novel of Ancient Rome [Steven Saylor] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. <DIV><DIV>Spanning a thousand years, and following the shifting fortunes of two families though the ages,Steven Saylor,Roma: A Novel of Ancient Rome,St. Martin's Press,0312328311,Historical fiction.,Rome;History;Fiction.,AMERICAN HISTORICAL FICTION,FICTION Historical General,Fiction,Fiction - Historical,Fiction Historical,Fiction-Coming of Age,Fiction-Historical,GENERAL,General Adult,Historical - General,Historical fiction,History,Italy,Rome,United States,Western Europe

Roma A Novel of Ancient Rome Steven Saylor 9780312328313 Books Reviews

Steven Saylor is a gifted novelist. His description of ancient Rome and its people paints a living, breathing portrait. I am in awe of his talent. And, as a confirmed mystery lover, I am delighted with the tactic of basing the Sub Rosa books around a mystery. I also love the ancient history of Rome & Greece, and could never have imagined the actual Rome as colorfully as Saylor does.

It is my respect for the actual ancients and their lives that causes me some hesitation in my admiration for this book in particular. Every author has biases. It's important to know what those are. Steven Saylor's are being in favor of homosexuality and in sympathy to the disadvantaged, in this case the slaves. He writes a horridly vivid account of a galley slave's lot. Awful. So painful that his description was actually cited in the Wikipedia entry on galley slaves. That entry claims (and other googled references back it up) that war galleys of the Greeks & Romans did NOT use slaves. The reason was simply that manning the oars was a skilled job requiring trained labor. When emergencies arose requiring recruiting slaves, the enticement was the promise of their freedom.

So my confidence in Saylor's research is shaken. I believe he let his prejudices against the patrician class and for the lowest of the low get away from him. In most ways, Saylor's point of view works well. Gordianus, his "detective", is free born but in no way a patrician. Most writers idealize the very top of society. Let's face it, most of us would like to imagine ourselves with servants, slaves, villas and riches of our own. Scrambling around Suburba in Rome (not to be confused with today's suburbs) is not where my daydreams would take me. Steven Saylor's sympathies with the lower classes is what may indeed give his novels such depth.

However, it is unlikely that the ruling patricians were as incompetent as Saylor describes. After all, Rome did not fall for almost 500 yrs after these times.

Some reviewers have objected to the homosexuality. What I have read in other sources leads to believe that it was accepted. Saylor paints a picture of a pretty rigid society. There are rules. Those rules do not apply to plebians, but they do to patricians. Homosexuality was fine if the higher ranking male maintained his "dignity." It had nothing to do with marriage, which was primarily for the preservation and elevation of the family. So I don't believe it was a problem for the ancients. And I judge that Saylor handles it well. He may have written erotica under a different name, but none of that appears in these books. Instead, Gordianus' relationship with Bethesda acts as a perfect balance.

This view of rules and rigid expectations reminds me a great deal of the English and the empire they built while obeying strictly defined rules of society. There's a lesson there someplace!

The other objection I've seen is that Saylor's book aren't really all that mysterious -- although some reviewers say that improves. Mysteries always favor the reader. It's not like reality, where you don't know who is important and who is not. Important characters are all introduced at the beginning, so it is frequently a simple matter to guess who is the odd man out. I guessed the perpetrator early on. Doesn't matter. The beauty of the book is in the unfolding of the story. Saylor is a gifted novelist with real depth to his stories.

Regretfully, I have come late to Saylor's novels. I look forward to devouring them, one by one. Whenever you stumble across them, do yourself a favor and dive in. Just keep in mind that, like any other writer, Saylor comes with his own set of biases and beliefs.
"Who could say what might be occurring at that very moment somewhere in the world... where the birth of a man or movement might alter the world's destiny once again?"

The book jacket describes the book as a "panoramic historical saga," and I would agree! This is an excellent work. Such a great concept that the author chose to follow. Spanning 1000 years, the novel follows the shifting fortunes of two families through the ages. You experience the founding of a settlement along a riverbank to the ascent of a city poised to become the capital of the world. Linking each generation is a talisman as ancient as Roma itself.

I think one of my favorite parts in this novel is the every-changing maps marking each chapter. Not only do you read stories of a family, but you can see the world they live in develop with each generation. I was truly in love with this journey through time. I think the best historical fiction is also rich in facts, and this book is no exception! Carefully crafted and brilliantly voice through the 549-page novel, I never lost interest! It seems that struggles for equality and political arguments and intrigue will remain uncannily familiar subjects throughout time. In Rome, these struggles permeated life through the city's growth.

I also learned so much about the society. Sometimes its hard to keep historical names straight, and that's because men would commonly change their names due to accomplishments in life. Even as fathers passed down their names to their sons, the book was never confusing. I could easily keep the different characters straight.

I think another favorite piece of this novel would be how events in one chapter would become legends and myths in the next. The development of the society based on character choices in each chapter was just mesmerizing and fascinating. I love exploring history, and this really took me through the development of a strong and proud people!

At the close of this family's story, I felt a sense of peace had finally graced their life. And of course, their family line did not end. This book illustrates that life and love will carry us to the end of time! There are no endings as long as love endures. Sappy? Yes, but the book was truly epic! Saylor is great at penning both strong men and women characters. Loved it! This book would be in my top 10 historical recommendations!
This is a wonderful and long novel about the history of Rome starting with the time when it was just road crossing, going on to the collapse of the Roman Republic about 700 years later. As the author is very well versed in the subject, the plot has an accurate historical backdrop. Indeed, the fictional elements serve mainly to give readers a painless and easily understandable history of perhaps the most important enigmas of Western history just how did an unimportant city state become the sole power in Europe in a few centuries.

Mr. Saylor describes all this is in a simple and clear literary style, so much so, that without its fictional elements, this book would make a good introductory text book on the history of the Roman Republic, even at the high school level, (assuming that Ancient History is still taught at the high school or college freshman level). However, as this book is a novel, I would add that character development is good, the plot moves along with many surprising turns and it is a very good read even for adults with at least some knowledge of Rome. I found the chapters on the conflicts between the plebeians and the patricians most useful because this is a long and complicated story well explained by the author.

All in all, this is an excellent book for anyone interested in an educational history or just an engaging novel. The history of the Roman Empire that followed the end of the Republic is covered by another thick volume by Mr. Saylor, and I imagine most readers of this book will want to read it after finishing this book.