Imperium: From the Sunday Times bestselling author (Cicero Trilogy, 4)

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I also found it ironic that Pompey had little affection for Cicero either even though both were "new" men. Harris's portrayal of Cicero is not just that of a political figure, but of a man driven by ambition, yet bound by moral integrity. Cicero's plan is to have Gabinius summon Pompey to the rostra the next day, asking him to serve as supreme commander, and to have Pompey reject it and then the people would demand he take it. The reader is transported into the heart of political battles and moral dilemmas, feeling each triumph and setback as if they were occurring in real time.

I enjoyed reading the lifestyles enjoyed by the rich, while understanding that this was only enjoyed by few of the Roman people. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Men like Pompey and Julius Caesar who are looking to destroy democracy for a military dictatorship and absolute power.Cicero is shrewd and not entirely clean himself, in the sense that, as a politician, he often has to do business with people he finds detestable. Cicero dispatches Tiro to the National Archive, Catulus's domain, to check Verres's quaestorian records as governor and finds no accounts submitted. Sthenius, who has been ignored for some time, turns up at the house one morning, accompanied by Heraclius and Epicrates who have also been swindled out of their estates by Verres.

This book covers the last fifteen years of Cicero's life, a period marked by personal and political turmoil. The level of detail in his descriptions of the Roman Senate, the Forum, and daily life in ancient Rome is astounding, providing a vivid backdrop against which the drama unfolds. Cicero’s personal secretary wasn’t just a scribe: he invented the system we now think of as shorthand, and kept such a meticulous record of his master’s life that we owe most of what we know about Cicero to him. I read a reasonable amount of non-fiction to fill the gaping holes in my knowledge but once in a while I like to pick up a book by someone like Robert Harris who is able to mix history with a little imagination. Y es que novelar la vida de un gran emperador, o de un general romano, siempre es más llamativo: siempre hay grandes batallas, planes de conquista, intrigas palaciegas… que consiguen hacer el texto ameno a poco hábil que sea el autor.I found this to be a pretty effective plot device for showing the supposed "accuracy" of the narrative. Ahora me queda claro que los políticos no han perdido ni un ápice de su hijoputismo, solo su astucia e inteligencia. Bueno, y porque la ambientación del senado y de Roma en general en tiempos de la República es muy buena. It has high value for seeing a different portrayal of the same period and people, but it sure won't be causing you to exclaim and laugh and shed a tear.

On the last day, a Sicilian named Numitorius tells the story of Publius Gavius, flogged to death in public despite saying 'I am a Roman citizen' at every stroke of the lash. If you are a scholar of ancient Rome and looking for insight and exposition on the details of ancient Rome, this is not where you will find them. Executive Summary: I really enjoyed the first 50% and the last 15% or so, but the third in between got kind of slow. Y digo “nombres” porque se me quedan en poco más que eso, no consigo “ver” a ningún personaje, no empatizo ni toman entidad.Back in the extortion court he wins his case against the Gauls but is saddened by the death of his cousin, Lucius, who Tiro knows commited suicide, as well as the death of his father. Robert Harris, with his Cicero Trilogy - "Imperium," "Lustrum" (published as "Conspirata" in the US), and "Dictator" - has achieved something remarkable in historical fiction. The supporting cast, from Julius Caesar to Pompey the Great, are equally well-drawn, each adding depth and color to the rich tapestry of the narrative. He is sort out by a merchant from Sicily who has been robbed and made bankrupt by the Roman governor of Sicily by the name of Verres.