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Original poster

Fiction set in ancient Rome?

49 replies

Laquila · 06/05/2021 22:33

I've started reading a book called The Silver Pigs, the first in an apparently very highly acclaimed series by Lindsey Davies about a detective in ancient Rome called Falco. It is pretty terrible - quite vividly drawn but weirdly sleazy and clumsy - but it's given me a yen for more fiction set in ancient Rome. Can anyone recommend anything, please?

OP posts:
Wigeon · 06/05/2021 22:34

Pompeii by Robert Harris is brilliant

Helenluvsrob · 06/05/2021 22:36

Read all the Falco books and then the flavia Alba ones. Preferably in order.

Lindsey Davis is an academic ancient historian as well as an author so they are pretty accurate.

There are others. The Caroline Lawrence Roman mysteries for kids are good.

Then go to Rome and spot the places mentioned 😂

( my eldest is also a phd academic ancient historian !)

Furbylicious · 06/05/2021 22:37

If you don't mind something fairly light, Ashley Gardener's "Leonidas the Gladiator" series are murder mysteries set in Rome. I think they're fairly historically accurate

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Books
Unescorted · 06/05/2021 22:38

I Claudius by Robert Graves.

Original poster
Laquila · 06/05/2021 22:43

Robert Harris, good call!

@Helenluvsrob I don't doubt that it's accurate but I can't get past the initial sleaziness of the main character (Falco), lusting after a 16-yr old girl! And the writing is weirdly smug - I can't quite put my finger on it. I read a fair amount of historical fiction but these just aren't doing it for me - there's no way I'm going to read all of them and then go on to the Flavia Alba ones, I'm afraid...it's definitely made me want to go back to Rome though, even after only a few chapters! I feel as though I let the history go way over my head the couple of time I went, although admittedly I was pretty young and foolish, and more concerned with spotting celebs off Italian telly 😁 I'll look up the other ones you mention though, either for my kids or for me - thanks.

@Furbylicious I'll download a sample, thank you!

OP posts:
HenriettaBadger · 06/05/2021 22:45

Another vote for Caroline Lawrence's books, they are a great introduction to Ancient Rome.

Rosemary Sutcliff Eagle of the Ninth - a classic.

Steven Saylor has written a series of books. I think Roma is the first.

Robert Graves I Claudius is also a classic.

Robert Harris Imperium, Lustrum, Dictator. Always a good read.

merrygoround88 · 06/05/2021 22:48

Silence of the girls by Pat barker is about the Troy story so although not Ancient Rome, it has similar themes

PurePeppermint · 06/05/2021 22:53

If you want easy reading romance, I loved the Empress of Rome saga by Kate Quinn.

sproutsandparsnips · 06/05/2021 22:53

Colleen McCullough 'The Masters of Rome' series. I loved these.
Second Robert Harris, Lynsey Davies (I know you weren't keen) and Caroline Lawrence for kids

Original poster
Laquila · 06/05/2021 22:58

Ahh thank you so much for all of these, much appreciated!

@merrygoround88 I really loved The Silence of the Girls (and Circe, and The Song of Achilles).

OP posts:
Londonmummy66 · 06/05/2021 23:02

I Claudius is the classic and best.

I like the Simon Scarrow series based in the legions - he really knows his stuff (although I do also like the Falco series) and he is better than Lindsey Davies IMO.

SomethingNastyInTheBallPool · 06/05/2021 23:08

Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcemar - a fictionalised autobiography of the Emperor Hadrian. I read it years ago so can’t remember much in the way of specifics, but I do remember enjoying it.

sueelleker · 07/05/2021 10:06

The Gordianus The Finder series by Stephen Saylor and the Marcus Corvinus series by David Wishart.

Soomanybooks · 07/05/2021 10:10

It isn't about ancient Rome and I haven't read it but I have heard really good things about Ariadne by Jennifer Saint.

dontgobaconmyheart · 07/05/2021 10:32

OP not quite the same as your original ask but if you loved Circe, Silence of the Girls etc.

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
Children of Jocasta by Natalie Haynes
A Thousand Ships is also great

The Robert Harris lustrum series is entertaining and a good read but was a bit (entirely) lacking in much positive female inclusion for my tastes albeit it was written years ago.

Again it's Greece rather than Rome but Mary Renault's books are great, inclusive, factually sound and well written historical fiction.

Pat Barker has another greek retelling out in the summer which I'm looking forward to!

LorelaiVictoriaGilmore · 07/05/2021 11:33

I couldn’t get on with those books either.

Loved the Gordianus the Finder books. Also Beacon at Alexandria. And if you are willing to go Greek, the Arimnestos by Christian Cameron are brilliant.

viques · 07/05/2021 11:47

@merrygoround88

Silence of the girls by Pat barker is about the Troy story so although not Ancient Rome, it has similar themes
Thankyou for reminding me! I have lost two copies of this book by lending it to “friends”, and have a horrible feeling I lent my last copy to someone in my glass class, which of course isn’t meeting. I need to go and trawl through my upstairs bookshelves.

Lots of of great suggestions on this thread, I love the Harris books (and if you like Ancient Rome you might want to try a modern Rome one, Conclave, about the election of a new pope, sounds a riot doesn’t it, but he is such a great story teller,) .

I like the Lindsay Davis books , they are really murder mysteries with history, always a winner in my eyes. Anyone else hooked on the Elly Griffiths, Dr Ruth Galloway books ? Contemporary, set in Norfolk, archaeology , folk lore, complicated relationships, murder. My kind of easy read.

IpanemaChic · 07/05/2021 11:53

Following for ideas Smile

IsabelleSE19 · 07/05/2021 11:59

I absolutely loved The Walled Orchard by Tom Holt, although it's about ancient Athens rather than Rome. It's funny as well as being on point historically.

spiderlight · 07/05/2021 12:14

Harry Sidebottom - he's a proper academic (a lecturer at Oxford and a friend of my DH, who's also an ancient history lecturer) and has written a whole series called 'Warriors of Rome'. I haven't read them but my DH rates them, and he's very fussy!

Manda Scott's 'Boudica' series is good as well.

tentosix · 07/05/2021 12:18

I've heard that book on the radio, and like it too.

I claudius is an amazing and readable book

marvellousnightforamooncup · 07/05/2021 13:11

Robert Harris, Pompeii and he's done a trilogy on Cicero, I've read Imperium and Lustrum.

ShakeaHettyFeather · 07/05/2021 13:36

If you want more literary, then I highly recommend Mary Renault's historicals, all set in Ancient Greece. The Bull from the Sea is my favourite (Theseus has returned home from Crete after dealing with the Minotaur).

Londonmummy66 · 07/05/2021 13:53

A bit later - so set in Constantinople under Justinian Stella Duffy's Theodora and The Purple Shroud are centred on the Empress Theodora. Always good to have something with a female focus for a change.

Also I am Livia by Phyllis Smith

TheAugusta · 07/05/2021 16:06

The Cicero trilogy (imperium, lustrum, dictator) by Robert Harris mentioned by a few people is amazing - there are brilliant audiobook versions too if you like to listen to stories.
Lots of other great recommendations, so I’ll just mention I am Livia and the sequel Daughters of Palatine Hill - about Livia (first empress) and women around her in the late republic/early imperial period. (About to be a tv show on Livia called Domina).
Empress of Rome and the prequel Daughters of Rome - EoR during the reign of Domitian, DoR about the year of the 4 emperors.