Fiction set in ancient Rome?

[Laquila]

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?

Marking place. I've read a few Flavia Albas and quite like them, although I do know what you mean about a 'smug' tone, OP.
I, Claudius has been gathering dust on my bookcase for literally years. I MUST read it!

Place marking. But for anyone interested, I’ve just discovered bookscool.com and there are free copies of some Kate Quinn and Pat Barker stories on there - haven’t had a chance to look for more but it’s a useful site for free reading...

Another vote for Manda Scott!

Asterix!

Just got into an ancient Greek one, The Mask of Apollo (although a lot of it is set in Sicily rather than elsewhere). Mary Renault. I came across a reference to it when looking at the website of the ancient Sicilian theatre remains and was intrigued enough to have a read.

Keep trying with Falco, don't forget that in first century Rome Sosia Camilla was more than old enough to be married. I find historical novels that try to give 21st century social and moral attitudes to people born and brought up in a very different world extremely irritating. Later stories will feature far more strong (and more mature) female characters.

Harry Sidebottom is my favourite of the 'adventure' type novelists.

I didn't really warm to Gordianus the Finder.

Robert Harris has never written a duff book on any subject at all!

Oh and yy @EBearhug Asterix was pure genius!

Another vote for Manda Scott!
And another from me. Excellent author. Her series of books about Boudica are excellent as well.

Another vote for Robert Harris .... I’m on page 103 😊 loving it

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper

Emperor series by Conn Iggulden, think there was a set of 4 though it was a few years since I read them. A bit war-y being about battles and such which can get a bit tiresome but they were a good read.

Thank you everyone, this is brilliant - I'm so excited to go and investigate all these recommendations! God I love a good book rec thread 😁

(I'll take ancient Greece as well as Rome, by the way, so thank you for those too!)

@tabooncoke "A bit war-y being about battles and such" - this resonated 😁

If anyone's after something a bit lighter (and also actual fantasy, rather than historical fiction) Guy Gabriel Kay's books are always enjoyable.

@sproutsandparsnips I started on the first Masters of Rome book last night...the character list was a touch overwhelming but I'm persevering...

Laquila I hope you enjoy. I remember really enjoying the books - I thought they were the best things I'd read in a long time but that was probably about 20 years ago. I have read all the books she's written and loved most of them.

Oh and yes Natalie Haynes' A Thousand ships is very good. I went to school with her so had a vested interest in reading it but it was very well written.

this is brilliant Conn Iggulden

Another vote for Mary Renault - I have read all of them over and over, wonderful books.

Michelle Moran has a book, Cleopatra's Daughter, set in Rome. But I would recommend any of them to be honest!

amazon.co.uk/s?k=michelle+moran&sprefix=michelle+moran&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_14]]

If the Falco books aren't your thing (and I personally love them) Lindsey Davis has written two stand-alone Roman books, not detective novels. The Course of Honour is about Vespasian's mistress and Master and God is set in Domitian's reign. Both highly recommended.

I agree with @sproutsandparsnips, Colleen McCullough's 'The Masters of Rome' series was very good!

@Laquila If you'd like "real" Roman stories based on history, try English translations of Livy's Ab Urbe Condita, which includes stories and legends from the early days of Rome. Also try Vergil's Aeneid (if you don't like epic poetry, I'm sure there are prose adaptations available) for the epic story of how the Trojans came to Italy and became the forefathers of the Roman race.

For more "modern" fiction, try Edward Bulwer-Lytton's The Last Days of Pompeii and of course, Rosemary Sutcliff's books (a perennial favourite!).

Also try Vergil'sAeneid(if you don't like epic poetry, I'm sure there are prose adaptations available)

There certainly are. Book VI was my A-level Latin set book in translation...

Thank you all for these recommendations!
Falco: one of the aspects I particularly enjoy is his family - dauntless mother, crooked antiques-dealing father, et al.