Julius Caesar : Reading
From History of the Hellenistic and Roman World
Fiction
Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series is an excellent introduction to the Roman world. Her work is meticulously researched, and (to my knowledge) never contradicts known facts (except in fairly minor details). Not a book for everyone, but if you don't mind the somewhat daunting size of the books, worth a try.
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First Man in Rome
The First Man in Rome tells of the rise to power of Gaius Marius, his involvement with the family Julius Caesar, the youth of Caesar's mother and the early career of the soon to be notorious Lucius Cornelius Sulla. In the fluid politics of the day, Marius and Sulla meet and ally; the young Sulla learning from the master of warfare himself. From the battles of the Jugurthine Wars to the war against the migrating Cimbri, the tapestry of the final epoch of the Roman Republic is woven.
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The Grass Crown
The saga continues, in the tumultous time of the Social wars and in the dirty politics of the 80s. Marius's prestige is on the decline, and that of his protege, Sulla, on the ascendant. In the crucible of the Social wars, Marius will be broken while Sulla will achieve fame and the coveted consulship. When Marius makes a last bid for glory, violence explodes as Sulla, for the first time in history, turns Roman troops against Rome. In this book, we get the first glimpses of the young Caesar. It is advisable to read the "First Man in Rome" first, though.
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Fortune's Favorites
Sulla believed himself blessed by Fortuna, and there would have been few to contest this belief when he returned from Asia and made himself master of Rome. But when Sulla retires, the stage is taken over by Sulla's lieutenants:Gnaeus Pompeius, soon to surname himself Magnus ("The Great"), Publius Licinius Crassus, and Lucius Licinius Lucullus. And making their first real appearances on the scene of Roman politics, the young Gaius Julius Caesar and Marcus Tullius Cicero. In my opinion, this book is a somewhat weaker than the others (it focuses too much on Caesar), but it's still worth reading.
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Caesar's Women
Roman women were traditionally not active in politics, and do not figure much in Roman history or literature. In this book, McCullough takes us behind the scenes and into the lives of the many women around Caesar: his mother, Aurelia, his daughter, Julia, his mistress, Servilia (mother of Brutus), and his wives, as she charts the rise to power of Gaius Julius Caesar and the consolidation of the first triumvirate. He is (of course) the real focus of the story, and the book does a good job of describing the political machinations and double-dealings of the time.
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Caesar
The Triumvirate gave Caesar his opportunity for glory, and Caesar never let an opportunity slip through his grasp. Caesar, bent on the conquest of Gaul, struggles to complete his work in the provinces, while he tries to prevent the civil war that seems to become increasingly inevitable. When it does happen, Caesar acts as always; with devastating effectiveness. From the british channel to Pharsalus, this novel gives a vivid picture of the events that led to war - but above all, it is a portrait of Caesar.
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Roman Blood
Steven Saylor's Roma sub Rosa series is a set of "mysteries" set in Ancient Rome, during the time of Cicero. As mysteries, I personally do not find them entertaining - as historical novels/thrillers, however, they are quite good. Where the series shines is in the vivid portrayal of the life of the average Roman; the neighbourhoods, the markets, the crowds, the back alleys and the taverns. It is unfortunate that the main character, the "Finder" Gordianus is not always totally believable, as he is too modern in his outlook.
Roman Blood is the first novel of Gordianus the Finder, in which he is hired by the young Marcus Tullius Cicero to investigate a case of patricide. One of the better books in the series, with some genuine "Whodunit" thrown into it (at least if you don't know about this case. This was the first of the series I bought, and it hooked me enough to buy more - definitely one of the better books in the series.
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No Other Caesar
This single volume novel by Patricia Anne Hunter tells the tale of the life and times of Julius Caesar and crams a wealth of historical detail into surprisingly few pages. If you are looking for an easy read about Caesar (or simply something less daunting than some of the other offerings out there), this might be the book for you.
Non-fiction
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The Conquest of Gaul - Caesar
Told by Caesar himself in his own words, these books rank among the most vivid eye-witness reports handed down through history. Compact and concise, this work is considered among the finest books ever written in the latin language. Written as propaganda to justify his actions to the people of Rome, it is still gives an amazing look into the life and times of Caesar and the Gauls. An absolute must-have for anyone interested in ancient history.
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The Civil War - Caesar et al
The account of the civil war, against Pompey and his sons, take the reader from the early days of 49 and down to the battle of Munda in 45. Like the conquest of Gaul, this is fascinating historical reading - the only minus is that several of the books are not written by Caesar himself. Still, it is a must-have if you're interested in the history of the Roman Republic or Julius Caesar.
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Fall of the Roman Republic - Plutarch
Plutarch's biographies of the leading men who shaped the final years of the Roman Republic. It contains the biographies of Marius, Sulla, Crassus, Pompey, Caesar, and Cicero. It was based on Plutarch that Shakespeare later wrote his famous play; but Plutarch is quite capable of standing on his own as an entertaining and interesting biographer.
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The Twelve Caesars - Suetonius
Contains Suetonius biographies of the first twelve "Emperors" of Rome, starting with Julius Caesar and finishing with Domitian. Suetonius would have made a great gossip columnist - he is just as interested in the emperor's private lives and follies as their public acts - and his biographies are highly entertaining. If you saw and enjoyed "I, Claudius", you've really got to read Suetonius.
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Caesar - Christian Meier
An exhaustive biography of Caesar. Meier's style is somewhat dry and factual, but if one can get over that, this is a comprehensive and detailed dissection of the life and times of Gaius Julius Caesar.
