Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a frequent subject of Victorian historical fiction and also popular throughout the 20th century. It was similarly popular in movies, though it fell out of fashion for a couple of decades until the game-changing success of Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, released in 2000. Since then the floodgates of fictional Rome have been torn open.

But Rome means different things to different people. For some it is a military story of imperialism and war in foreign lands. For others it is the victim-tale of the conquered (especially if the conquered happen to be British or Judaic). For others it is broadly cultural: how could people be so similar to us and so different? There is a broad strand of historicals that touch on the New Testament stories, including many new ‘gospels’ and a wealth of faith stories, as well as some militantly anti-Christian novels. There are Roman detective novels, military historicals, sea stories, epics, and literary novels.

Biographical novels are perhaps the richest vein – for literature and ‘box office’.

Three for a Letter

By Eric Mayer - By Mary Reed - Published 2001

Genres:

Mystery/Crime

It is 539 A.D. An eight-year-old boy who is being held as a diplomatic hostage by Emperor Justinian and his wife, the treacherous ...Read Review

SPQR I: The King’s Gambit and SPQR II: The Catiline Conspiracy

By John Maddox Roberts - Published 2001

Genres:

Mystery/Crime

How glorious!  Finally, the reissue of this fabulous mystery series!   American readers are well aware of how impossible it has been to find ...Read Review

The Love-Artist

By Jane Alison - Published 2001

Genres:

Biographical FictionLiterary

Ovid, creator of Metamorphoses, The Art of Love and other works which have been lost to us forever, arrives at his place of ...Read Review

Lord of Silver

By Alan Fisk - Published 2000

Genres:

Alternate HistoryLiterary

In the Museum of London there is a Roman roof tile with a message written into the wet clay just after the tile ...Read Review

Cutter’s Island: Caesar In Captivity

By Vincent Panella - Published 2000

Genres:

AdventureBiographical Fiction

This short novel retells a story found in Plutarch. Young Julius Caesar was captured by pirates who planned to ransom him for 20 talents; ...Read Review

island of ghosts

By Gillain Bradshaw - Published 1999

Genres:

AdventureRomance

This is the story of Ariantes, a Prince of Sarmatia, land of nomadic tribes beyond the Danube. Newly conquered by Rome, their armies ...Read Review

Memoirs of Pontius Pilate

By James Mills - Published 2000

Genres:

Alternate HistoryBiographical Fiction

Mills mixes the Roman historical genre with the early Christian form.The blurb stated that Mills started with what he, with no false ...Read Review

Household Gods

By Harry Turtledove - Published 1999

Genres:

Time-slip

Nicole Gunther-Perrin, single mother and transplanted Californian, is having the worst week of her life. Her deadbeat ex-husband heads to Cancún with ...Read Review

Memoirs of Pontius Pilate

By . - By James Mills - Published 2000

Genres:

Inspirational

Mills mixes the Roman historical genre with the early Christian form. The blurb stated that Mills started with what he with no false ...Read Review