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Catos_Ghost t1_ixw6u7j wrote

I would also highly recommend his Cicero trilogy. Follows Cicero's career, from his run for the consulship to his eventual death, through the eyes of his slave and secretary Tiro (who also invented shorthand, incidentally, which is probably major reason Cicero is so well remembered in the first place). They're political/legal thrillers that dig deeply into Roman law, the client/patron network, and the politics of late Republican Rome.

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boxer_dogs_dance OP t1_ixwbwqo wrote

I had to do a little digging on Amazon to find the kindle version but it exists and I downloaded it.

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teplightyear t1_ixxmhl9 wrote

Seconded on the recommendation. You're gonna love these. Didn't know about Pompeoi so thanks!

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Lyrical_Forklift t1_ixy91j5 wrote

Check out Fatherland by Harris too. Not quite as educational but a great page turner.

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CanibalCows t1_ixwqinr wrote

Medicus is a great one about a Roman Army doctor who solves mysteries.

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halfback26 t1_ixwd36m wrote

I completely agree. I love the Cicero trilogy.

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Germanofthebored t1_ixwx3nt wrote

I read the first book of the trilogy (so far), and what gets me is that I have no idea where facts and and where literary license starts. Any ideas how accurate the book is? Harris has a couple of other alternate history novels, so I do not completely trust him...

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Catos_Ghost t1_ixx1cde wrote

Like with most historical fiction, I try to take the facts I don't independently know with a grain of salt, assuming most internal thoughts and private conversations (at least) are almost entirely fictionalized.

Luckily, quite a few of Cicero's own writings survive, so I assume a lot of the content is taken from his letters with Atticus, various of his speeches and essays, etc. And the events surrounding Julius Caesar's rise and fall are overall some of the most well-documented of the entire ancient world, so less would probably need to be fabricated than you might think.

Having not read most of the ancient sources myself (Plutarch's "Lives" and some excerpts from Tacitus and Suetonius notwithstanding), I can't provide a proper historian's review, but nothing struck me as particularly implausible. Near as I can tell, Harris sticks relatively close to the traditional historical narrative. He doesn't really make any sort of controversial statements regarding known events that I'm aware of.

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ashleyriddell61 t1_ixy7ynm wrote

Steven Saylors Roma sub Rosa series with Gordianos the finder, ancient Rome’s first and best PI for the rich and influential. Cicero is a regular client and all the events are extensively researched and based in actual real history. Wildly entertaining and turns Pompey, Cicero, Cæsar and so many other into living, flawed people. First book; Roman Blood.

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ewomanchek_ t1_ixygzpz wrote

I came here just to say this, I couldn't agree more!

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