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Roma Sub Rosa #10
The Judgement of Caesar
It is 48 BC. For years now the rival Roman generals Caesar and Pompey have engaged in a contest for world domination. Both now turn to Egypt, Pompey planning a last stand on the banks of the Nile, while Caesar's legendary encounter with the Egyptian queen will spark a romance that reverberates down the centuries. But Egypt itself is torn apart by the murderous rivalry between the goddess-queen and her brother King Ptolemy. Into this hothouse atmosphere of intrigue and deception comes Gordianus the Finder, innocently seeking a cure for his wife Bethesda in the sacred waters of the Nile. But soon he finds himself engaged in an even more desperate pursuit - to prove the innocence of his son, who stands accused of murder. The judgement of Caesar will determine the fate of Gordianus' son; the choice Caesar makes between Cleopatra and Ptolemy will determine the future of the world. Saylor presents a bold new vision of Caesar and Cleopatra, amid bloodshed and battle, in a setting of Egyptian mystery.
305 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
103 people are currently reading
1184 people want to read
About the author
Steven Saylor
96 books1,082 followersSteven Saylor is the author of the long running
Roma Sub Rosa
series featuring Gordianus the Finder, as well as the New York Times bestselling novel, Roma and its follow-up, Empire. He has appeared as an on-air expert on Roman history and life on The History Channel.
Saylor was born in Texas and graduated with high honors from The University of Texas at Austin, where he studied history and classics. He divides his time between Berkeley, California, and Austin, Texas.
Saylor was born in Texas and graduated with high honors from The University of Texas at Austin, where he studied history and classics. He divides his time between Berkeley, California, and Austin, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
December 1, 2020
Now in late middle age, Gordianus's wife is ill, so he takes her to her native Egypt so she can bathe in the holy waters of the Nile. She disappears under the waters. Meanwhile, Gordianus is being put up in the royal palace by Ptolemy, and Julius Caesar arrives...along with Gordianus's estranged son.
Lots going on here, but it manages to hang together.
Lots going on here, but it manages to hang together.
January 6, 2016
10º volume da série Roma Sub Rosa. Já são muitas as aventuras e desventuras que tenho acompanhado de Gordiano e várias as personagens que aprendi a adorar livro após livro.
Neste “A Sentença de César”, chegamos finalmente ao período da história onde duas das suas personagens mais carismáticas e enigmáticas, César e Cleopatra, se cruzam pela primeira vez. Esta obra começa com o assassinato de Pompeu às ordens do rei Egípcio Ptolomeu XIII, irmão de Cleopatra, e a partir daí vai-se desenrolando a estadia de Gordiano em Alexandria, tendo sempre como pano de fundo e acompanhando de perto os acontecimentos reais que se foram sucedendo durante a passagem de César pelo Egipto, desde o primeiro encontro com Cleopatra em que esta entra no palácio escondida num grande tapete até à viagem de ambos pelo Nilo, já depois de anunciada a sua gravidez.
Foi um livro muito interessante de ler, mais focado desta vez no conteúdo histórico daquele período do que propriamente na vida privada de Gordiano, que depois de um volume em que mal o reconheci, voltou a agir e comportar-se da forma a que sempre me havia habituado.
Mais uma vez, Steven Saylor oferece uma grande lição de história através do olhar de um personagem perspicaz, inteligente e adorável, onde figuras fictícias e verdadeiras se interligam de forma magistral.
Neste “A Sentença de César”, chegamos finalmente ao período da história onde duas das suas personagens mais carismáticas e enigmáticas, César e Cleopatra, se cruzam pela primeira vez. Esta obra começa com o assassinato de Pompeu às ordens do rei Egípcio Ptolomeu XIII, irmão de Cleopatra, e a partir daí vai-se desenrolando a estadia de Gordiano em Alexandria, tendo sempre como pano de fundo e acompanhando de perto os acontecimentos reais que se foram sucedendo durante a passagem de César pelo Egipto, desde o primeiro encontro com Cleopatra em que esta entra no palácio escondida num grande tapete até à viagem de ambos pelo Nilo, já depois de anunciada a sua gravidez.
Foi um livro muito interessante de ler, mais focado desta vez no conteúdo histórico daquele período do que propriamente na vida privada de Gordiano, que depois de um volume em que mal o reconheci, voltou a agir e comportar-se da forma a que sempre me havia habituado.
Mais uma vez, Steven Saylor oferece uma grande lição de história através do olhar de um personagem perspicaz, inteligente e adorável, onde figuras fictícias e verdadeiras se interligam de forma magistral.
December 7, 2008
The history in this is interesting, but it's not a very good novel. I was ready to give it three stars until the terrible ending. The writing has sadly deteriorated in this series.
February 4, 2024
Mais um excelente livrinho de Steven Saylor, o 14º da história de Gordiano, o descobridor, quando lida por ordem cronológica.
Neste "A sentença de César" Gordiano viaja até Alexandria e assiste em primeira mão ao travar de conhecimento de César e Cleópatra e à sua posterior aliança.
Já estou com pena de estar quase, quase a terminar a série. É uma excelente forma de conhecer a história da Roma Antiga!
Neste "A sentença de César" Gordiano viaja até Alexandria e assiste em primeira mão ao travar de conhecimento de César e Cleópatra e à sua posterior aliança.
Já estou com pena de estar quase, quase a terminar a série. É uma excelente forma de conhecer a história da Roma Antiga!
September 9, 2010
The Judgment of Caesar is the latest entry in his series of mysteries set in ancient Rome and featuring Gordianus the Finder, and it's an excellent installment in a consistently good series. In this one, Gordianus and his wife Bethesda travel to Alexandria so that she may bathe in the waters of the Nile to restore her health, but before they can even land in Egypt, they are caught up in the conflict between Caesar and Pompey, and eventually in the struggle between Cleopatra and Ptolemy for Caesar's influence and rule over Egypt.
Saylor weaves his plots around actual historical events and people, so that the series has provided readers (to this point) with an overview of Roman history in the first century BCE, a turbulent time when Rome was passing from the old republic through the dictatorship of Caesar to the empire of Augustus. Saylor's scholarship is excellent; I'm reasonably well-versed in this period, and I've never caught him in a misstep. The pages are alive with fascinating, real people: Cicero, Crassus, Catilina, Catullus and Clodia (Catullus's "Lesbia"), Caesar, Pompey, Cleopatra...the list goes on and on.
In Gordianus, Saylor has created a compelling character who rivals any of the historical figures in complexity, and watching his evolution throughout the books provides much of their enjoyment. That's doubly true in The Judgment of Caesar, in which the actual mystery, per se, takes up only about 50 pages; the rest of the book is devoted to exploring Gordianus's interactions and relationships with his family and the powerful political figures he meets. If you haven't read the earlier books, start with Roman Blood, in which Gordianus takes on a case for Cicero, of whom Saylor paints a particularly vivid and convincing portrait.
Saylor weaves his plots around actual historical events and people, so that the series has provided readers (to this point) with an overview of Roman history in the first century BCE, a turbulent time when Rome was passing from the old republic through the dictatorship of Caesar to the empire of Augustus. Saylor's scholarship is excellent; I'm reasonably well-versed in this period, and I've never caught him in a misstep. The pages are alive with fascinating, real people: Cicero, Crassus, Catilina, Catullus and Clodia (Catullus's "Lesbia"), Caesar, Pompey, Cleopatra...the list goes on and on.
In Gordianus, Saylor has created a compelling character who rivals any of the historical figures in complexity, and watching his evolution throughout the books provides much of their enjoyment. That's doubly true in The Judgment of Caesar, in which the actual mystery, per se, takes up only about 50 pages; the rest of the book is devoted to exploring Gordianus's interactions and relationships with his family and the powerful political figures he meets. If you haven't read the earlier books, start with Roman Blood, in which Gordianus takes on a case for Cicero, of whom Saylor paints a particularly vivid and convincing portrait.
May 9, 2018
Reread in 2018 on the release of the long awaited Ides Gordianus book Throne of Caesar
- as there is no original read review from publication date (I have read all Gordianus books pretty much on publication and even earlier when i was lucky to get an arc), I will add only a few things -
I remember being slightly disappointed by this one when I read it first as the mystery was kind of silly and its solution even sillier, but its historical fiction part was excellent.
Now on reread I changed my mind - yes the sort of mystery that Gordianus eventually investigates remains silly, the solution sillier and even the author seems to agree as in the next book he revived one of the secondary characters that died in the silly resolution here - not his first re-imagining of earlier events as the origination of Davus in Gordianus household is changed in a crucial way in between consecutive novels too for example - but the whole Egyptian atmosphere, the encounter with Pompey, the witnessing of his beheading and then Gordianus encounter with the triangle Caesar, Ptolemy, Cleopatra, including being present at the famous rug unveiling, at the Alexandria palace siege etc made the novel a superb read knowing to disregard the minor mystery that occurs just because the series is supposed to be a mystery one
Definitely recommended
- as there is no original read review from publication date (I have read all Gordianus books pretty much on publication and even earlier when i was lucky to get an arc), I will add only a few things -
I remember being slightly disappointed by this one when I read it first as the mystery was kind of silly and its solution even sillier, but its historical fiction part was excellent.
Now on reread I changed my mind - yes the sort of mystery that Gordianus eventually investigates remains silly, the solution sillier and even the author seems to agree as in the next book he revived one of the secondary characters that died in the silly resolution here - not his first re-imagining of earlier events as the origination of Davus in Gordianus household is changed in a crucial way in between consecutive novels too for example - but the whole Egyptian atmosphere, the encounter with Pompey, the witnessing of his beheading and then Gordianus encounter with the triangle Caesar, Ptolemy, Cleopatra, including being present at the famous rug unveiling, at the Alexandria palace siege etc made the novel a superb read knowing to disregard the minor mystery that occurs just because the series is supposed to be a mystery one
Definitely recommended
September 28, 2023
So, yeah, I'm running 19 years behind on reading this series; and yeah, I've got four more on my unread shelf, and two more on my list to buy...
Mysteries are my pleasure-reading, and I've passed through the cozy mystery and police procedural phases of life, and now I read series that take me to a different time or culture. Saylor long ago earned his way on that list of series (Davis, Xiaolong, Gill, Pattison, A.Mc. Smith and Mosley being the others), and I quite enjoyed the latest installment.
Since history is the major spoiler in such a series, I'll let out that this has Gordianus and Bethesda heading to Egypt, just in time to run into Pompey's defeated forces. This is immediately post-Pharsalus, and by the way, the last time Gordianus saw Pompey, well, the Great One was trying to strangle him. In a desperate effort to keep from having his series end abruptly, Saylor has Gordianus threatened with death, but saved by the death of Pompey at the hands of Pharoah Ptolemy. Gordianus is believably there for this event, and I quite admired how Saylor stitched Gordianus into the fabric of that history.
I will complain, however, that Saylor then let his We-Were-There gene run amok, and the rest of the tale stretched the suspension of disbelief to the fraying point. Be prepared, ye who have not read this volume, it gets more than a little rich.
There are other emotional threads and plot threads going on, though, and I kept turning the pages and being entertained. The book has a proper arc, and I can tell you that it ends just after Caesar has left Egypt.
So, despite my snipes, it did what I hope for from this series, kept me entertained and reminded me it's time for me to read De Bello Civili from cover to cover.
Mysteries are my pleasure-reading, and I've passed through the cozy mystery and police procedural phases of life, and now I read series that take me to a different time or culture. Saylor long ago earned his way on that list of series (Davis, Xiaolong, Gill, Pattison, A.Mc. Smith and Mosley being the others), and I quite enjoyed the latest installment.
Since history is the major spoiler in such a series, I'll let out that this has Gordianus and Bethesda heading to Egypt, just in time to run into Pompey's defeated forces. This is immediately post-Pharsalus, and by the way, the last time Gordianus saw Pompey, well, the Great One was trying to strangle him. In a desperate effort to keep from having his series end abruptly, Saylor has Gordianus threatened with death, but saved by the death of Pompey at the hands of Pharoah Ptolemy. Gordianus is believably there for this event, and I quite admired how Saylor stitched Gordianus into the fabric of that history.
I will complain, however, that Saylor then let his We-Were-There gene run amok, and the rest of the tale stretched the suspension of disbelief to the fraying point. Be prepared, ye who have not read this volume, it gets more than a little rich.
There are other emotional threads and plot threads going on, though, and I kept turning the pages and being entertained. The book has a proper arc, and I can tell you that it ends just after Caesar has left Egypt.
So, despite my snipes, it did what I hope for from this series, kept me entertained and reminded me it's time for me to read De Bello Civili from cover to cover.
May 3, 2020
Decent addition to the Roma Sub Rosa series. As always, the history is well-researched (Julius Caesar's visit to Alexandria and his meeting with Cleopatra, the death of Pompey, and Rome being dragged into the civil war in Egypt between Cleopatra and her brother. Decent murder mystery - although the clues were there, I guessed the initial (incorrect) solution to the mystery but not the actual one. Good personal development of the relations between Gordianus and his son Meto (that he disowned in the previous novel) as well as with Caesar. I was happy to see that Saylor treated the two rivals for the Egyptian throne evenly - most fiction works treat Cleopatra's brother King Ptolemy as rather a bit player. On the other hand, I'm not 100% down with the final plot twist in the story. 3.5 stars.
September 3, 2023
Should be 2.5, but rounded it down for a few reasons. I first started reading these because they were mysteries set in ancient Rome. This one has virtually no mystery element at all - you have to wait until well over halfway through the book for it, and then it's dealt with completely within 70 or so pages. The ending of the book is just a disappointing cop-out and also makes no sense at all. On the other hand, taken as historical fiction, this is Saylor at his best. Cleopatra, Ptomely and Caeasar are all very well written for - as expected. Recommended for history buffs, but if you want a mystery, don't bother. There is a brilliant typo though, as at one point Gordianus "stepped into the corpse" instaed of a copse.
July 12, 2023
Saylor had powerful characters to play with and he did not do them all that much justice. As far as mystery goes, it's meh. As far as historical fiction goes, it was paltry. As far as the ending goes, it's a waste of paper.
2.5 stars.
2.5 stars.
July 13, 2023
Sem palavras. É maravilhoso reviver possíveis momentos históricos, com personagens do nosso “todo o sempre”. Foi emocionante, embrulha os nossos sentimentos e não podemos deixar de nos envolver na vida de Gordiano.
Obrigado, Steven. Até sempre.
Obrigado, Steven. Até sempre.
May 28, 2021
Gordiano nunca defrauda, magnífico
March 17, 2017
Interesting to see the portrayal of Egypt under Ptolemy and Cleopatra and the addition scheming this added to the mix.
November 5, 2019
Bit odd as a historical detective novel as it has virtually no detective at all - indeed the mystery sub-plot seemed tacked on at the last minute for very little reason. Saylor's novels are always full of historical detail and much the better for it, but this lacks the Gordianus-ness that would make it stand out.
May 16, 2022
le côté enquête policière est quelque peu secondaire, l'intérêt est pouvoir se retrouver par la lecture à la fin de la république romaine, en suivant le héros Gordien, dont le destin est de côtoyer les puissants et être témoin des grands évènements de cette époque. Plus tous les détails des lieux et de la vie quotidienne. Quelle bonne série historique !
January 24, 2012
In this second to the last installment of the Roma Sub Rosa series, Gordianus again ventures outside of Rome--this time to find a cure for his wife's illness.
Egypt, as painted by Saylor, is quite fascinating--I'm now counting Alexandria as one of my future travel destinations. But I didn't find Egypt as novel as reading about Massilia. Maybe its because I've read too many books (or seen too many tv shows) about Cleopatra and the Ptolemies. Maybe it's just me.
There were quite a number of interesting facets to Cleopatra's personality that were not explored too much in this book--such as her intelligence and leadership qualities. Maybe I'll read more about it in "The Triumph of Caesar." After all, I totally agree with what Saylor said about Cleopatra: "As one of history's losers, Cleopatra was vilified and marginalized by those who triumphed over her."
I was quite happy with the reconciliations in this book. I do hope that the final reconciliation in "The Judgement of Caesar" will be explained more fully in the next book. I'm sure it will, though :)
Egypt, as painted by Saylor, is quite fascinating--I'm now counting Alexandria as one of my future travel destinations. But I didn't find Egypt as novel as reading about Massilia. Maybe its because I've read too many books (or seen too many tv shows) about Cleopatra and the Ptolemies. Maybe it's just me.
There were quite a number of interesting facets to Cleopatra's personality that were not explored too much in this book--such as her intelligence and leadership qualities. Maybe I'll read more about it in "The Triumph of Caesar." After all, I totally agree with what Saylor said about Cleopatra: "As one of history's losers, Cleopatra was vilified and marginalized by those who triumphed over her."
I was quite happy with the reconciliations in this book. I do hope that the final reconciliation in "The Judgement of Caesar" will be explained more fully in the next book. I'm sure it will, though :)
August 8, 2022
I am sure that a lot of Saylor fans think I'm light minded for preferring Lindsey Davis's Falco books to this series, but while Falco may have his brushes with real historical figures, including the Caesars, he never takes them too seriously, and his real life is more concerned with dealing with his family and scraping a living. There's history, but there's also humor and the realization that Romans didn't just stride around in togas declaiming noble speeches, they dealt with in-laws, landlords and bill collectors.
And I've realized that Gordianus should really be named Zelig, as Saylor manages to have him coincidentally on hand for most of the major events during the end of the Roman Republic. In this one, personal business just "happens" to land him on the scene in Alexandria just as Julius Caesar arrives there to deal with the Ptolemeys. And it is especially absurd to maneuver things so that the Finder is there when Julius Caesar receives a certain carpet as a gift...
And I've realized that Gordianus should really be named Zelig, as Saylor manages to have him coincidentally on hand for most of the major events during the end of the Roman Republic. In this one, personal business just "happens" to land him on the scene in Alexandria just as Julius Caesar arrives there to deal with the Ptolemeys. And it is especially absurd to maneuver things so that the Finder is there when Julius Caesar receives a certain carpet as a gift...
July 21, 2019
Gordianus and Bethesda are sailing to Egypt so she can bathe in the Nile to cure her lingering illness. They're blown off course and wind up in the midst of Pompey's fleet; he has gone to Egypt after his loss to Caesar at Pharsalus. Gordianus witnesses Pompey's killing by Egyptian soldiers. He and Bethesda keep looking for the right spot for her to enter the Nile and finally find a small shrine to Osiris which looks perfect. She enters the river but Gordianus loses track of her and can't find her anywhere. Suddenly he's captured by king Ptolemy's forces and taken to Alexandria. Ptolemy is interested in him because of information they have on him that says he has a connection to Caesar, who has just entered Alexandria. The story continues with encounters with Caesar, Meto, and Cleopatra. At one point Meto is accused of trying to poison Cleopatra and Gordianus has to get him out of jeopardy.
March 19, 2012
Well, another great book from Saylor. Though this one's mystery component was only a small part of the book; only about a third. It seems to me: that Saylors' ,Gordianus, plays a role of establishing 'historical'; as well as 'story' truth of msytery solving. This maybe the case within the other books, but is particularly noticable in this book. And for that reason, those people who love the relationship of Ceasar and Cleopatra, will love this book, and its atempt for historical acuracy. Sayor does a great job of setting the religious and political backgound of Egypt at the time of Caesar, and of the events of the time.
A great book.
A great book.
March 29, 2008
The latest in the Roma Sub Rosa series; this takes the main character Gordianus to Egypt for his wife's health. Once again Gordianus' path crosses with Caesar's.
Spoiler: The ending was a little dissatisfying & cryptic but it did leave the whole thing wide open for the next book due out in May 2008. Even with the odd ending this was by far the best in the series so far. Have tissues at hand.
Spoiler: The ending was a little dissatisfying & cryptic but it did leave the whole thing wide open for the next book due out in May 2008. Even with the odd ending this was by far the best in the series so far. Have tissues at hand.
August 7, 2011
This was my favorite book of the series. Yes it was full of "history," but I loved Gordianus personal story in this book. The palace was described beautifully but I wish we were allowed in the streets of Alexandria more than the glimpse we were given. I feel the need to read more of Ptolemy. Great book!
May 3, 2015
I am so mad right now!
January 25, 2010
I read this as a relief from a heavy read on art. Finished it in three sessions. This author is terrific, a scholar, a mystery writer and just plain fun to read. I am sorry that he killed off the hero but Gordianus did have 10 books!
May 26, 2011
Another brilliant book from Steven Saylor, I have one more to read in this series then I am stumped. I have been enthralled by the stories and the time in which they are set. Please hurry and write more!
January 7, 2009
It was more "historical" and less "mystery" than I'm used to in this series, but I was fine with that. After all, I did train as a historian!
June 7, 2011
Amazing story, you never know what will happen around the next corner as there are new surprises all the time :o)
August 5, 2011
Saylor does a good job with a look at Caesar in the court of Cleopatra. Enjoyable read.
December 11, 2024
Deze reeks herontdekt door een leuke, leesgrage kennis. De boeken over Gordianus spreken me nog steeds aan. En eigenlijk verwacht ik een vervolg met zijn schrandere dochter Diana in de hoofdrol!
February 18, 2023
Should Read as 4.5 STARS!
This historical Roman adventurous mystery is, chronologically speaking, the 14th volume of the amazing "Gordianus the Finder" series.
Storytelling is wonderful, the historical details, whenever possible, are accurately interwoven within this great story, while all figures, places and happenings in this period of history are very believable and lifelike.
At the beginning of the book you'll find two well-drawn maps, one of the Delta of the Nile River & Lower Egypt, and one of Alexandria in 48BC, while at the back you'll notice a well defined Author's Note.
This tale is situated in 48BC, mostly in and around Alexandria, Egypt, where Gordianus and his wife Bethesda, along with their retinue of Ruga, Androcles and Mopsus, are heading, in an attempt to find a cure, somewhere in the River Nile, for Bethesda's illness.
After the Battle of Pharsalus, Greece, ending for Pompey the Great in total defeat against Caesar, this same Pompey flees to Egypt only to meet a very treacherous death there at the hands of the Egyptians, with at their head a certain King Ptolemy.
Rivalry between King Ptolemy and Queen Cleopatra will come to a head, especially when Caesar arrives, although at first he tries to reconcile them, but treachery and death will end that reconciliation, and so actions will be taken to make Rome the power over Egypt, while Gordianus has troubles of his own, by first losing his wife Bethesda around the Nile, and secondly by probably losing his "disowned" son, Meto, due to a deceptive accusation of murder.
What is to follow is a thrilling and intriguing historical Roman adventurous mystery, where Gordianus will solve the mystery of the murder in his own clever and determined fashion, and so be finally be reunited again with his son Meto, and so half happy he will be still searching for and desperately hoping to find his wife, Bethesda, to make him completely satisfied.
Highly recommended, for this is an excellent addition to this brilliant series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Very Enjoyable Judgement"!
This historical Roman adventurous mystery is, chronologically speaking, the 14th volume of the amazing "Gordianus the Finder" series.
Storytelling is wonderful, the historical details, whenever possible, are accurately interwoven within this great story, while all figures, places and happenings in this period of history are very believable and lifelike.
At the beginning of the book you'll find two well-drawn maps, one of the Delta of the Nile River & Lower Egypt, and one of Alexandria in 48BC, while at the back you'll notice a well defined Author's Note.
This tale is situated in 48BC, mostly in and around Alexandria, Egypt, where Gordianus and his wife Bethesda, along with their retinue of Ruga, Androcles and Mopsus, are heading, in an attempt to find a cure, somewhere in the River Nile, for Bethesda's illness.
After the Battle of Pharsalus, Greece, ending for Pompey the Great in total defeat against Caesar, this same Pompey flees to Egypt only to meet a very treacherous death there at the hands of the Egyptians, with at their head a certain King Ptolemy.
Rivalry between King Ptolemy and Queen Cleopatra will come to a head, especially when Caesar arrives, although at first he tries to reconcile them, but treachery and death will end that reconciliation, and so actions will be taken to make Rome the power over Egypt, while Gordianus has troubles of his own, by first losing his wife Bethesda around the Nile, and secondly by probably losing his "disowned" son, Meto, due to a deceptive accusation of murder.
What is to follow is a thrilling and intriguing historical Roman adventurous mystery, where Gordianus will solve the mystery of the murder in his own clever and determined fashion, and so be finally be reunited again with his son Meto, and so half happy he will be still searching for and desperately hoping to find his wife, Bethesda, to make him completely satisfied.
Highly recommended, for this is an excellent addition to this brilliant series, and that's why I like to call this episode: "A Very Enjoyable Judgement"!
December 14, 2022
A novelist’s fresh contribution to historical truth?
Steven Saylor is one of the best novelists of ancient Rome, and this tenth book of his narrated by the fictitious Gordianus the Finder, is his best yet. Its setting of Egypt in the latter months of 48 BC between Pompey’s murder there and Caesar’s departure is intoxicatingly exotic and the contrasts between Roman and Egyptian society help the author to shed brilliant light on both.
The recorded events are so dramatic on their own that Saylor lets his usual detective story play second fiddle to them and Gordianus’s main role this time is simply to be a witness. This mostly works well, though his presence is occasionally a little implausible. The drama is considerably enrichened by acute psychological insights which pepper the narrative and reveal the author as a sharp observer of humanity.
I crave authenticity in historical novels, both in terms of not contradicting the known course of events and in depiction of attitudes and beliefs. With his obviously meticulous research and broad knowledge of the ancient world, Saylor delivers the first and enough of the second, though Gordianus is somewhat spoiled as an authentic Roman by his most unancient disdain for the pursuit of greatness and his improbably frank discourse with the great.
Countless novels have been written capitalising on the richly promising story of a ravishing young Cleopatra inventively seducing the all-powerful Caesar to her side in her struggle for the Egyptian throne with her younger brother Ptolemy, but none of the others I have come across have been fuelled by an imagination rich enough to do it justice. And even if their imaginations had been up it, none much before now would have dared represent the story as a love triangle, with the boy contending with his sister for the love of a tormentedly undecided Caesar.
Saylor had already made effective use of a love triangle involving an attractive young brother and sister in his short story Death by Eros. One of his gifts as a historical novelist is to open the door of the ancient world to the reader and invite the reader in rather than explain it and thus risk imposing modern values on it. The triangular love device with its presentation of heterosexual and pederastic feeling as both matter-of-course in classical eyes is a good illustration of how he illuminates the very different mores of the ancients without explanation. However, in this novel it is much more: it is also radically fresh insight into what really may well have happened.
Scepticism is an understandable if uncharitable reaction to a homosexual novelist giving a hitherto-unheard-of homosexual spin to an old story, but the other side of the coin is that such a novelist may have been the first able to read the original evidence as to what happened unclouded by the anti-homosexual prejudice that has unquestionably for many centuries distorted modern views of the ancient world. Hence Saylor’s assertion in his author’s note that this bias, together with historians’ fascination with Cleopatra, have led them to ignore an untold story, at least deserves consideration.
Surprising as it may be to many, his case is strong. In Caesar’s own words (Alexandrian War XXIV), when he sent Ptolemy away, leading unexpectedly to the outbreak of war which brought him irrevocably onto Cleopatra’s side, the boy “with tears proceeded to beseech Caesar to the opposite effect not to send him away; his very kingdom, he declared, was not more pleasing to him than the sight of Caesar. Checking the lad's tears, albeit not unmoved himself, Caesar declared that, if that was the way he felt, they would speedily be reunited, and so sent him back to his people.” As Saylor points out, why is Ptolemy likely to have been any less attractive than his sister to a man whose culture and personal history both evince sexual fluidity? And if Cleopatra’s erotic appeal was as influential with Caesar as recorded, isn’t her brother’s likely to have been its most effective counter in keeping Caesar so long undecided?
Saylor has not only made a pederastic bonding central to his story, but even more daringly explains realistically the emotional dynamics of such a relationship, which would have been readily understandable to the ancients, but is bound to challenge many of his readers. Eros underpins and defines this kind of love, but is inseparable from other powerful emotions. His Ptolemy, far from being the spoiled cipher often depicted in film, is an autonomous adolescent, “intelligent, passionate, willful, convinced of his divine destiny,” and understandably drawn to the world’s greatest man as a role model as much as for affection. It is because of this that his attention flatters Caesar “in a way that his sister’s attentions do not.” Today it is generally misunderstood that being older and looked up to in a love relationship necessarily means having controlling power over it, though it is really when one party has less need of the relationship that serious imbalance of power occurs. Caesar illustrates this, saying of himself in relation to both the boy and his sister that he is “the master strategist, the consummate politician … stumped by two children.”
Saylor says “we are not even certain of his age at the time of Caesar’s arrival; I have made him fifteen, the oldest age postulated by historians.” But why? And why have the narrator describe him as unusually mature, a “young man” “no longer a boy”, etc., rather than as the more typically boyish 15-year-old most Roman men were attracted to? Is it that Saylor deems the 21st-century perspective on pederasty to be so unassailably jaundiced that even he had better concede some historical authenticity to modern prejudice? For the sake of truth, I would point out that he has missed a source here, and in fact we can be sure Ptolemy really was still a boy: Appian (Civil Wars II 84) is clear that he was thirteen and no ancient source gives cause to doubt this.
The last chapters are a little disappointing for both the scarcely-believable ending to Ptolemy and Caesar’s affair and the excessively happy ending for Gordianus. Nevertheless, recommended as a well-written, gripping and broadly authentic depiction of the ancient world with convincing portraits of some fascinating real historical characters.
Edmund Marlowe, author of Alexander’s Choice, another novel exploring the dynamics of pederastic love, https://www.amazon.com/dp/191457107X
Steven Saylor is one of the best novelists of ancient Rome, and this tenth book of his narrated by the fictitious Gordianus the Finder, is his best yet. Its setting of Egypt in the latter months of 48 BC between Pompey’s murder there and Caesar’s departure is intoxicatingly exotic and the contrasts between Roman and Egyptian society help the author to shed brilliant light on both.
The recorded events are so dramatic on their own that Saylor lets his usual detective story play second fiddle to them and Gordianus’s main role this time is simply to be a witness. This mostly works well, though his presence is occasionally a little implausible. The drama is considerably enrichened by acute psychological insights which pepper the narrative and reveal the author as a sharp observer of humanity.
I crave authenticity in historical novels, both in terms of not contradicting the known course of events and in depiction of attitudes and beliefs. With his obviously meticulous research and broad knowledge of the ancient world, Saylor delivers the first and enough of the second, though Gordianus is somewhat spoiled as an authentic Roman by his most unancient disdain for the pursuit of greatness and his improbably frank discourse with the great.
Countless novels have been written capitalising on the richly promising story of a ravishing young Cleopatra inventively seducing the all-powerful Caesar to her side in her struggle for the Egyptian throne with her younger brother Ptolemy, but none of the others I have come across have been fuelled by an imagination rich enough to do it justice. And even if their imaginations had been up it, none much before now would have dared represent the story as a love triangle, with the boy contending with his sister for the love of a tormentedly undecided Caesar.
Saylor had already made effective use of a love triangle involving an attractive young brother and sister in his short story Death by Eros. One of his gifts as a historical novelist is to open the door of the ancient world to the reader and invite the reader in rather than explain it and thus risk imposing modern values on it. The triangular love device with its presentation of heterosexual and pederastic feeling as both matter-of-course in classical eyes is a good illustration of how he illuminates the very different mores of the ancients without explanation. However, in this novel it is much more: it is also radically fresh insight into what really may well have happened.
Scepticism is an understandable if uncharitable reaction to a homosexual novelist giving a hitherto-unheard-of homosexual spin to an old story, but the other side of the coin is that such a novelist may have been the first able to read the original evidence as to what happened unclouded by the anti-homosexual prejudice that has unquestionably for many centuries distorted modern views of the ancient world. Hence Saylor’s assertion in his author’s note that this bias, together with historians’ fascination with Cleopatra, have led them to ignore an untold story, at least deserves consideration.
Surprising as it may be to many, his case is strong. In Caesar’s own words (Alexandrian War XXIV), when he sent Ptolemy away, leading unexpectedly to the outbreak of war which brought him irrevocably onto Cleopatra’s side, the boy “with tears proceeded to beseech Caesar to the opposite effect not to send him away; his very kingdom, he declared, was not more pleasing to him than the sight of Caesar. Checking the lad's tears, albeit not unmoved himself, Caesar declared that, if that was the way he felt, they would speedily be reunited, and so sent him back to his people.” As Saylor points out, why is Ptolemy likely to have been any less attractive than his sister to a man whose culture and personal history both evince sexual fluidity? And if Cleopatra’s erotic appeal was as influential with Caesar as recorded, isn’t her brother’s likely to have been its most effective counter in keeping Caesar so long undecided?
Saylor has not only made a pederastic bonding central to his story, but even more daringly explains realistically the emotional dynamics of such a relationship, which would have been readily understandable to the ancients, but is bound to challenge many of his readers. Eros underpins and defines this kind of love, but is inseparable from other powerful emotions. His Ptolemy, far from being the spoiled cipher often depicted in film, is an autonomous adolescent, “intelligent, passionate, willful, convinced of his divine destiny,” and understandably drawn to the world’s greatest man as a role model as much as for affection. It is because of this that his attention flatters Caesar “in a way that his sister’s attentions do not.” Today it is generally misunderstood that being older and looked up to in a love relationship necessarily means having controlling power over it, though it is really when one party has less need of the relationship that serious imbalance of power occurs. Caesar illustrates this, saying of himself in relation to both the boy and his sister that he is “the master strategist, the consummate politician … stumped by two children.”
Saylor says “we are not even certain of his age at the time of Caesar’s arrival; I have made him fifteen, the oldest age postulated by historians.” But why? And why have the narrator describe him as unusually mature, a “young man” “no longer a boy”, etc., rather than as the more typically boyish 15-year-old most Roman men were attracted to? Is it that Saylor deems the 21st-century perspective on pederasty to be so unassailably jaundiced that even he had better concede some historical authenticity to modern prejudice? For the sake of truth, I would point out that he has missed a source here, and in fact we can be sure Ptolemy really was still a boy: Appian (Civil Wars II 84) is clear that he was thirteen and no ancient source gives cause to doubt this.
The last chapters are a little disappointing for both the scarcely-believable ending to Ptolemy and Caesar’s affair and the excessively happy ending for Gordianus. Nevertheless, recommended as a well-written, gripping and broadly authentic depiction of the ancient world with convincing portraits of some fascinating real historical characters.
Edmund Marlowe, author of Alexander’s Choice, another novel exploring the dynamics of pederastic love, https://www.amazon.com/dp/191457107X
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