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Cicero #3
Dictator
Imperium...Conspirata...and now, the long-awaited final volume of the author's best-selling Cicero trilogy.
With Dictator, Robert Harris brings the saga of Cicero's life to a time when some of the most epic events in human history occurred: the collapse of the Roman republic, the subsequent civil war, the murder of Pompey and the assassination of Julius Caesar. Yet the question it asks is a timeless one: how is political freedom to be safeguarded against the triple threat of unscrupulous personal ambition, of an electoral system dominated by vested financial interests, and of the corrupting impact of waging ceaseless foreign wars? And in the very human figure of Cicero--brilliant, flawed, frequently fearful, and yet ultimately brave--Harris gives us a hero for both his own time, and for ours.
With Dictator, Robert Harris brings the saga of Cicero's life to a time when some of the most epic events in human history occurred: the collapse of the Roman republic, the subsequent civil war, the murder of Pompey and the assassination of Julius Caesar. Yet the question it asks is a timeless one: how is political freedom to be safeguarded against the triple threat of unscrupulous personal ambition, of an electoral system dominated by vested financial interests, and of the corrupting impact of waging ceaseless foreign wars? And in the very human figure of Cicero--brilliant, flawed, frequently fearful, and yet ultimately brave--Harris gives us a hero for both his own time, and for ours.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 8, 2015
About the author
Robert Harris
64 books9,583 followersROBERT HARRIS is the author of nine best-selling novels: Fatherland, Enigma, Archangel, Pompeii, Imperium, The Ghost Writer, Conspirata, The Fear Index, and An Officer and a Spy. Several of his books have been adapted to film, most recently The Ghost Writer, directed by Roman Polanski. His work has been translated into thirty-seven languages. He lives in the village of Kintbury, England, with his wife, Gill Hornby.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,497 reviews
November 5, 2016
”How unreal it felt to watch the approach of this titan who had so dominated everyone’s thoughts for so many years---who had conquered countries and upended lives and sent thousands of soldiers marching hither and thither and had smashed the ancient republic to fragments as if it were nothing more substantial than a chipped antique vase that had gone out of fashion---to watch him, and to find him, in the end---just an ordinary breathing mortal!
The very mortal, immortal Julius Caesar.
On the Ides of March in 44 BC the world discovered that Julius Caesar was, in fact, as mortal as any other man, but I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m going to come back to one of the most famous assassinations in the history of the world a little later in this review. This is the final volume in the Robert Harris trilogy, which reveals the life of Marcus Cicero through the eyes of his faithful servant Tiro. This volume covers from 58 to 43 BC, which is without a doubt the period I know the most about in Roman history. There are many exciting moments in the history of Rome, but this time period has all the bloody drama of murder, assassination, upheaval, betrayal, romance, and epic battles compressed into less than two decades that would normally unfold over hundreds of years.
Cicero is a bit of prick. Well, maybe more than a bit. He is brilliant, arrogantly so, but is he more arrogant than the other leading figures of this period, Caesar, Pompey, Crassus, or Clodius? The scale to measure arrogance in this time period is beyond the normal measuring scale. Caesar, at one point, declares himself a GOD, so I think he wins the arrogance award. Cicero is the leading orator of his generation. To hire him to defend you against charges is the same as buying an acquittal. Elocution with a dash of dramatic flair, worthy of the lead actor in a play, is his weapon of choice. It is his only defense against the violence of others, though at times his words get him in dire trouble and at times alienate his family.
Cicero
His brother Quintus gives him a much needed dressing down. ”Spare me your casuistry, Marcus. Nothing is ever uppermost in your mind except yourself. Your honor, your career, your interests---so that while other men go off to die, you sit behind with the elderly and the womenfolk, polishing your speeches and your pointless witticisms!”
Ouch! Right? Well, the thing is, Quintus has been used more than once as a pawn in the war between Cicero and his numerous enemies. He is overdue putting the blame for his disheveled life to where the tumult originated. Go here, Quintus. Go there, Quintus.
The Republic is in trouble, and soon it is cast aside all together. The BIG THREE share power: Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus, but soon this triumvirate is destabilized with the death of Crassus.
And then there were two.
On parchment, Pompey and Caesar are an equal match, but as we discover, while Caesar is on the rise, Pompey is maybe more concerned with screwing his decades younger bride Julia, who just happens to be the daughter of Caesar. I know all of this is a bit icky, but then history is really a series of sordid affairs. Julia dies in childbirth, and her husband and her father are both truly distraught, but instead of her death binding them together, it is as if the ties were fully loosened, and the uneasy alliance becomes a civil war.
Cicero, we can’t forget about Cicero; after all, this is a book about him. Tiro is dutifully recording everything Cicero for posterity. Cicero basically irritates everyone. He is on the side of the Republic in a time when those with the most power are trying to destroy it. Honorable for sure, but not very good for those who are satellites revolving around his life. He, in particular, is mortal enemies with the odious Clodius and his equally odious sister Clodia. There are several points in this book where Cicero is leaving Rome with an angry mob seconds behind him. Each time he swears he is out of politics for good and will devote himself to writing books, but something, his own sense of his place in history maybe, keeps bringing him back into the fray.
Pompey is ambushed and killed rather brutally on a beach in Egypt. All of Rome weeps, even Caesar, for Pompey had been a great warrior for Rome and he deserved a better death. There is no one to stop Caesar now...well, there is always someone.
”One of the Dictator’s shoes had come off; his bare depilated legs were exposed where his toga had ridden up his thighs; his imperial purple was ragged and bloodied; there was a slash across his cheek that exposed the pale bone; his dark eyes seemed to stare; outraged upside down, at the emptying chamber; blood ran from his wound diagonally across his forehead and dripped on to the white marble.”
Caesar pardons Cicero, but we all know that Cicero will, sooner or later, become another fly in the ointment. He has one more chance to win the Republic back from Rome when Caesar is assassinated by Brutus and his conspirators, but the assassins forgot one thing... Marc Anthony, the right arm of Caesar. The party hound, but the very dangerous wolf, steps into the power vacuum left by his commander. Then, there is the problem of Octavian, the lad that Caesar named as his heir.
Civil War...again, with Cicero right in the middle of it.
Octavian reveres Cicero and writes him often for advice, but then Cicero does one of those things he just can’t help doing...he gets witty. In describing Octavian to a friend who is worried about him taking over where his adopted father left off, he says,”Perhaps he will. But we can deal with him later. He can be raised, praised, and erased.”
Flippant, arrogant words that would cost him dearly.
The underestimated Octavian who proved himself a worthy successor to the empire Julius Caesar left him.
The brilliance of this book is how Robert Harris brings the characters and the scenes to life. The opening paragraph elevates my pulse and sends tingles down my spine. ”I remember the cries of Caesar’s war-horns chasing us over the darkening fields of Latium---their yearning, keening howls, like animals in heat---and how when they stopped there was only the slither of our shoes on the icy road and the urgent panting of our breath.”Cicero uses the last years of his life to write as much as he can. He thinks that his way to immortality is with what will be written down. He may not have won his fight for the Republic of Rome, but he certainly wins the battle for his place in history. No list of the greatest orators in history fails to mention his name. This book is highly recommended for those who enjoy accurate historical fiction told with verve and exhilarating pace.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
The very mortal, immortal Julius Caesar.
On the Ides of March in 44 BC the world discovered that Julius Caesar was, in fact, as mortal as any other man, but I’m getting ahead of myself. I’m going to come back to one of the most famous assassinations in the history of the world a little later in this review. This is the final volume in the Robert Harris trilogy, which reveals the life of Marcus Cicero through the eyes of his faithful servant Tiro. This volume covers from 58 to 43 BC, which is without a doubt the period I know the most about in Roman history. There are many exciting moments in the history of Rome, but this time period has all the bloody drama of murder, assassination, upheaval, betrayal, romance, and epic battles compressed into less than two decades that would normally unfold over hundreds of years.
Cicero is a bit of prick. Well, maybe more than a bit. He is brilliant, arrogantly so, but is he more arrogant than the other leading figures of this period, Caesar, Pompey, Crassus, or Clodius? The scale to measure arrogance in this time period is beyond the normal measuring scale. Caesar, at one point, declares himself a GOD, so I think he wins the arrogance award. Cicero is the leading orator of his generation. To hire him to defend you against charges is the same as buying an acquittal. Elocution with a dash of dramatic flair, worthy of the lead actor in a play, is his weapon of choice. It is his only defense against the violence of others, though at times his words get him in dire trouble and at times alienate his family.
Cicero
His brother Quintus gives him a much needed dressing down. ”Spare me your casuistry, Marcus. Nothing is ever uppermost in your mind except yourself. Your honor, your career, your interests---so that while other men go off to die, you sit behind with the elderly and the womenfolk, polishing your speeches and your pointless witticisms!”
Ouch! Right? Well, the thing is, Quintus has been used more than once as a pawn in the war between Cicero and his numerous enemies. He is overdue putting the blame for his disheveled life to where the tumult originated. Go here, Quintus. Go there, Quintus.
The Republic is in trouble, and soon it is cast aside all together. The BIG THREE share power: Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus, but soon this triumvirate is destabilized with the death of Crassus.
And then there were two.
On parchment, Pompey and Caesar are an equal match, but as we discover, while Caesar is on the rise, Pompey is maybe more concerned with screwing his decades younger bride Julia, who just happens to be the daughter of Caesar. I know all of this is a bit icky, but then history is really a series of sordid affairs. Julia dies in childbirth, and her husband and her father are both truly distraught, but instead of her death binding them together, it is as if the ties were fully loosened, and the uneasy alliance becomes a civil war.
Cicero, we can’t forget about Cicero; after all, this is a book about him. Tiro is dutifully recording everything Cicero for posterity. Cicero basically irritates everyone. He is on the side of the Republic in a time when those with the most power are trying to destroy it. Honorable for sure, but not very good for those who are satellites revolving around his life. He, in particular, is mortal enemies with the odious Clodius and his equally odious sister Clodia. There are several points in this book where Cicero is leaving Rome with an angry mob seconds behind him. Each time he swears he is out of politics for good and will devote himself to writing books, but something, his own sense of his place in history maybe, keeps bringing him back into the fray.
Pompey is ambushed and killed rather brutally on a beach in Egypt. All of Rome weeps, even Caesar, for Pompey had been a great warrior for Rome and he deserved a better death. There is no one to stop Caesar now...well, there is always someone.
”One of the Dictator’s shoes had come off; his bare depilated legs were exposed where his toga had ridden up his thighs; his imperial purple was ragged and bloodied; there was a slash across his cheek that exposed the pale bone; his dark eyes seemed to stare; outraged upside down, at the emptying chamber; blood ran from his wound diagonally across his forehead and dripped on to the white marble.”
Caesar pardons Cicero, but we all know that Cicero will, sooner or later, become another fly in the ointment. He has one more chance to win the Republic back from Rome when Caesar is assassinated by Brutus and his conspirators, but the assassins forgot one thing... Marc Anthony, the right arm of Caesar. The party hound, but the very dangerous wolf, steps into the power vacuum left by his commander. Then, there is the problem of Octavian, the lad that Caesar named as his heir.
Civil War...again, with Cicero right in the middle of it.
Octavian reveres Cicero and writes him often for advice, but then Cicero does one of those things he just can’t help doing...he gets witty. In describing Octavian to a friend who is worried about him taking over where his adopted father left off, he says,”Perhaps he will. But we can deal with him later. He can be raised, praised, and erased.”
Flippant, arrogant words that would cost him dearly.
The underestimated Octavian who proved himself a worthy successor to the empire Julius Caesar left him.
The brilliance of this book is how Robert Harris brings the characters and the scenes to life. The opening paragraph elevates my pulse and sends tingles down my spine. ”I remember the cries of Caesar’s war-horns chasing us over the darkening fields of Latium---their yearning, keening howls, like animals in heat---and how when they stopped there was only the slither of our shoes on the icy road and the urgent panting of our breath.”Cicero uses the last years of his life to write as much as he can. He thinks that his way to immortality is with what will be written down. He may not have won his fight for the Republic of Rome, but he certainly wins the battle for his place in history. No list of the greatest orators in history fails to mention his name. This book is highly recommended for those who enjoy accurate historical fiction told with verve and exhilarating pace.
If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten
February 12, 2018
Um Herói Intemporal
Quem era Marcus Tullius Cícero?
Filósofo, político, advogado, escritor...
Um Sábio da Roma Antiga, que segundo Thomas Jefferson, foi o primeiro mestre da humanidade.
Brilhante orador e eminente pensador, socorreu-se do poder das palavras na luta pela justiça e liberdade — foi o grande defensor da República, do poder repartido em oposição à tirania absolutista.
Dictator encerra uma trilogia dedicada à Roma Antiga de Cícero, ocupando-se dos últimos 15 anos da vida deste.
Uma época conturbada, onde o assassinato estava na ordem do dia — iremos assistir ao colapso de Roma, às mortes de Pompeu, César e... do próprio Cícero, cuja brilhante oratória não vingou sobre as tendências absolutistas correntes...
Cícero era um defensor da paz e do livre pensamento — lutou, perdeu a vida, mas a humanidade ganhou uma personagem ícónica, um exemplo a respeitar e seguir...
Quanto à literatura, foi certamente enriquecida pelos seus escritos, e pelos romances empolgantes que a sua vida inspirou.
A sua luta não foi em vão pois inspirou eminentes políticos e pensadores dos séculos subsequentes.
Nada se perde, tudo se transforma — as sementes do futuro, ao passado pertencem...
Para vos estimular o interesse por este sábio carismático, não resisto a presentear-vos com um pequeno conjunto de frases que lhe são atribuídas:
Viver feliz não é mais do que viver com honestidade e retidão.
Os homens são como os vinhos: a idade azeda os maus e apura os bons.
Quem tem uma biblioteca e um jardim, tem tudo.
Reconhece-se o amigo certo numa situação incerta.
Não há nada que não se alcance com a força de vontade, a bondade e, sobretudo, com o amor.
A ignorância é a maior enfermidade do género humano
Marcus Tullius Cícero, foi um imenso prazer conhecê-lo 💕
Só lamento profundamente não ser possível adicioná-lo aqui mesmo, no GR 😉
Estou segura que daria um excelente resenhista 😉👍👍
Quem era Marcus Tullius Cícero?
Filósofo, político, advogado, escritor...
Um Sábio da Roma Antiga, que segundo Thomas Jefferson, foi o primeiro mestre da humanidade.
Brilhante orador e eminente pensador, socorreu-se do poder das palavras na luta pela justiça e liberdade — foi o grande defensor da República, do poder repartido em oposição à tirania absolutista.
Dictator encerra uma trilogia dedicada à Roma Antiga de Cícero, ocupando-se dos últimos 15 anos da vida deste.
Uma época conturbada, onde o assassinato estava na ordem do dia — iremos assistir ao colapso de Roma, às mortes de Pompeu, César e... do próprio Cícero, cuja brilhante oratória não vingou sobre as tendências absolutistas correntes...
Cícero era um defensor da paz e do livre pensamento — lutou, perdeu a vida, mas a humanidade ganhou uma personagem ícónica, um exemplo a respeitar e seguir...
Quanto à literatura, foi certamente enriquecida pelos seus escritos, e pelos romances empolgantes que a sua vida inspirou.
A sua luta não foi em vão pois inspirou eminentes políticos e pensadores dos séculos subsequentes.
Nada se perde, tudo se transforma — as sementes do futuro, ao passado pertencem...
Para vos estimular o interesse por este sábio carismático, não resisto a presentear-vos com um pequeno conjunto de frases que lhe são atribuídas:
Viver feliz não é mais do que viver com honestidade e retidão.
Os homens são como os vinhos: a idade azeda os maus e apura os bons.
Quem tem uma biblioteca e um jardim, tem tudo.
Reconhece-se o amigo certo numa situação incerta.
Não há nada que não se alcance com a força de vontade, a bondade e, sobretudo, com o amor.
A ignorância é a maior enfermidade do género humano
Marcus Tullius Cícero, foi um imenso prazer conhecê-lo 💕
Só lamento profundamente não ser possível adicioná-lo aqui mesmo, no GR 😉
Estou segura que daria um excelente resenhista 😉👍👍
February 14, 2018
Seeds from the Past
Oh boy, I do love Ancient Rome💕 Whenever I think of it, gorgeous domus come to my mind — fresh fountains in gardens, luminous atriums, fresco wall paintings, marble busts, bronze statues...
I picture romans wearing large long vests, gathering in forums, circus, theaters, bathing in thermae...
I see arches, monoliths, obelysks, domes, among other architectonic beauties🤩
Sadly, that's not the Rome Dictator invites us to tour… ☹️
Instead, we'll visit a murderous, vicious Rome, collapsing under treacherous power games:
Crassus will be killed 💀
Caesar will be killed ☠️
Pompey will be killed 💀
...
They all wanted to rule as dictators, emperors, gods, whatever...
It's in this political chaos that we'll meet Cicero, oposing republic to tyranny, fighting with words instead of swords
Dictator leads us into the last 15 years of Cicero's life, concluding this fabulous Ancient Rome trilogy
There we can watch a tired but determined Cicero, battling heartily every sort of absolute leadershipp!
Cicero fought, but lost his battle!...
However, mankind found an iconic character, whose line of thoughts has been recovered by manny influent politicians and thinkers — Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, David Hume, Montesquieu, Voltaire… were some of those.
Nothing was lost afterall — the seeds of future are all in the past!...
Oh boy, I do love Ancient Rome💕 Whenever I think of it, gorgeous domus come to my mind — fresh fountains in gardens, luminous atriums, fresco wall paintings, marble busts, bronze statues...
I picture romans wearing large long vests, gathering in forums, circus, theaters, bathing in thermae...
I see arches, monoliths, obelysks, domes, among other architectonic beauties🤩
Sadly, that's not the Rome Dictator invites us to tour… ☹️
Instead, we'll visit a murderous, vicious Rome, collapsing under treacherous power games:
Crassus will be killed 💀
Caesar will be killed ☠️
Pompey will be killed 💀
...
They all wanted to rule as dictators, emperors, gods, whatever...
It's in this political chaos that we'll meet Cicero, oposing republic to tyranny, fighting with words instead of swords
Dictator leads us into the last 15 years of Cicero's life, concluding this fabulous Ancient Rome trilogy
There we can watch a tired but determined Cicero, battling heartily every sort of absolute leadershipp!
Cicero fought, but lost his battle!...
However, mankind found an iconic character, whose line of thoughts has been recovered by manny influent politicians and thinkers — Thomas Jefferson, John Locke, David Hume, Montesquieu, Voltaire… were some of those.
Nothing was lost afterall — the seeds of future are all in the past!...
March 22, 2015
A solid - yet largely subdued - conclusion to the Cicero trilogy, Dictator is consistently interesting, but never really turns into the thrilling crescendo I was hoping for. There's just so much of Cicero's life and career to fit into this final volume, meaning the pace is fast, disconcertingly so at times, and there's less room for development of the characters - particularly Cicero's secretary, Tiro, who serves as narrator. But this is a book based on real people and real events in history, and that's the nature of it. I preferred the more political focus of the previous books, in which the majority of action took place in the Senate, particularly as Harris is so good at linking his characters' actions with those of modern politicians. For much of Dictator, there's a lot of waiting around while other people battle each other and/or the goings-on in Rome are heard about from a distance, as Cicero is first in exile, then sidelined during a period of civil war, then retired from public life. But it seems stupid to complain when that's hardly a decision Harris himself has made about the direction of the plot... There's naturally a bloody climax with (it's probably stupid to put that under a spoiler tag, but you never know), and the final third of the book moves quickly as a result.
It's been four years since I read Imperium and Lustrum, the first and second installments in the trilogy, and I've been waiting ever since for the final piece of the story. There's something reassuring and comfortable about being back with Cicero and Tiro, but four years is quite a long time (and a few hundred books); the anticipation I felt about Dictator then is something that's remained static in my memory while my reading habits and tastes have changed. I'm uncertain whether I would have been quite so keen to devour all of these books had I discovered them more recently. I can't fault Harris's style or the thoroughness of his research, but I wasn't as excited by this one as I remember feeling when I raced through the other two. I think that may well be down to me - the things that stimulate me as a reader just aren't the same as they were in 2011 - and shouldn't be taken as a judgement on the quality of the novel.
Really a 3.5, but I've bumped my rating up because of my affection for the trilogy as a whole.
It's been four years since I read Imperium and Lustrum, the first and second installments in the trilogy, and I've been waiting ever since for the final piece of the story. There's something reassuring and comfortable about being back with Cicero and Tiro, but four years is quite a long time (and a few hundred books); the anticipation I felt about Dictator then is something that's remained static in my memory while my reading habits and tastes have changed. I'm uncertain whether I would have been quite so keen to devour all of these books had I discovered them more recently. I can't fault Harris's style or the thoroughness of his research, but I wasn't as excited by this one as I remember feeling when I raced through the other two. I think that may well be down to me - the things that stimulate me as a reader just aren't the same as they were in 2011 - and shouldn't be taken as a judgement on the quality of the novel.
Really a 3.5, but I've bumped my rating up because of my affection for the trilogy as a whole.
March 12, 2023
Reread on audio 2026: even better on re-read. Took me a minute to get used to the new narrator, but he NAILS the impassioned speeches. What a phenomenal series.
The first part of this book was fantastic and gripping and heartbreaking and touching but the second part just suffers from so much going on that no time is spent on any of it so it reads more like a series of events that Cicero responds to briefly rather than continuing to be the character/politics story. I would have had a difficult time following it if I did not already know what was happening.
Still a fantastic series worth the read.
The first part of this book was fantastic and gripping and heartbreaking and touching but the second part just suffers from so much going on that no time is spent on any of it so it reads more like a series of events that Cicero responds to briefly rather than continuing to be the character/politics story. I would have had a difficult time following it if I did not already know what was happening.
Still a fantastic series worth the read.
November 17, 2019
Dictator is the final chapter in Robert Harris’ Cicero trilogy, recounting the great Roman’s final fifteen years through the eyes of his faithful secretary Tiro. And I was really hoping it’d be better than Lustrum and as good as Imperium but unfortunately it wasn’t.
Cicero lived through exciting times of tumultuous change but a lot of it happens at a distance away from him, so a lot of uninteresting things take centre stage instead. His pointless wandering in exile, his politicking against various Roman notables - Clodius, Crassus, Pompey, and of course Caesar - his dull family dramas involving his wife Terentia and daughter Tullia, and retiring to write philosophy all read like Harris slowly wading through his research on Cicero’s life. There’s little inspiration with the material and Harris’ style feels very workmanlike and boring, like he was fulfilling a contract.
By the time I realised it wasn’t going to be a good book, I told myself to finish it anyway as I’d abandoned Lustrum a few years ago and had to re-read it recently to get to this book, so I didn’t want to have to re-read half of this book again in a few years if I end up wondering whether it somehow turned out to be good in the end.
The occasional scene perked up my interest: mostly anything with Caesar, and Harris did surprise me in that regard. I thought the book would end with Caesar as Emperor but it goes on beyond that - and by “that” I mean “that” famous scene, which was remarkably written. Cato’s fate was similarly engrossing and it was nice to see Tiro, our narrator, have some good things happen to him. It is a very informative book too - I learned a great deal of the Roman world of this time.
The Roman republic descending into civil war and ultimately dictatorship sounds like fertile ground for a stonking read but Robert Harris fails to make any of it gripping. Dictator is an underwhelming finale and such an overlong snore of a read - I wouldn’t recommend it at all. I really feel like Harris’ output post-Fear Index has been severely lacking any of his earlier brilliance. All his novels recently have been so utterly tedious, it’s hard to believe this is the same writer who produced The Ghost and Enigma. With regards his Cicero trilogy, I’d recommend reading the first book, Imperium, and skipping the rest.
Cicero lived through exciting times of tumultuous change but a lot of it happens at a distance away from him, so a lot of uninteresting things take centre stage instead. His pointless wandering in exile, his politicking against various Roman notables - Clodius, Crassus, Pompey, and of course Caesar - his dull family dramas involving his wife Terentia and daughter Tullia, and retiring to write philosophy all read like Harris slowly wading through his research on Cicero’s life. There’s little inspiration with the material and Harris’ style feels very workmanlike and boring, like he was fulfilling a contract.
By the time I realised it wasn’t going to be a good book, I told myself to finish it anyway as I’d abandoned Lustrum a few years ago and had to re-read it recently to get to this book, so I didn’t want to have to re-read half of this book again in a few years if I end up wondering whether it somehow turned out to be good in the end.
The occasional scene perked up my interest: mostly anything with Caesar, and Harris did surprise me in that regard. I thought the book would end with Caesar as Emperor but it goes on beyond that - and by “that” I mean “that” famous scene, which was remarkably written. Cato’s fate was similarly engrossing and it was nice to see Tiro, our narrator, have some good things happen to him. It is a very informative book too - I learned a great deal of the Roman world of this time.
The Roman republic descending into civil war and ultimately dictatorship sounds like fertile ground for a stonking read but Robert Harris fails to make any of it gripping. Dictator is an underwhelming finale and such an overlong snore of a read - I wouldn’t recommend it at all. I really feel like Harris’ output post-Fear Index has been severely lacking any of his earlier brilliance. All his novels recently have been so utterly tedious, it’s hard to believe this is the same writer who produced The Ghost and Enigma. With regards his Cicero trilogy, I’d recommend reading the first book, Imperium, and skipping the rest.
January 4, 2016
This is a well written novel about the last 15 years of Cicero's life told by his scribe, Tiro. It is the third book of the trilogy and the first one I've read. It's really well researched and full of tidbits of things I have never heard about before this book. Tiro, in fact, was the father of the shorthand we still use. It's amazing the long ranging impact of Rome had.
I was amazed at how violent it was in the streets of Rome at the time. When the book opens three leaders are leading the Empire- Caesar, who was on his romp in Gaul, Ptolemy and Crassus. Cicero has fled Rome in fear of his life. It is interesting to read about his adroit political dealings in returning home and regaining his possessions. He was quite the politician.
Another interesting part was keeping track of the marriages. People were able to get divorced without formal proceedings so many people were married to multiple partners depending on the political climate and changing fortunes. It led to all kinds of alliances.
It was a very thought provoking book but a little dry to my taste. It read more like a nonfiction book than a novel. The characters never really jumped off the page for me. Still it is amazingly well written and full of information.
I was amazed at how violent it was in the streets of Rome at the time. When the book opens three leaders are leading the Empire- Caesar, who was on his romp in Gaul, Ptolemy and Crassus. Cicero has fled Rome in fear of his life. It is interesting to read about his adroit political dealings in returning home and regaining his possessions. He was quite the politician.
Another interesting part was keeping track of the marriages. People were able to get divorced without formal proceedings so many people were married to multiple partners depending on the political climate and changing fortunes. It led to all kinds of alliances.
It was a very thought provoking book but a little dry to my taste. It read more like a nonfiction book than a novel. The characters never really jumped off the page for me. Still it is amazingly well written and full of information.
July 31, 2018
Oh well finally finished The trilogy. Has been a great read. Well constructed dialogue and imagery. We see the final play in a few weeks. Will miss Tiro and Cicero
August 17, 2018
“I have put out my books and now my house has a soul.”
― Robert Harris, The Dictator
Dictator is the best book in Harris' Cicero trilogy★★★1/2, but that is largely due to how disappointed I was in Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome ★★★ and Conspirata ★★. Oh well. What did I like? I liked that Cicero's later life was narrated by Tiro, Cicero's slave, secretary, friend(?). Harris did a lot of work with Cicero's character. I'm a fan of Cicero, and Harris' trilogy does a good job of surveying Cicero's life, the late Republic and early Roman empire.
What did I not enjoy? I'm not a fan or Harris' prose. And, while it is obvious Harris loves Roman history, I am starting to see a patern. Harris writes better WWII era or political novels, than Roman historical novels. Sometimes, passion for a topic doesn't translate into brilliance.
― Robert Harris, The Dictator
Dictator is the best book in Harris' Cicero trilogy★★★1/2, but that is largely due to how disappointed I was in Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome ★★★ and Conspirata ★★. Oh well. What did I like? I liked that Cicero's later life was narrated by Tiro, Cicero's slave, secretary, friend(?). Harris did a lot of work with Cicero's character. I'm a fan of Cicero, and Harris' trilogy does a good job of surveying Cicero's life, the late Republic and early Roman empire.
What did I not enjoy? I'm not a fan or Harris' prose. And, while it is obvious Harris loves Roman history, I am starting to see a patern. Harris writes better WWII era or political novels, than Roman historical novels. Sometimes, passion for a topic doesn't translate into brilliance.
July 26, 2015
Great to be back with this series as its been a while since I read Lustrum.
Lustrum I enjoyed immensely although at times I found the text a little heavy going & found it hard to follow the many layers of all the politicking (Yes it went over my head many a time!) and I marvelled at the convolution of it all, how oft opponents wrong footed in the senate, Cicero too, although he oft played the long game & won out (survived) in the end.
Maybe Im getting wiser......? lols as I loved Dictator even moreso finding it a much smoother read & easier to follow all of the manoeuvring of Cicero..... maybe it was because he was getting bolder in his old age & started to confront the enemies of the republic as opposed to double dealing & merely battling to survive (a feat in itself!) what was a tumultuous time in Roman history which was the overriding feeling his life story left me with, one of pure survival. A tremendous orator & politician for any time. His secretary Tiro also playing his part in the story as it’s from his viewpoint the story of Cicero is told. It works very well.
A must read series for lovers of Roman history, even those with a passing interest should pick up this series from Robert Harris.
5 Stars
Lustrum I enjoyed immensely although at times I found the text a little heavy going & found it hard to follow the many layers of all the politicking (Yes it went over my head many a time!) and I marvelled at the convolution of it all, how oft opponents wrong footed in the senate, Cicero too, although he oft played the long game & won out (survived) in the end.
Maybe Im getting wiser......? lols as I loved Dictator even moreso finding it a much smoother read & easier to follow all of the manoeuvring of Cicero..... maybe it was because he was getting bolder in his old age & started to confront the enemies of the republic as opposed to double dealing & merely battling to survive (a feat in itself!) what was a tumultuous time in Roman history which was the overriding feeling his life story left me with, one of pure survival. A tremendous orator & politician for any time. His secretary Tiro also playing his part in the story as it’s from his viewpoint the story of Cicero is told. It works very well.
A must read series for lovers of Roman history, even those with a passing interest should pick up this series from Robert Harris.
5 Stars
December 26, 2017
‘If only you will look on high,’ the old statesman tells Scipio, ‘and contemplate this eternal home and resting place, you will no longer bother with the gossip of the common herd or put your trust in human reward for your exploits. Nor will any man’s reputation endure very long, for what men say dies with them and is blotted out with the forgetfulness of posterity.’
All that will remain of us is what is written down.
I have not read Imperium (Book #1) or Lustrum (Book #2), yet, but if this last book in the trilogy is anything to go by, I am going to enjoy the first two books very much.
Dictator was not exactly what I had expected: Yes, it was a historical novel based on the life of Marcus Tullius Cicero, but it did not read like the usual run down of a sequence of events and dates that I had for some reason feared it might be. In fact, the biographical facts are taking a back seat in this book and exist to provide a framework of what I can only describe as tense political thriller - which I guess is even more gripping if you don't know Cicero's biography.
Harris chose a tone of narration that does not try to emulate what we imagine speech patterns or use of words to have been like in Ancient Rome, but instead reflects a more modern approach, and he makes it work. At least, I liked it, even if I can see that it may seem like it might deprive the book of some of that "ancient" setting. The politicking, intrigue, treason, madness, revenge plots make up for it in way that is less I, Claudius and more House of Cards (the UK version!).
In a way it feels like Harris took an old story and set it in the arena of modern politics. Maybe he wanted to show that not that much has changed in 2000 years of politics?
If that is what he tried, I think he succeeded.
Another aspect, Harris succeeded in is the portrait of the main characters - Cicero, Caesar, Marc Antony, Octavian, and all of the senators we meet along the lines.
Historical accuracy may vary, of course, but overall I could not say that any one character was portrayed as one-dimensional.
I also really liked that part of the intrigues were spun by the wives, sisters, widows of the main players and that these were shown as an integral part of Roman society.
I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
All that will remain of us is what is written down.
I have not read Imperium (Book #1) or Lustrum (Book #2), yet, but if this last book in the trilogy is anything to go by, I am going to enjoy the first two books very much.
Dictator was not exactly what I had expected: Yes, it was a historical novel based on the life of Marcus Tullius Cicero, but it did not read like the usual run down of a sequence of events and dates that I had for some reason feared it might be. In fact, the biographical facts are taking a back seat in this book and exist to provide a framework of what I can only describe as tense political thriller - which I guess is even more gripping if you don't know Cicero's biography.
Harris chose a tone of narration that does not try to emulate what we imagine speech patterns or use of words to have been like in Ancient Rome, but instead reflects a more modern approach, and he makes it work. At least, I liked it, even if I can see that it may seem like it might deprive the book of some of that "ancient" setting. The politicking, intrigue, treason, madness, revenge plots make up for it in way that is less I, Claudius and more House of Cards (the UK version!).
In a way it feels like Harris took an old story and set it in the arena of modern politics. Maybe he wanted to show that not that much has changed in 2000 years of politics?
If that is what he tried, I think he succeeded.
Another aspect, Harris succeeded in is the portrait of the main characters - Cicero, Caesar, Marc Antony, Octavian, and all of the senators we meet along the lines.
Historical accuracy may vary, of course, but overall I could not say that any one character was portrayed as one-dimensional.
I also really liked that part of the intrigues were spun by the wives, sisters, widows of the main players and that these were shown as an integral part of Roman society.
I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
December 21, 2018
Me ha gustado mucho la tercera y última parte de la trilogía que Robert Harris dedica a Cicerón. De hecho, creo que esta obra es comparable a las ya mundialmente encumbradas de Mary Renault y de Robert Graves, y merecería destacar en el Olimpo, junto a ellas.
Los últimos años de la vida de Cicerón (58ac-43ac) están magníficamente narrados por Tiro, que le sobrevivió y legó para la posteridad una invención ampliamente utilizada: La taquigrafía. Tiro nos cuenta con fluidez ese periodo turbulento, en el que Roma vio el colapso de la República y la transición hacia el Imperio. Gracias, en parte, a los numerosos escritos de Cicerón que pudieron llegar a la posteridad, Harris teje un perfil muy bien documentado y creíble de lo que, a través de numerosos diálogos, este gran personaje vivió en aquellos tiempos. Defensor de la República a ultranza, tuvo que lidiar con dictadores a los que negó su apoyo. Y aunque parece que nunca llegó a formar parte de la conspiración para asesinar a César, finalmente su hijo adoptivo, Octaviano (más tarde Augusto), ordenó su fatal desenlace, cuando Cicerón comenzó a ver en lo que se convertiría.
Una historia fascinante, que, aunque conozcas con antelación, te atrapará. Recomendable sí o sí a los amantes de la historia de Roma. Es una novela, pero casi podría pasar por un ensayo. Ha valido la pena esperar tantos años, tras “Imperium” y “Conspiración”, pues “Dictator” está a la altura, e incluso supera a las anteriores.
Los últimos años de la vida de Cicerón (58ac-43ac) están magníficamente narrados por Tiro, que le sobrevivió y legó para la posteridad una invención ampliamente utilizada: La taquigrafía. Tiro nos cuenta con fluidez ese periodo turbulento, en el que Roma vio el colapso de la República y la transición hacia el Imperio. Gracias, en parte, a los numerosos escritos de Cicerón que pudieron llegar a la posteridad, Harris teje un perfil muy bien documentado y creíble de lo que, a través de numerosos diálogos, este gran personaje vivió en aquellos tiempos. Defensor de la República a ultranza, tuvo que lidiar con dictadores a los que negó su apoyo. Y aunque parece que nunca llegó a formar parte de la conspiración para asesinar a César, finalmente su hijo adoptivo, Octaviano (más tarde Augusto), ordenó su fatal desenlace, cuando Cicerón comenzó a ver en lo que se convertiría.
Una historia fascinante, que, aunque conozcas con antelación, te atrapará. Recomendable sí o sí a los amantes de la historia de Roma. Es una novela, pero casi podría pasar por un ensayo. Ha valido la pena esperar tantos años, tras “Imperium” y “Conspiración”, pues “Dictator” está a la altura, e incluso supera a las anteriores.
October 22, 2022
„няма по-възвишен мотив да влезеш в обществения живот от решението да не бъдеш управляван от зли хора.“
Историческите романи най-често експлоатират два сюжета – Втората световна война или Древния Рим. С първите съм предозирала, с вторите нямам никакъв опит. С DICTATOR ме споходи късметът на начинаещия – оказа се много вдъхновена, актуална и смислена книга от станалия вече мой любим автор Робърт Харис.
Романът проследява последните години от живота на общественика, преразказани от неговия личен секретар Тирон, започвайки с изгнанието му по време на първия Триумвират и завършвайки с бруталната му смърт от легионерите на Октавиан. Неговият край е и финалният драматичен акорд на Рим като република, направлявана от реално действащ сенат и консули.
Дори две хиляди години по-късно Цицерон си остава един от символите на републикански Рим, философ, оратор, общественик, държавник. Ренесансов преди италианците да преоткрият наследството на неговата цивилизация. Изповядва идеите за върховенство на закона, свобода на словото и разделение на властите много преди Монтескьо, Русо и Лок цели 18 века след него. Притежава съзнанието на човека от Новото време, който, лишен от излишна скромност, иска да остави възможно най-пълни мемоари за делата си; който се интересува какво ще кажат потомците за него и на това съображение подчинява действията и решенията си.
Разбира се, като всеки с активно участие в обществените дела, могат да му се припишат много политически грехове и лични слабости. Суетата и плахостта характерни за умозрителния философ-държавник не подминава и него. Изгнанието извън Италия е жесток удар по неговото чувство за гражданска значимост и социален престиж, на високото мнение, което има за себе си като мъдър съветник на първите мъже на Рим. Точно тази „социална“ суета му изиграва жестока шега. Животът никога не оставя на мира такива като него. Не мирясва дори когато ветровете са задухали ясно в противоположна на неговите убеждения посока.
Типично за драматичния период, в който живее, Цицерон доживява да види реализиран най-големият му страх – гражданска война, концентриране на еднолична власт от Цезар, вулгарността на Марк Антоний – един от най-нестабилните периоди в историята на Рим, предшестващ разпада на Републиката. Ще се бори докрай да спаси това, в което вярва, пропускайки в този процес момента, в който може да спаси себе си.
„Ала за политиката със сигурност може да се каже едно: тя никога не е статична. Добрите времена не траят вечно, но това важи и за лошите.“
„Както обикновено е с най-лютите врагове, отначало той беше приятел.“
„Емпатията е същността на ораторското изкуство.“
„Колко много ядове си спестява човек, като откаже да има вземане-даване с общото стадо! Да нямаш служба, да отдадеш времето си на литература е най-прекрасното нещо на света.“
„Всички войни са ужасни, но най-лоши са гражданските.“
Историческите романи най-често експлоатират два сюжета – Втората световна война или Древния Рим. С първите съм предозирала, с вторите нямам никакъв опит. С DICTATOR ме споходи късметът на начинаещия – оказа се много вдъхновена, актуална и смислена книга от станалия вече мой любим автор Робърт Харис.
Романът проследява последните години от живота на общественика, преразказани от неговия личен секретар Тирон, започвайки с изгнанието му по време на първия Триумвират и завършвайки с бруталната му смърт от легионерите на Октавиан. Неговият край е и финалният драматичен акорд на Рим като република, направлявана от реално действащ сенат и консули.
Дори две хиляди години по-късно Цицерон си остава един от символите на републикански Рим, философ, оратор, общественик, държавник. Ренесансов преди италианците да преоткрият наследството на неговата цивилизация. Изповядва идеите за върховенство на закона, свобода на словото и разделение на властите много преди Монтескьо, Русо и Лок цели 18 века след него. Притежава съзнанието на човека от Новото време, който, лишен от излишна скромност, иска да остави възможно най-пълни мемоари за делата си; който се интересува какво ще кажат потомците за него и на това съображение подчинява действията и решенията си.
Разбира се, като всеки с активно участие в обществените дела, могат да му се припишат много политически грехове и лични слабости. Суетата и плахостта характерни за умозрителния философ-държавник не подминава и него. Изгнанието извън Италия е жесток удар по неговото чувство за гражданска значимост и социален престиж, на високото мнение, което има за себе си като мъдър съветник на първите мъже на Рим. Точно тази „социална“ суета му изиграва жестока шега. Животът никога не оставя на мира такива като него. Не мирясва дори когато ветровете са задухали ясно в противоположна на неговите убеждения посока.
Типично за драматичния период, в който живее, Цицерон доживява да види реализиран най-големият му страх – гражданска война, концентриране на еднолична власт от Цезар, вулгарността на Марк Антоний – един от най-нестабилните периоди в историята на Рим, предшестващ разпада на Републиката. Ще се бори докрай да спаси това, в което вярва, пропускайки в този процес момента, в който може да спаси себе си.
„Ала за политиката със сигурност може да се каже едно: тя никога не е статична. Добрите времена не траят вечно, но това важи и за лошите.“
„Както обикновено е с най-лютите врагове, отначало той беше приятел.“
„Емпатията е същността на ораторското изкуство.“
„Колко много ядове си спестява човек, като откаже да има вземане-даване с общото стадо! Да нямаш служба, да отдадеш времето си на литература е най-прекрасното нещо на света.“
„Всички войни са ужасни, но най-лоши са гражданските.“
November 7, 2015
And so farewell, Marcus Tullius Cicero … The twelve-year adventure of Robert Harris’s three-part fictionalized biography, narrated by his secretary Tiro, comes to an end. Dictator covers the last fifteen years of Cicero’s life, from the period of exile Clodius engineered for him in 58 to his death in 43. As such it narrates the final, prolonged death agonies of the Roman republic—one of the most weirdly compelling episodes in the whole of political history (at least for me.)
I agree entirely with another reviewer on this site, Blair, that this final volume in the trilogy is not as well composed as the earlier two in structural terms. The first, Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome, on Cicero’s career to the time of his election as consul in 63, covers around seven years in detail; the second, Lustrum, on the Catilinarian conspiracy and its aftermath, five years, as the title suggests. Harris concentrates in those novels on particular moments of high drama and paces his narration slowly enough to give a good sense of the intricacy and texture of late-republican Roman politics. In Dictator, things feel rushed and we are no sooner past one moment of drama than we are rattled on into the next. I wonder whether Harris might have been better advised to extend the series into a tetralogy, to give this last phase more breathing space—though no one could blame him if he were suffering a little from Cicero fatigue at this point.
Despite these quibbles, the book reads very well and there’s a great deal to enjoy in it (in a rather melancholy way.) Harris picks his way through the highly complex political and military history of the period with his usual adeptness and clarity, and some of the key scenes are memorably rendered, notably Caesar’s murder and the terrors following the establishment of the Second Triumvirate. One moment towards the end of the novel I thought especially effective: a scene when Cicero is taken to the Janiculum to address the newly arrived legions from Africa who are supposed to act as the last defence of the republic against Octavian’s approaching army. The scene as a whole shows a chilling disconnect between the wordy, republican, senatorial world embodied by Cicero and the raw, hungry power of the armies and their leaders. At the same time, Harris’s portrayal of the road to the Janiculum, through the mud-hut slums of Trastevere with their “saucer-eyed, starving children” is evocative, and hints at a broader and more complex analysis of the collapse of the republic than the novel actually offers us. (Though I wonder whether I have caught Harris out in an anachronism there—was the invention of the saucer really among the things “the Romans did for us?”)
As someone who has worked a lot academically on the later reception of Cicero, I found it moving to be reminded in this novel that the philosophical works of his so passionately cherished by medieval and early modern readers were composed in such desperate and chaotic circumstances, with the threat of persecution and death ever-present. Harris gives quite a lot of space at the end of the novel to the theme of Cicero’s posthumous survival in his writings, devoting a scene, for example, to the preservation of Cicero’s letters, his main source. “I may have lost the past,” he has Cicero say, “and lost the present, but I wonder if with this I may not yet win the future.” As Harris’s trilogy itself so vividly demonstrates, there’s very little disputing with that.
I agree entirely with another reviewer on this site, Blair, that this final volume in the trilogy is not as well composed as the earlier two in structural terms. The first, Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome, on Cicero’s career to the time of his election as consul in 63, covers around seven years in detail; the second, Lustrum, on the Catilinarian conspiracy and its aftermath, five years, as the title suggests. Harris concentrates in those novels on particular moments of high drama and paces his narration slowly enough to give a good sense of the intricacy and texture of late-republican Roman politics. In Dictator, things feel rushed and we are no sooner past one moment of drama than we are rattled on into the next. I wonder whether Harris might have been better advised to extend the series into a tetralogy, to give this last phase more breathing space—though no one could blame him if he were suffering a little from Cicero fatigue at this point.
Despite these quibbles, the book reads very well and there’s a great deal to enjoy in it (in a rather melancholy way.) Harris picks his way through the highly complex political and military history of the period with his usual adeptness and clarity, and some of the key scenes are memorably rendered, notably Caesar’s murder and the terrors following the establishment of the Second Triumvirate. One moment towards the end of the novel I thought especially effective: a scene when Cicero is taken to the Janiculum to address the newly arrived legions from Africa who are supposed to act as the last defence of the republic against Octavian’s approaching army. The scene as a whole shows a chilling disconnect between the wordy, republican, senatorial world embodied by Cicero and the raw, hungry power of the armies and their leaders. At the same time, Harris’s portrayal of the road to the Janiculum, through the mud-hut slums of Trastevere with their “saucer-eyed, starving children” is evocative, and hints at a broader and more complex analysis of the collapse of the republic than the novel actually offers us. (Though I wonder whether I have caught Harris out in an anachronism there—was the invention of the saucer really among the things “the Romans did for us?”)
As someone who has worked a lot academically on the later reception of Cicero, I found it moving to be reminded in this novel that the philosophical works of his so passionately cherished by medieval and early modern readers were composed in such desperate and chaotic circumstances, with the threat of persecution and death ever-present. Harris gives quite a lot of space at the end of the novel to the theme of Cicero’s posthumous survival in his writings, devoting a scene, for example, to the preservation of Cicero’s letters, his main source. “I may have lost the past,” he has Cicero say, “and lost the present, but I wonder if with this I may not yet win the future.” As Harris’s trilogy itself so vividly demonstrates, there’s very little disputing with that.
December 22, 2015
Achtung, Spoiler für diejenigen möglich, die Ciceros Geschichte nicht kennen und sich die Spannung erhalten wollen!
Rom, 58 v. Chr. Nachdem Cicero auf Betreiben von Clodius zum Staatsfeind erklärt wurde, muss er aus Rom, sogar aus Italien fliehen. Sein treuer Sekretär Tiro begleitet ihn natürlich, aber seine Familie muss er zurücklassen. Das Exil belastet Cicero schwer und eine Zeit lang sieht es gar nicht so aus, als ob es eine Chance auf Rückkehr gäbe.
Der letzte Teil der großartigen Cicero-Trilogie von Robert Harris behandelt den letzten Lebensabschnitt Ciceros und damit seine Exilzeit, die Rückkehr mit Billigung Caesars, den Bürgerkrieg um die römische Republik, den Sieg Caesars und seine Ernennung zum Diktator auf Lebenszeit sowie seine Ermordung und die unmittelbare Zeit danach.
Wie in den beiden Vorgängerbüchern wird die Geschichte von Tiro erzählt, den ich persönlich bereits richtig lieb gewonnen hatte. Ich habe diesen letzten Teil der Trilogie mit ebenso viel Begeisterung gelesen wie seine Vorgänger, mit der Einschränkung, dass ich mit dem Geschehen am Ende der Republik so vertraut bin, dass für mich natürlich keine Spannung entstehen konnte. Das war in den ersten Bänden anders, da ich über Ciceros Wirken und seine genialen Schachzüge vor der Zeit von Caesars Diktatur viel weniger wusste.
Besonders interessant fand ich die Darstellung Caesars, der in zunehmenden Maße größenwahnsinnig wird, sich gar zum Gott erklären lässt. In diesem Zusammenhang gab es Stellen, an denen ich schmunzeln musste.
Gegen Ende seines Lebens wird Cicero noch einmal zum mächtigsten Mann in Rom. Doch dann folgt der Verrat durch Octavian, den späteren Augustus, der hier frappierender erscheint als in dem Material, das ich bisher kannte. Die Ermordung Ciceros und vieler weiterer Senatoren tut dem Leser weh, doch letztlich hat Cicero, dem Opportunismus den Rücken gekehrt und ist sich selbst und der Republik treu geblieben. So fügt er sich in sein Schicksal.
Ein ungemein lehrreicher und doch gewohnt unterhaltsamer Roman, der wie die gesamte Trilogie ein ausgewogenes Cicero-Bild liefert.
Rom, 58 v. Chr. Nachdem Cicero auf Betreiben von Clodius zum Staatsfeind erklärt wurde, muss er aus Rom, sogar aus Italien fliehen. Sein treuer Sekretär Tiro begleitet ihn natürlich, aber seine Familie muss er zurücklassen. Das Exil belastet Cicero schwer und eine Zeit lang sieht es gar nicht so aus, als ob es eine Chance auf Rückkehr gäbe.
Der letzte Teil der großartigen Cicero-Trilogie von Robert Harris behandelt den letzten Lebensabschnitt Ciceros und damit seine Exilzeit, die Rückkehr mit Billigung Caesars, den Bürgerkrieg um die römische Republik, den Sieg Caesars und seine Ernennung zum Diktator auf Lebenszeit sowie seine Ermordung und die unmittelbare Zeit danach.
Wie in den beiden Vorgängerbüchern wird die Geschichte von Tiro erzählt, den ich persönlich bereits richtig lieb gewonnen hatte. Ich habe diesen letzten Teil der Trilogie mit ebenso viel Begeisterung gelesen wie seine Vorgänger, mit der Einschränkung, dass ich mit dem Geschehen am Ende der Republik so vertraut bin, dass für mich natürlich keine Spannung entstehen konnte. Das war in den ersten Bänden anders, da ich über Ciceros Wirken und seine genialen Schachzüge vor der Zeit von Caesars Diktatur viel weniger wusste.
Besonders interessant fand ich die Darstellung Caesars, der in zunehmenden Maße größenwahnsinnig wird, sich gar zum Gott erklären lässt. In diesem Zusammenhang gab es Stellen, an denen ich schmunzeln musste.
Gegen Ende seines Lebens wird Cicero noch einmal zum mächtigsten Mann in Rom. Doch dann folgt der Verrat durch Octavian, den späteren Augustus, der hier frappierender erscheint als in dem Material, das ich bisher kannte. Die Ermordung Ciceros und vieler weiterer Senatoren tut dem Leser weh, doch letztlich hat Cicero, dem Opportunismus den Rücken gekehrt und ist sich selbst und der Republik treu geblieben. So fügt er sich in sein Schicksal.
Ein ungemein lehrreicher und doch gewohnt unterhaltsamer Roman, der wie die gesamte Trilogie ein ausgewogenes Cicero-Bild liefert.
January 26, 2016
Fascinating window into the last 15 years of the life of Cicero, as narrated by his confidential secretary, Tiro. Tiro tells us he has recreated the story from Cicero's notes, correspondence, speeches, and of course Tiro's own eyewitness account of events. The eponymous Dictator of the title, who overshadows the whole story is, of course, Julius Caesar; the man also propels much of the action and Cicero's decisions. We see Cicero's exile, return to Rome, regaining his fame and the destruction of the Republic, including his death. We also follow Cicero's family life, both joyful and unhappy events. As the sibyl has told his wife Terentia: first there will be Three rulers, then Two, then One--and finally, None. It follows her prediction until the One--Emperor Augustus--arises and takes power. "None" will follow -- when?
Very readable and well written. In the class of McCullough's multi-volume work on the Roman Republic, but **much** more accessible--this was an excellent finish to Harris's Cicero trilogy. Cicero, Tiro, family, and other main characters were fully fleshed out. An interesting bit of trivia to me was that we still use remnants of Tiro's shorthand system today: &, etc., e.g., i.e., according to the Foreword.
Highly recommended. A "must-read" of this period.
Very readable and well written. In the class of McCullough's multi-volume work on the Roman Republic, but **much** more accessible--this was an excellent finish to Harris's Cicero trilogy. Cicero, Tiro, family, and other main characters were fully fleshed out. An interesting bit of trivia to me was that we still use remnants of Tiro's shorthand system today: &, etc., e.g., i.e., according to the Foreword.
Highly recommended. A "must-read" of this period.
September 7, 2017
Dictator covers Cicero's last 15 years and finally shows how the Roman Republic comes crashing down. An event that the two previous books have been building up to.
I wish I had the ability to convey the brilliance of these books but I know I can't.
History comes to life in Robert Harris's Cicero series, and it is engrossing and gorgeous. As a side effect, I learned about little things. Things that are not necessarily important. Cicero's secretary, Tiro, invented shorthand for example, and although it's not used anymore, certain elements still survive. Did you know that abbreviations such as 'e.g.' and 'etc' were invented by Tiro? I didn't, and I wouldn't have looked it up, either. But it's a testament to Tiro's genius that we still use them today.
It's also a testament to his gift that we know so much about events that happened over 2000 years ago, while so much is in the dark in the later centuries, especially after the fall of the Roman Empire. It gets to show how much the written word carries over time, influences our language and culture, gives a meaning to goals we have achieved and still strife to achieve.
This is a quote from the first book, Imperium:
We wouldn't know about the struggles between the two factions: those who wanted power above all else and were willing to sacrifice the republic, and those who fought for a system that was rotten to the core.
If you expect Robert Harris to paint the characters and events in black and white, though, you'll be in for a surprise. The main driving force on both sides is self-interest. Even Cicero, who is always praised for his morals, is a deeply flawed man whose vanity led to many vital mistakes. Nevertheless, despite his shortcomings, he was also a man who, when push came to shove, chose morals over self-interest.
As a side note: Having read the books, I had almost forgotten about Julius Ceasar's murder. So here I was, listening to the audio book (a different and much better narrator, by the way), sewing my bag as carefully as possible, trying to keep the fabric steady so as not to make it look wonky and then having to open the seams again. Let me assure you, a task that is as time consuming as it is tedious. Then the scene comes up: Ceasar's murder. And bam! I let go of the fabric, foot still on the foot pedal, and it all goes to shit. But who cares?!? It's brilliant in its build-up and narration. Breathtaking. That I had to open the seams again? Well worth it!
I wish I had the ability to convey the brilliance of these books but I know I can't.
History comes to life in Robert Harris's Cicero series, and it is engrossing and gorgeous. As a side effect, I learned about little things. Things that are not necessarily important. Cicero's secretary, Tiro, invented shorthand for example, and although it's not used anymore, certain elements still survive. Did you know that abbreviations such as 'e.g.' and 'etc' were invented by Tiro? I didn't, and I wouldn't have looked it up, either. But it's a testament to Tiro's genius that we still use them today.
It's also a testament to his gift that we know so much about events that happened over 2000 years ago, while so much is in the dark in the later centuries, especially after the fall of the Roman Empire. It gets to show how much the written word carries over time, influences our language and culture, gives a meaning to goals we have achieved and still strife to achieve.
This is a quote from the first book, Imperium:
"To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history."So true, and yet, without Tiro's meticulous documentation we wouldn't know. At least, not as thoroughly.
We wouldn't know about the struggles between the two factions: those who wanted power above all else and were willing to sacrifice the republic, and those who fought for a system that was rotten to the core.
If you expect Robert Harris to paint the characters and events in black and white, though, you'll be in for a surprise. The main driving force on both sides is self-interest. Even Cicero, who is always praised for his morals, is a deeply flawed man whose vanity led to many vital mistakes. Nevertheless, despite his shortcomings, he was also a man who, when push came to shove, chose morals over self-interest.
As a side note: Having read the books, I had almost forgotten about Julius Ceasar's murder. So here I was, listening to the audio book (a different and much better narrator, by the way), sewing my bag as carefully as possible, trying to keep the fabric steady so as not to make it look wonky and then having to open the seams again. Let me assure you, a task that is as time consuming as it is tedious. Then the scene comes up: Ceasar's murder. And bam! I let go of the fabric, foot still on the foot pedal, and it all goes to shit. But who cares?!? It's brilliant in its build-up and narration. Breathtaking. That I had to open the seams again? Well worth it!
February 5, 2015
Robert Harris is a master of historical fiction and this book is no exception to that. The final part in a trilogy , my only complaint is that it took so long to come out.
Told through the eyes of Tiro, possibly one of the most influential slaves in history (Spartacus has nothing on this guys legacy) it follows one of the biggest players in one of the most famous and unstable periods of history. The portrayal of Cicero is warts and all , showing all his strengths alongside all his weaknesses. The depth of research shines through with all the political players drawn in great detail,humanising the names of the greats and filling in the details of those around them but the real win for me is Tiro himself. The great observer to it all tells the story wonderfully and his own tale sits in the background very well.
I have love this series from start to end and its possibly Harris' greatest work.
Told through the eyes of Tiro, possibly one of the most influential slaves in history (Spartacus has nothing on this guys legacy) it follows one of the biggest players in one of the most famous and unstable periods of history. The portrayal of Cicero is warts and all , showing all his strengths alongside all his weaknesses. The depth of research shines through with all the political players drawn in great detail,humanising the names of the greats and filling in the details of those around them but the real win for me is Tiro himself. The great observer to it all tells the story wonderfully and his own tale sits in the background very well.
I have love this series from start to end and its possibly Harris' greatest work.
March 2, 2017
Magnificent detailing of the last decades of an incredible life.
After #2 which was dense beyond complexity in numbers of characters, nuance of alliances, and progressions to philosophy/ courts/ law of Cicero's written and vocal works- #3 was clearer to read, for me, in connotation for the causes to the fall outs.
There are so many quotes worth recording or considering that the entire book holds at least one per page. Not only the more commonly heard or notorious for their author as the source- but others that hold as strongly within human government and law now, as they did then.
Also with Tiro and Atticus- both of those! The defining and connections of friendship!
Not a perfect person, but a perfect citizen? His flaws so much self-realized too, as Tiro knows.
This series is sublime for intuiting the feel of lost republic. Some others I have read are, as well. But none in such an individual or personal "eyes" for that entire successive Roman civil war century.
If you know your Roman history well, this is one of those books that will further put faces on those divans.
"We none of us needs to be reminded", he began, "least of all the gallant Nepos, of the frightful violence that gripped the city yesterday- violence which has at its core a shortage of that most basic of human needs, bread. Some of us believe it was an ill day when citizens were granted a free dole of corn in the first place, for it is human nature that what starts as gratitude quickly becomes dependency and ends as entitlement. This is the pass we have reached. I do not say we should rescind Clodius's law - it is too late for that; the public's morals are already corrupted, as no doubt he intended. But we must at least ensure that the supply of bread is continuous if we are to have civil order."
"To argue that to preserve our freedoms we must suspend our freedoms, that to safeguard our elections we must cancel elections, that to defend ourselves from dictatorship we must appoint a dictator, what logic is this?"
Freedom of speech! Cicero was a defender in all senses and definitions.
After #2 which was dense beyond complexity in numbers of characters, nuance of alliances, and progressions to philosophy/ courts/ law of Cicero's written and vocal works- #3 was clearer to read, for me, in connotation for the causes to the fall outs.
There are so many quotes worth recording or considering that the entire book holds at least one per page. Not only the more commonly heard or notorious for their author as the source- but others that hold as strongly within human government and law now, as they did then.
Also with Tiro and Atticus- both of those! The defining and connections of friendship!
Not a perfect person, but a perfect citizen? His flaws so much self-realized too, as Tiro knows.
This series is sublime for intuiting the feel of lost republic. Some others I have read are, as well. But none in such an individual or personal "eyes" for that entire successive Roman civil war century.
If you know your Roman history well, this is one of those books that will further put faces on those divans.
"We none of us needs to be reminded", he began, "least of all the gallant Nepos, of the frightful violence that gripped the city yesterday- violence which has at its core a shortage of that most basic of human needs, bread. Some of us believe it was an ill day when citizens were granted a free dole of corn in the first place, for it is human nature that what starts as gratitude quickly becomes dependency and ends as entitlement. This is the pass we have reached. I do not say we should rescind Clodius's law - it is too late for that; the public's morals are already corrupted, as no doubt he intended. But we must at least ensure that the supply of bread is continuous if we are to have civil order."
"To argue that to preserve our freedoms we must suspend our freedoms, that to safeguard our elections we must cancel elections, that to defend ourselves from dictatorship we must appoint a dictator, what logic is this?"
Freedom of speech! Cicero was a defender in all senses and definitions.
January 23, 2017
― “And so we drifted towards calamity. At times, Cicero was shrewd enough to see it. ‘Can a constitution devised centuries ago to replace a monarchy, and based upon a citizens’ militia, possibly hope to run an empire whose scope is beyond anything ever dreamed of by its framers? Or must the existence of standing armies and the influx of inconceivable wealth inevitably destroy our democratic system?”
― Robert Harris, Dictator
Ancient Rome has an urgent warning for us. The Roman emperor Commodus was a child of privilege turned demagogue, a man who blurred the boundaries of politics and spectacle and seemed to think himself beyond the rules of government. Sound familiar? It should. Ancient Rome is evidence that republics can fall. The passing of power between Mark Antony, Julius Caesar and Augustus led to Rome’s transition from a republic to an empire. Rome was once the most powerful civilization on Earth, yet it would eventually collapse.
Dictator is the final volume of Harris’s fictional trilogy about the life of Cicero, the Roman statesman, scholar, author and orator. This work of historical fiction more or less covers the closing third of Cicero’s life, beginning with Cicero’s exile to Thessalonica and ending with Cicero’s death and the collapse of the Roman Republic. Events are recounted by Cicero’s slave and scribe Tiro.
With the informal triumvirate of Julius Caesar, Pompey and Crassus now governing Rome, it seems unlikely that Cicero will be able to return. But loyalties and allegiances change quickly, and Cicero soon finds that it is possible for him to return to Rome, retaining his role as a promagistrate with his lictors and his place in the senate. Elated, he returned to Rome, where some time later the Senate passed a resolution restoring his property and ordered reparations to be made.
Despite this, Cicero discovers that it is not the same city he left just a year before. Tensions between Caesar and Pompey lead to civil war, and Cicero suspects he is witnessing the destruction of the republic. With the assassination of Caesar after several years of dictatorship comes the sense that Rome is entering a new era.
Harris has managed to bring to life a period of history that feels both strangely familiar to the reader and alive despite its historical distance. Cicero’s life is fascinating, if for no other reason than witnessing how the power of words and ideas can shape the course of a nation. As one might expect of a novel dealing with politics, it is full of intrigue and infighting as the main characters jostle for power. The reader is given a ringside seat to debates in the Senate and the treacheries that marked this period of Roman history. The reader is also witness to a very recognizable set of human strengths, foibles, vices and values. Even readers without much interest in Ancient Rome should find reading about the workings of Roman politics interesting. Author Harris consistently produces works that are solid four-star books.
― Robert Harris, Dictator
Ancient Rome has an urgent warning for us. The Roman emperor Commodus was a child of privilege turned demagogue, a man who blurred the boundaries of politics and spectacle and seemed to think himself beyond the rules of government. Sound familiar? It should. Ancient Rome is evidence that republics can fall. The passing of power between Mark Antony, Julius Caesar and Augustus led to Rome’s transition from a republic to an empire. Rome was once the most powerful civilization on Earth, yet it would eventually collapse.
Dictator is the final volume of Harris’s fictional trilogy about the life of Cicero, the Roman statesman, scholar, author and orator. This work of historical fiction more or less covers the closing third of Cicero’s life, beginning with Cicero’s exile to Thessalonica and ending with Cicero’s death and the collapse of the Roman Republic. Events are recounted by Cicero’s slave and scribe Tiro.
With the informal triumvirate of Julius Caesar, Pompey and Crassus now governing Rome, it seems unlikely that Cicero will be able to return. But loyalties and allegiances change quickly, and Cicero soon finds that it is possible for him to return to Rome, retaining his role as a promagistrate with his lictors and his place in the senate. Elated, he returned to Rome, where some time later the Senate passed a resolution restoring his property and ordered reparations to be made.
Despite this, Cicero discovers that it is not the same city he left just a year before. Tensions between Caesar and Pompey lead to civil war, and Cicero suspects he is witnessing the destruction of the republic. With the assassination of Caesar after several years of dictatorship comes the sense that Rome is entering a new era.
Harris has managed to bring to life a period of history that feels both strangely familiar to the reader and alive despite its historical distance. Cicero’s life is fascinating, if for no other reason than witnessing how the power of words and ideas can shape the course of a nation. As one might expect of a novel dealing with politics, it is full of intrigue and infighting as the main characters jostle for power. The reader is given a ringside seat to debates in the Senate and the treacheries that marked this period of Roman history. The reader is also witness to a very recognizable set of human strengths, foibles, vices and values. Even readers without much interest in Ancient Rome should find reading about the workings of Roman politics interesting. Author Harris consistently produces works that are solid four-star books.
January 23, 2018
A brilliant conclusion to a brilliant series! I love the characterisation, and the writing and pacing is just perfect throughout.
March 29, 2023
After really enjoying the first two of these books, this conclusion felt a little soulless. The writing is still good, and there are some great quotes. I really liked how the last chapter was written. But a lot of what is enjoyable in the first two is not really present here. Cicero doesn't have a lot of rousing speeches or petty barbs, he's not out there ruining his own life, there are no trials so he doesn't get any chances to really LWYRUP. The political machinations were happening so fast that they might as well have not been happening at all, insofar as Cicero, Tiro, and the reader have to do with it.
So much of this book was just narrating things that happen- things which I already know- that it became almost indistinguishable from narrative nonfiction at times. They went here, they did that, then this happened. At times, Tiro even uses Cicero's personal accounts after the fact because Tiro isn't present, increasing just how much this felt more like a biography and less like a novel. The previous villains of the series - Crassus, Pompey, Caesar, Clodius - are spending so much time dealing with each other that they don't even realize Cicero's there.
There are times when this isn't the case. Tiro himself gets more space to have his own life here, which I appreciate. In fact, this is probably Tiro's best book in terms of being a three dimensional character, but it is in exchange for him having practically zero impact on the proceedings of the novel, so it's a suspect trade off. Cicero also has some really nice moments with Tullia and Attacus. But it never felt like I was reading a conclusion to a trilogy. It felt like real life, where sometimes people's most important events are earlier and then they spend their old age watching the warring young boys and yelling at clouds. I wonder, was Cicero a real person?
And therein lies the problem. A lot of this is not Harris's fault. The things that happen during this time period happen. Cicero is only involved tangentially. He spends his time cursing the people who led the Republic to its doom and his life is largely in the hands of others. Tiro even more so. Cicero's previous team - Attacus, Quintus, Hortensius, Terrentia, were not around him during this time. Meanwhile, there are SO many things happening that you have to work in somehow. Brutus is barely mentioned! His relationship with Caesar is never really mentioned. You can't change who dies when and how, lest you get the history nerds on your case. I get it.
However, Harris elected to write these books, and he decided to make it a trilogy, and so I am allowed to think it was a big task and he didn't land it well enough. Making this four books and letting it feel more like a personal narrative with Cicero etc would have given breathing time and more life to this whiplash of events. I actually even think that sticking to real history so closely became a bit of a negative in telling this particular story, which I'm sure many people will disagree with. I don't suddenly want Cicero to challenge Caesar to a duel. But I do think in telling a life in three parts, it is condonable to make some changes in order to tell a more cohesive, finished story. I don't know where the balance lies. Some will think sticking to reality is 100% the right course. Some will have wanted that duel with Caesar, I'm sure. But whatever the answer is, I don't think I was satisfied here.
As a final positive, the last two pages of this book are excellent, and a fitting send off.
So much of this book was just narrating things that happen- things which I already know- that it became almost indistinguishable from narrative nonfiction at times. They went here, they did that, then this happened. At times, Tiro even uses Cicero's personal accounts after the fact because Tiro isn't present, increasing just how much this felt more like a biography and less like a novel. The previous villains of the series - Crassus, Pompey, Caesar, Clodius - are spending so much time dealing with each other that they don't even realize Cicero's there.
There are times when this isn't the case. Tiro himself gets more space to have his own life here, which I appreciate. In fact, this is probably Tiro's best book in terms of being a three dimensional character, but it is in exchange for him having practically zero impact on the proceedings of the novel, so it's a suspect trade off. Cicero also has some really nice moments with Tullia and Attacus. But it never felt like I was reading a conclusion to a trilogy. It felt like real life, where sometimes people's most important events are earlier and then they spend their old age watching the warring young boys and yelling at clouds. I wonder, was Cicero a real person?
And therein lies the problem. A lot of this is not Harris's fault. The things that happen during this time period happen. Cicero is only involved tangentially. He spends his time cursing the people who led the Republic to its doom and his life is largely in the hands of others. Tiro even more so. Cicero's previous team - Attacus, Quintus, Hortensius, Terrentia, were not around him during this time. Meanwhile, there are SO many things happening that you have to work in somehow. Brutus is barely mentioned! His relationship with Caesar is never really mentioned. You can't change who dies when and how, lest you get the history nerds on your case. I get it.
However, Harris elected to write these books, and he decided to make it a trilogy, and so I am allowed to think it was a big task and he didn't land it well enough. Making this four books and letting it feel more like a personal narrative with Cicero etc would have given breathing time and more life to this whiplash of events. I actually even think that sticking to real history so closely became a bit of a negative in telling this particular story, which I'm sure many people will disagree with. I don't suddenly want Cicero to challenge Caesar to a duel. But I do think in telling a life in three parts, it is condonable to make some changes in order to tell a more cohesive, finished story. I don't know where the balance lies. Some will think sticking to reality is 100% the right course. Some will have wanted that duel with Caesar, I'm sure. But whatever the answer is, I don't think I was satisfied here.
As a final positive, the last two pages of this book are excellent, and a fitting send off.
September 1, 2025
Dictator is the third and final volume in Robert Harris's Cicero trilogy, covering Marcus Tullius Cicero's life from 58-43 BC. The storyline features Cicero’s political maneuverings during rise of the First Triumvirate (Caesar, Pompey, & Crassus). The story begins with Cicero’s return to Rome after being exiled due to his conflict with Clodius. Julius Caesar is off to conquer Gaul, and his growing power is threatening the Republic. Cicero is concerned about the disregard for the Constitution and uses his oratory powers to try to save it.
The framing device is brilliant. Cicero’s slave and scribe, Tiro, is in the process of writing Cicero’s biography years after these events transpired, which gives him the benefit of perspective. He also serves as witness by accompanying Cicero almost everywhere, which has allowed him to capture events for posterity. It is structured chronologically and covers the major political crises of the time. I particularly enjoyed the integration of Cicero’s actual speeches and letters directly into the narrative. Harris does a great job of maintaining the pacing and tension despite most readers knowing the outcome before even starting the book. It balances political intrigue with personal relationships, so I felt like I got to know these people.
I felt fully immersed in this book and could picture the scenes in my mind’s eye (almost like a film running through my head) as I read the words on the page. It covers an important topic for our present time. It examines the fragility of democratic institutions under pressure from those who would be dictators. It highlights the roles of rumors, persuasion, and rhetoric. It addresses themes of integrity and moral compromise in public life. The author has obviously done extensive research and makes ancient politics relevant to contemporary readers. It is one of the finest historical fictions I have read.
The framing device is brilliant. Cicero’s slave and scribe, Tiro, is in the process of writing Cicero’s biography years after these events transpired, which gives him the benefit of perspective. He also serves as witness by accompanying Cicero almost everywhere, which has allowed him to capture events for posterity. It is structured chronologically and covers the major political crises of the time. I particularly enjoyed the integration of Cicero’s actual speeches and letters directly into the narrative. Harris does a great job of maintaining the pacing and tension despite most readers knowing the outcome before even starting the book. It balances political intrigue with personal relationships, so I felt like I got to know these people.
I felt fully immersed in this book and could picture the scenes in my mind’s eye (almost like a film running through my head) as I read the words on the page. It covers an important topic for our present time. It examines the fragility of democratic institutions under pressure from those who would be dictators. It highlights the roles of rumors, persuasion, and rhetoric. It addresses themes of integrity and moral compromise in public life. The author has obviously done extensive research and makes ancient politics relevant to contemporary readers. It is one of the finest historical fictions I have read.
January 12, 2016
This is the last book in Harris’s trilogy of Cicero. I am fascinated and amazed at this tremendous creation of Cicero. Harris stays meticulously close to Cicero’s own words. About 900 of Cicero’s letters have survived, many to his friend Atticus, his brother, Quintus and his wife Terentia. I love this quote from Cicero written two thousand years ago “I have put out my books and now my house has a soul”.
As in the first book of the trilogy “Imperium” Tiro, Cicero’s slave (later freeman) remains the narrator of the story. This book covers from 58 B.C. when Cicero goes into exile to his death in 43 B.C. . . I believe that Harris had more difficulties with this book as the latter years of the Roman Republics were impossibly complex, with an enormous cast of characters. Cicero’s later years were reduced to a small part as the conflict took place on the battle field instead of the court of law and the senate. Harris effectively tells the part of the battles via letters.
The book is well written and meticulously researched. Harris is a fabulous story teller. It took Harris twelve years to write this trilogy. According to the author’s notes, Tiro outlived Cicero and really did write a multi-volume biography of Cicero and as noted in “Imperium” he really did invent a form of shorthand some of which is still in use today, such as the use of “etc.” and other abbreviations from the Latin. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. This is historical fiction at its very best. David Rintoul did a good job narrating this trilogy.
As in the first book of the trilogy “Imperium” Tiro, Cicero’s slave (later freeman) remains the narrator of the story. This book covers from 58 B.C. when Cicero goes into exile to his death in 43 B.C. . . I believe that Harris had more difficulties with this book as the latter years of the Roman Republics were impossibly complex, with an enormous cast of characters. Cicero’s later years were reduced to a small part as the conflict took place on the battle field instead of the court of law and the senate. Harris effectively tells the part of the battles via letters.
The book is well written and meticulously researched. Harris is a fabulous story teller. It took Harris twelve years to write this trilogy. According to the author’s notes, Tiro outlived Cicero and really did write a multi-volume biography of Cicero and as noted in “Imperium” he really did invent a form of shorthand some of which is still in use today, such as the use of “etc.” and other abbreviations from the Latin. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. This is historical fiction at its very best. David Rintoul did a good job narrating this trilogy.
September 11, 2022
Dit is het derde deel van het drieluik over het leven van Cicero. Het is al een tijdje geleden dat ik de eerste twee delen gelezen heb, maar omdat het over zo'n bekende periode in de Romeinse geschiedenis gaat, was het makkelijk om de draad weer op te pikken.
De belangrijkste onderwerpen in dit boek zijn de moord op Caesar en de opkomst van Octavianus, de latere keizer Augustus. Op politiek vlak is er heel veel gaande in deze tijd, en Cicero speelt een belangrijke rol in de gebeurtenissen. Hij doet er alles aan om te helpen de republiek te herstellen, maar voor enkele machtige mannen is persoonlijk gewin belangrijker. Cicero moet zijn bemoeienissen dan ook met de dood bekopen. Zijn levensverhaal werd opgetekend door zijn vroegere slaaf en vriend, Tiro, volgens de strekking van dit boek.
Dit is weer een stukje geromantiseerde geschiedenis zoals ik het graag lees. Harris weet hoe hij de personages tot leven moet brengen, en de lezer laten delen in hun wel en wee. Knap staaltje auteurswerk!
De belangrijkste onderwerpen in dit boek zijn de moord op Caesar en de opkomst van Octavianus, de latere keizer Augustus. Op politiek vlak is er heel veel gaande in deze tijd, en Cicero speelt een belangrijke rol in de gebeurtenissen. Hij doet er alles aan om te helpen de republiek te herstellen, maar voor enkele machtige mannen is persoonlijk gewin belangrijker. Cicero moet zijn bemoeienissen dan ook met de dood bekopen. Zijn levensverhaal werd opgetekend door zijn vroegere slaaf en vriend, Tiro, volgens de strekking van dit boek.
Dit is weer een stukje geromantiseerde geschiedenis zoals ik het graag lees. Harris weet hoe hij de personages tot leven moet brengen, en de lezer laten delen in hun wel en wee. Knap staaltje auteurswerk!
June 14, 2026
Cicero lives by a philosophy of living a good life is important even if it means putting your life in danger. The good life is standing by the Roman Republic's democratic principles of representative government, separation of powers, and the rule of law. Cicero has an inkling that the Republic is doomed when he contemplates how it can survive with newly acquired far flung territories and the immense armies loyal to their commanders only. Cicero could have saved himself by going to Greece to be a philosopher but stays in Rome to defend the principles of the doomed Republic. Most would have fled but Cicero is a man of principle and that sealed his doom.
March 15, 2016
"While there is life there is hope". - Cicero. These words were spoken by a man who had seen it all and continued to believe in the hope, the promise of a free society in which people could speak their mind. This defender of democracy is relevant today and will remain so because wherever there is democracy there are those with money and a willingness to use violence who will threaten liberty for their own power and glory. Democracy is an equilibrium. Its balance is maintained by people who are brave enough to vote and speak out. countering would be leaders who use fear and intimidation to erode freedom.
Compared to other animals, humans succeed without claws, a protective shell, great speed or any remarkable physical attribute. In similar fashion, Cicero, the great Roman orator and politician relied on his brain as he sought to protect the world's longest democracy in the literally cutthroat arena of Rome in the time of Julius Caesar. Cicero used logic, hope and a legendary power of persuasion honed to identify, influence and harness an audience's impulses.
"Dictator" is the third in the trilogy. Robert Harris portrays this bit of history as it should always be: a nail biter, a page turner of fiery emotions, blood and tears, ambition and revenge, family loyalty and betrayal - life on earth.
Harris is painstaking about putting us in this time, seeing this world through the eyes of Cicero's secretary, Tiro. We are left to draw our own connections to the present and they are obvious. As I write this Donald trump is running for on a platform that stresses closing borders and military strength. This would not be foreign to Cicero. This statesman wrote for posterity and his words are important to us now,
"Just as a pilot is to ensure a s,oath passage for his ship, and of a doctor to make his patient healthy, so the statesman's objective must be the happiness of his country. Not once has either Caesar or Pompey conceived of their role in that way. For them, it is all a matter of their personal glory."
Time and again in the life of Cicero threats to the Republic appeared. The ability to recognize these threats to democracy and then to quickly organize and effort to prevent them is a lesson he learned and is effectively brought home by Harris. TheRoman Republic that lasted for six hundred years was lost. It is not alarmist for members of every democracy to reflect on Cicero's words,
"To argue that to preserve our freedoms we must suspend our freedoms, that to safeguard our elections we must cancel elections, that to defend ourselves from dictatorship we must appoint a dictator, what logic is this?"
Compared to other animals, humans succeed without claws, a protective shell, great speed or any remarkable physical attribute. In similar fashion, Cicero, the great Roman orator and politician relied on his brain as he sought to protect the world's longest democracy in the literally cutthroat arena of Rome in the time of Julius Caesar. Cicero used logic, hope and a legendary power of persuasion honed to identify, influence and harness an audience's impulses.
"Dictator" is the third in the trilogy. Robert Harris portrays this bit of history as it should always be: a nail biter, a page turner of fiery emotions, blood and tears, ambition and revenge, family loyalty and betrayal - life on earth.
Harris is painstaking about putting us in this time, seeing this world through the eyes of Cicero's secretary, Tiro. We are left to draw our own connections to the present and they are obvious. As I write this Donald trump is running for on a platform that stresses closing borders and military strength. This would not be foreign to Cicero. This statesman wrote for posterity and his words are important to us now,
"Just as a pilot is to ensure a s,oath passage for his ship, and of a doctor to make his patient healthy, so the statesman's objective must be the happiness of his country. Not once has either Caesar or Pompey conceived of their role in that way. For them, it is all a matter of their personal glory."
Time and again in the life of Cicero threats to the Republic appeared. The ability to recognize these threats to democracy and then to quickly organize and effort to prevent them is a lesson he learned and is effectively brought home by Harris. TheRoman Republic that lasted for six hundred years was lost. It is not alarmist for members of every democracy to reflect on Cicero's words,
"To argue that to preserve our freedoms we must suspend our freedoms, that to safeguard our elections we must cancel elections, that to defend ourselves from dictatorship we must appoint a dictator, what logic is this?"
June 16, 2026
“Always at such moments I think of Scipio’s dream of where dead statesmen dwell in On the Republic*:
‘I gazed in every direction and all appeared wonderfully beautiful. There were stars which we never see from earth, and they were all larger than we have ever imagined. The starry spheres were much greater than the earth; indeed the earth itself seemed to me so small that I was scornful of our empire, which covers only a single point, as it were, upon its surface.
‘If you will only look on high,’ the old statesman tells Scipio, ‘and contemplate this eternal home and resting place, you will no longer bother with the gossip of the common herd or put your trust in human reward for your exploits. Nor will any man’s reputation endure very long, for what men say dies with them and is blotted out with the forgetfulness of posterity.’
All that will remain of us is what is written down.”
*Cicero’s politically and philosophically Romanized redux of Plato’s Republic. The quoted passage here is one of the dialogue’s most famous.
This was a great book, a powerful book, and the last—and best—of Robert Harris’s Cicero trilogy; an epic conclusion befitting the most dramatic and extraordinary epoch in human history. Harris’s three Cicero novels are written from the first person perspective of Tiro, a historical personage who actually did write a biography of Cicero that was later referenced by Plutarch and Suetonius. Alas, Tiro’s biography of Cicero does not survive (for lovers of history and of books, a tragedy nearly on par with the central tragedy of the books’ plot), though Tiro himself lived a life almost as impressive and singular as that of his master. He was born a slave of the wealthy but provincial Cicero family, who hailed from Arpinum, about sixty miles from Rome, and in his late teens or early twenties (Tiro was born in 104 BCE and Cicero in 106, making Tiro about two years Cicero’s junior), was chosen by the young Marcus Tullius to be his secretary and amanuensis—a position which was to give Tiro unparalleled access to the statesman throughout his long political career, as well as a unique vantage point on his work. It was also in his position as amanuensis that Tiro developed a revolutionary system of shorthand for which he became the first, and, I believe, only freedman to ever be officially honored by the Roman Senate (some of the innovations he made in shorthand still survive—e.g. the term “e.g.,” as well as “i.e.” and the ampersand. Maybe not quite on the same level as the Philippics or On the Republic, but truly incredible, nevertheless).
Although Cicero eventually granted Tiro his freedom, Tiro chose to remain at his former master’s side until his (Cicero’s) death, at which point Tiro set about writing the great man’s biography. (I can see the “Gladiator”-like movie trailer now:
“… The man who became a slave. The slave who became a man Friday. The man Friday who became a modestly remunerated personal assistant. The personal assistant who chose to remain at his master’s side after being freed so he could write his biography…
Only in theaters this summer… ” (cue dramatic music))
If you’ve ever read history, chances are it’s either been about World War II or the late Roman Republic. The story of Cicero, Caesar, Pompey, Cato, Brutus, Antony, Cleopatra, Crassus, Catilina, et al. has been told so many times by so many of our greatest historians, biographers, historiographers, philosophers, ethnographers, sociologists, novelists, and poets (Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra are perhaps the best known renderings of the period, but it’s endlessly debatable), that I won’t recapitulate it here. Suffice it to say that Harris could have taken ten books to tell the story of Cicero’s life—his rise and fall, and rise… and fall—or even twenty, thirty, fifty books to tell it, and reading them would still be worth it. That’s how good the story is—the “real” story, I mean. Harris’s riff on the history, though, is both original and historically accurate—quite a difficult feat to pull off. And, of course, it’s desperately, thrillingly, compulsively readable.
While even a passing familiarity with the history behind the story is enough to feverishly enjoy these books, the more you know about the time period, the more enjoyment you’ll derive from it. So if you’re a little hazy on the history of the late Republic, brushing up a bit first would not be a bad idea. I loaned my copy of “Imperium” (book one in the series) to my dad as soon as I finished, but then took it back and gave him my copy of “Rubicon” by Tom Holland to read first instead. It’s a short history of Caesar’s astronomic rise and meteoric fall, centering on that most famous of river crossings, and is a perfect way for anyone who’s a bit rusty on Roman history to quickly reengage with all the relevant political machinations and melodramas of the late Republic before diving into the “Cicero” trilogy.
Hannah Arendt once said—only half-jokingly—that the worst kind of fame to have is posthumous fame. I tend to agree; after all, it ain’t exactly like you’ll be reaping the rewards at that point, is it? But if you’re to have it, why not have it like Cicero or Caesar or Cleopatra, and take it in spades? Two-thousand years on from their deaths, and we’re still telling and retelling their stories, and still interested in reading them.
‘I gazed in every direction and all appeared wonderfully beautiful. There were stars which we never see from earth, and they were all larger than we have ever imagined. The starry spheres were much greater than the earth; indeed the earth itself seemed to me so small that I was scornful of our empire, which covers only a single point, as it were, upon its surface.
‘If you will only look on high,’ the old statesman tells Scipio, ‘and contemplate this eternal home and resting place, you will no longer bother with the gossip of the common herd or put your trust in human reward for your exploits. Nor will any man’s reputation endure very long, for what men say dies with them and is blotted out with the forgetfulness of posterity.’
All that will remain of us is what is written down.”
*Cicero’s politically and philosophically Romanized redux of Plato’s Republic. The quoted passage here is one of the dialogue’s most famous.
This was a great book, a powerful book, and the last—and best—of Robert Harris’s Cicero trilogy; an epic conclusion befitting the most dramatic and extraordinary epoch in human history. Harris’s three Cicero novels are written from the first person perspective of Tiro, a historical personage who actually did write a biography of Cicero that was later referenced by Plutarch and Suetonius. Alas, Tiro’s biography of Cicero does not survive (for lovers of history and of books, a tragedy nearly on par with the central tragedy of the books’ plot), though Tiro himself lived a life almost as impressive and singular as that of his master. He was born a slave of the wealthy but provincial Cicero family, who hailed from Arpinum, about sixty miles from Rome, and in his late teens or early twenties (Tiro was born in 104 BCE and Cicero in 106, making Tiro about two years Cicero’s junior), was chosen by the young Marcus Tullius to be his secretary and amanuensis—a position which was to give Tiro unparalleled access to the statesman throughout his long political career, as well as a unique vantage point on his work. It was also in his position as amanuensis that Tiro developed a revolutionary system of shorthand for which he became the first, and, I believe, only freedman to ever be officially honored by the Roman Senate (some of the innovations he made in shorthand still survive—e.g. the term “e.g.,” as well as “i.e.” and the ampersand. Maybe not quite on the same level as the Philippics or On the Republic, but truly incredible, nevertheless).
Although Cicero eventually granted Tiro his freedom, Tiro chose to remain at his former master’s side until his (Cicero’s) death, at which point Tiro set about writing the great man’s biography. (I can see the “Gladiator”-like movie trailer now:
“… The man who became a slave. The slave who became a man Friday. The man Friday who became a modestly remunerated personal assistant. The personal assistant who chose to remain at his master’s side after being freed so he could write his biography…
Only in theaters this summer… ” (cue dramatic music))
If you’ve ever read history, chances are it’s either been about World War II or the late Roman Republic. The story of Cicero, Caesar, Pompey, Cato, Brutus, Antony, Cleopatra, Crassus, Catilina, et al. has been told so many times by so many of our greatest historians, biographers, historiographers, philosophers, ethnographers, sociologists, novelists, and poets (Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra are perhaps the best known renderings of the period, but it’s endlessly debatable), that I won’t recapitulate it here. Suffice it to say that Harris could have taken ten books to tell the story of Cicero’s life—his rise and fall, and rise… and fall—or even twenty, thirty, fifty books to tell it, and reading them would still be worth it. That’s how good the story is—the “real” story, I mean. Harris’s riff on the history, though, is both original and historically accurate—quite a difficult feat to pull off. And, of course, it’s desperately, thrillingly, compulsively readable.
While even a passing familiarity with the history behind the story is enough to feverishly enjoy these books, the more you know about the time period, the more enjoyment you’ll derive from it. So if you’re a little hazy on the history of the late Republic, brushing up a bit first would not be a bad idea. I loaned my copy of “Imperium” (book one in the series) to my dad as soon as I finished, but then took it back and gave him my copy of “Rubicon” by Tom Holland to read first instead. It’s a short history of Caesar’s astronomic rise and meteoric fall, centering on that most famous of river crossings, and is a perfect way for anyone who’s a bit rusty on Roman history to quickly reengage with all the relevant political machinations and melodramas of the late Republic before diving into the “Cicero” trilogy.
Hannah Arendt once said—only half-jokingly—that the worst kind of fame to have is posthumous fame. I tend to agree; after all, it ain’t exactly like you’ll be reaping the rewards at that point, is it? But if you’re to have it, why not have it like Cicero or Caesar or Cleopatra, and take it in spades? Two-thousand years on from their deaths, and we’re still telling and retelling their stories, and still interested in reading them.
May 15, 2020
В Ирак свалиха лошия диктатор. По-добре ли е Ирак сега? В Либия Кадафи беше както посмешището на света, така и брутален самодържец за либийците - но след като го убиха... по-добре ли е Либия сега?
Неслучайно краткия период на на падането на римската република и превръщането на държавата в империя продължава да бъде четен и препрочитан, да бъде обект на дебати и разкази в продължение на вече две хилядолетия. Събитията в него са толкова наситени, толкова архетипни за политиката, за човешката душа и поведение, че сякаш описват днешни хора и днешни събития.
Последната част от трилогията за живота на Цицерон ни показва както неговия край, така и края на римската република. Но и ни кара да си зададем въпроси: Можеше ли републиката да остане жива изобщо?. До какво води демокрацията, когато тълпата управлява? До какво води спазването на законите, ако биват използвани за разрушаване на държавността?
И най-вече ни кара да се замислим, дали демократичното управление е някаква свещена институция, която винаги и при всички обстоятелства е по-добра от всички останали форми на управление? Или това виждане е поредната свещена крава на съвременния цивилизован западен свят, която е крайно време да бъде заклана?
Когато кръвожадни банди владеят улиците, когато кланове и групировки воюват едни с други и с държавността, когато народът крещи за хляб и зрелища и използва законите за да иска не справедливост, а още и още безплатни подаръци... каква е ползата и какъв е смисълът от лелеяната ви демокрация и конституция?
Неслучайно краткия период на на падането на римската република и превръщането на държавата в империя продължава да бъде четен и препрочитан, да бъде обект на дебати и разкази в продължение на вече две хилядолетия. Събитията в него са толкова наситени, толкова архетипни за политиката, за човешката душа и поведение, че сякаш описват днешни хора и днешни събития.
Последната част от трилогията за живота на Цицерон ни показва както неговия край, така и края на римската република. Но и ни кара да си зададем въпроси: Можеше ли републиката да остане жива изобщо?. До какво води демокрацията, когато тълпата управлява? До какво води спазването на законите, ако биват използвани за разрушаване на държавността?
И най-вече ни кара да се замислим, дали демократичното управление е някаква свещена институция, която винаги и при всички обстоятелства е по-добра от всички останали форми на управление? Или това виждане е поредната свещена крава на съвременния цивилизован западен свят, която е крайно време да бъде заклана?
Когато кръвожадни банди владеят улиците, когато кланове и групировки воюват едни с други и с държавността, когато народът крещи за хляб и зрелища и използва законите за да иска не справедливост, а още и още безплатни подаръци... каква е ползата и какъв е смисълът от лелеяната ви демокрация и конституция?
November 2, 2017
The last 15 years of Cicero as told by his slave Tito.
As in the previous books, these are interesting and eventful years:
Cicero's exile
His return only to find Rome ruled by the first triumvirate of Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus .
The civil war and the dictatorship of Caesar.
Caesar's death and the second triumvirate of Octavianus , Mark Antony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus which lead to Cicero's death.
The writing is good and the presentation of the historical events from Cicero's point of view is refreshing. As Cicero was not a very significant power in these years and did not really have a leading position that influenced the events, I found this book a bit less powerful than the first two, but still enjoyed it.
As in the previous books, these are interesting and eventful years:
Cicero's exile
His return only to find Rome ruled by the first triumvirate of Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus .
The civil war and the dictatorship of Caesar.
Caesar's death and the second triumvirate of Octavianus , Mark Antony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus which lead to Cicero's death.
The writing is good and the presentation of the historical events from Cicero's point of view is refreshing. As Cicero was not a very significant power in these years and did not really have a leading position that influenced the events, I found this book a bit less powerful than the first two, but still enjoyed it.
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