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The Daughters of Palatine Hill
Two years after Emperor Augustus’s bloody defeat of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, he triumphantly returns to Rome. To his only child, Julia, he brings an unlikely companion—Selene, the daughter of the conquered Egyptian queen and her lover.
Under the watchful eye of Augustus’s wife, Livia, Selene struggles to accept her new home among her parents’ enemies. Bound together by kinship and spilled blood, these three women—Livia, Selene, and Julia—navigate the dangerous world of Rome’s ruling elite, their every move a political strategy, their most intimate decisions in the emperor’s hands.
Always suppressing their own desires for the good of Rome, each must fulfill her role. For astute Livia, this means unwavering fidelity to her all-powerful husband; for sensual Julia, surrender to an arranged marriage and denial of her craving for love and the pleasures of the flesh; for orphaned Selene, choosing between loyalty to her family’s killers and her wish for revenge.
Can they survive Rome’s deadly intrigues, or will they be swept away by the perilous currents of the world’s most powerful empire?
Under the watchful eye of Augustus’s wife, Livia, Selene struggles to accept her new home among her parents’ enemies. Bound together by kinship and spilled blood, these three women—Livia, Selene, and Julia—navigate the dangerous world of Rome’s ruling elite, their every move a political strategy, their most intimate decisions in the emperor’s hands.
Always suppressing their own desires for the good of Rome, each must fulfill her role. For astute Livia, this means unwavering fidelity to her all-powerful husband; for sensual Julia, surrender to an arranged marriage and denial of her craving for love and the pleasures of the flesh; for orphaned Selene, choosing between loyalty to her family’s killers and her wish for revenge.
Can they survive Rome’s deadly intrigues, or will they be swept away by the perilous currents of the world’s most powerful empire?
412 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 16, 2016
789 people are currently reading
2838 people want to read
About the author
Phyllis T. Smith
4 books187 followersI was born in Brooklyn, NY and still live about a mile from where I grew up. I received a bachelor’s degree from Brooklyn College and a master’s degree from New York University, and pursued a practical career, teaching computer applications to workers who needed new skills to succeed on the job.
I enjoyed helping my students realize their dreams. But I always yearned to write historical fiction and in my spare time immersed myself in the literature, art, and history of the ancient world. Eventually, I wrote a novel called I Am Livia about the unjustly maligned wife of Rome’s first emperor. My second novel The Daughters of Palatine Hill focuses on Livia’s stepdaughter Julia, and Cleopatra’s daughter Selene. I look forward to writing more novels set in ancient Rome.
I enjoyed helping my students realize their dreams. But I always yearned to write historical fiction and in my spare time immersed myself in the literature, art, and history of the ancient world. Eventually, I wrote a novel called I Am Livia about the unjustly maligned wife of Rome’s first emperor. My second novel The Daughters of Palatine Hill focuses on Livia’s stepdaughter Julia, and Cleopatra’s daughter Selene. I look forward to writing more novels set in ancient Rome.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 281 reviews
June 6, 2018
4.5 stars
I don't know why it took me this long to read this book after I read and enjoyed I Am Livia by the author, but I am glad I finally did! I recently visited Rome and as we walked on the Palatine Hill and forum, I thought I wanted to read some historical fiction about this city. The Daughters of Palatine Hill delivered a thoughtful, informative and creative story about three women and their lives in Rome during the reign of Augustus. Smith elegantly weaves fiction and fact to create a compelling story, and by the time I finished, I felt sad to let go of these intriguing characters. My only niggle is that I listened to the audiobook and the narrator who voiced Selene was just a bit grating. That being said, I really enjoyed this book and am happy to recommend it!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
I don't know why it took me this long to read this book after I read and enjoyed I Am Livia by the author, but I am glad I finally did! I recently visited Rome and as we walked on the Palatine Hill and forum, I thought I wanted to read some historical fiction about this city. The Daughters of Palatine Hill delivered a thoughtful, informative and creative story about three women and their lives in Rome during the reign of Augustus. Smith elegantly weaves fiction and fact to create a compelling story, and by the time I finished, I felt sad to let go of these intriguing characters. My only niggle is that I listened to the audiobook and the narrator who voiced Selene was just a bit grating. That being said, I really enjoyed this book and am happy to recommend it!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
March 9, 2016
4.5 stars
This book was captivating, I read it into the wee hours of the morning ! In my opinion, it fits perfectly the definition of historical fiction : it is based on known historical facts, but it recreates a whole universe during the reign of emperor Caesar Augustus and gives life to its characters thanks to the author's creativity and excellent storytelling.
The story is based on the intertwined points of view of Livia, emperor Augustus last wife and his one true love, Julia, his only daughter and Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, held captive in Rome after the death of her parents.
The author gives a vivid and nuanced picture of Livia and Julia, and shows the social condition and actual power of women close to the emperor in Ancient Rome. They had to find their place in a very dangerous world and were expected to serve the emperor's dynastic interests. For Julia, this meant arranged marriages with the expectation of producing an heir for the empire. For Cleopatra Selene, this meant ensuring her survival by all means, never showing her true feelings towards the imperial family.
This book is an easy read, there are no unnecessary descriptions of violence or cruelty. The sexual content is reduced to a minimum, but there are indications of the decadent world Rome was becoming at this period.
I would not qualify this story as a romance, although some parts of it are very romantic. It can be read as a standalone, but I would advise to read also the author's first book "I am Livia".
I recommend this great page-turner to all lovers of historical fiction !
I received an ARC, courtesy of publisher Lake Union Publishing, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.
This book was captivating, I read it into the wee hours of the morning ! In my opinion, it fits perfectly the definition of historical fiction : it is based on known historical facts, but it recreates a whole universe during the reign of emperor Caesar Augustus and gives life to its characters thanks to the author's creativity and excellent storytelling.
The story is based on the intertwined points of view of Livia, emperor Augustus last wife and his one true love, Julia, his only daughter and Cleopatra Selene, daughter of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, held captive in Rome after the death of her parents.
The author gives a vivid and nuanced picture of Livia and Julia, and shows the social condition and actual power of women close to the emperor in Ancient Rome. They had to find their place in a very dangerous world and were expected to serve the emperor's dynastic interests. For Julia, this meant arranged marriages with the expectation of producing an heir for the empire. For Cleopatra Selene, this meant ensuring her survival by all means, never showing her true feelings towards the imperial family.
This book is an easy read, there are no unnecessary descriptions of violence or cruelty. The sexual content is reduced to a minimum, but there are indications of the decadent world Rome was becoming at this period.
I would not qualify this story as a romance, although some parts of it are very romantic. It can be read as a standalone, but I would advise to read also the author's first book "I am Livia".
I recommend this great page-turner to all lovers of historical fiction !
I received an ARC, courtesy of publisher Lake Union Publishing, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.
September 23, 2016
Phyllis T Smith has convincingly imagined the lives of three women in the time of Augustus, Caesars heir and adopted son. The women are Livia, Julia and Cleopatra Selene, a daughter of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony. I say imagined, because there was little recorded by or about women during this time. And yet they played an important role in the chess game of Roman political life.
Women had no choice in who they married, could be divorced at the drop of a hat and were largely used as political pawns to forge important alliances for the men. Adultery was the charge brought against married women only who strayed from their marriages. Men could do what they liked.
I wish this author had written more. I enjoyed her first novel too. Kate Quinn also writes very well from women's points of views during the Roman Empire at its peak.
Recommended.
Women had no choice in who they married, could be divorced at the drop of a hat and were largely used as political pawns to forge important alliances for the men. Adultery was the charge brought against married women only who strayed from their marriages. Men could do what they liked.
I wish this author had written more. I enjoyed her first novel too. Kate Quinn also writes very well from women's points of views during the Roman Empire at its peak.
Recommended.
July 2, 2019
Yesterday, I journeyed back to Ancient Rome and followed three women- Livia, Cleopatra Selene, and Julia, as they told the story of their lives in the time of Caesear Augustus. It is a tale of women that lived, loved, and survived political upheavel and war.
You have to adapt to life as it comes, Selene, in order to live at all. Little in this world is just as it should be. You look at the choices the gods present to you, and then you choose.
As I have read many books on the life of Cleopatra and Mark Antony's daughter, Cleopatra Selene( see Michelle Moran, Stephanie Dray, and Vicky Alvear Schecter), it was too easy to recognize that this book really belongs to Augustus' daughter, Julia. Often written in history as nothing more than a spoiled child, Phyllis T Smith really breathed life and it was her story that I clinged to the most as Julia endured years as the emperor's pawn from one marriage to another.
The world is unfair to women. Only fools do not know this. And only fools beat their fists against stone, expecting it to yield like clay.
On the other hand, I do not want to diminish the role in which Livia and Selene play in this book as they are also both interesting women. Livia was able to deal with her husband's often ill temper and she does serve as the older and more wise woman in cautioning both Julia and Selene in some of their actions. As I have mentioned above, Cleopatra Selene was a true survivor and her story as a captive of Rome that eventually is allowed to marry, passing on the Ptolemy line and become a Queen is always going to be one of those fascianting stories in history that I will never tire of hearing about.
If you enjoy stories about Rome, women that history overlooks, or just need a good book to read- this is certainly the book for you!
Goodreads Review 02/07/19
You have to adapt to life as it comes, Selene, in order to live at all. Little in this world is just as it should be. You look at the choices the gods present to you, and then you choose.
As I have read many books on the life of Cleopatra and Mark Antony's daughter, Cleopatra Selene( see Michelle Moran, Stephanie Dray, and Vicky Alvear Schecter), it was too easy to recognize that this book really belongs to Augustus' daughter, Julia. Often written in history as nothing more than a spoiled child, Phyllis T Smith really breathed life and it was her story that I clinged to the most as Julia endured years as the emperor's pawn from one marriage to another.
The world is unfair to women. Only fools do not know this. And only fools beat their fists against stone, expecting it to yield like clay.
On the other hand, I do not want to diminish the role in which Livia and Selene play in this book as they are also both interesting women. Livia was able to deal with her husband's often ill temper and she does serve as the older and more wise woman in cautioning both Julia and Selene in some of their actions. As I have mentioned above, Cleopatra Selene was a true survivor and her story as a captive of Rome that eventually is allowed to marry, passing on the Ptolemy line and become a Queen is always going to be one of those fascianting stories in history that I will never tire of hearing about.
If you enjoy stories about Rome, women that history overlooks, or just need a good book to read- this is certainly the book for you!
Goodreads Review 02/07/19
March 29, 2020
Did not finish. The writing was quite simplistic. I can understand that for young Julia but not for adult Livia. The anachronisms were SO grating. A Roman soldier would not have popped off a "thanks" at the First Kid of Rome. I seriously doubt that Roman fathers walked their daughters down the aisle. And there was no Spain and no Italy at the time. Any amateur historian or fan of history would know that so one does assume that the author knows it, also, and is talking down to her modern audience.
October 12, 2018
It's not a bad book, and there is something engrossing about it. The history is sound. The depiction of Cleopatra Selene is really good. But I wanted more of something. More push. More drama, more tension. Julia too seemed a bit off at the end, as if the change were too sudden.
July 25, 2018
I finished this today and I would recommend it to anybody who enjoys a good story or is interested
in the lives of the Ancient Romans.
The Author Phyllis T. Smith does a good job of providing a portrait of three women in Rome during the reign of Ceasar Augustus/Octavian. Livia, the wife of Augustus, Julia, his daughter, and Cleopatra Selene, the daughter of Mark Antony and Cleopatra who along with her two brothers were spared by Augustus and adopted by his sister Octavia and raised as Romans. By and large they were treated well by Augustus's family and allowed to rise and attain high ranking positions but always under the watchful eye of Augustus should they decide to plot against him.
The book moves along a fast pace and does a good job of conveying the emotional complexities of these characters, but the dialogue reminded me a lot of I Claudius. That did not detract from the book in terms of being able to enjoy it so two thumbs up for me!
in the lives of the Ancient Romans.
The Author Phyllis T. Smith does a good job of providing a portrait of three women in Rome during the reign of Ceasar Augustus/Octavian. Livia, the wife of Augustus, Julia, his daughter, and Cleopatra Selene, the daughter of Mark Antony and Cleopatra who along with her two brothers were spared by Augustus and adopted by his sister Octavia and raised as Romans. By and large they were treated well by Augustus's family and allowed to rise and attain high ranking positions but always under the watchful eye of Augustus should they decide to plot against him.
The book moves along a fast pace and does a good job of conveying the emotional complexities of these characters, but the dialogue reminded me a lot of I Claudius. That did not detract from the book in terms of being able to enjoy it so two thumbs up for me!
March 20, 2020
Unforgettable line from Julia, daughter of the great and (later) divine Caesar Augustus, who was expected by Rome to be above reproach:
"There is an old tale that we of the Julian line are descended from the goddess of love. I doubt there is any truth to it. I have also heard Greek stories of women who incurred Aphrodite’s wrath by some awful trespass, and whom she therefore inflicted with inappeasable longing.
Was I one of these women? And if so, what had been my sin?"
"There is an old tale that we of the Julian line are descended from the goddess of love. I doubt there is any truth to it. I have also heard Greek stories of women who incurred Aphrodite’s wrath by some awful trespass, and whom she therefore inflicted with inappeasable longing.
Was I one of these women? And if so, what had been my sin?"
June 19, 2024
Detailed, dense without being slow or boring, full of rich versions of read people. Makes the inevitable feel less than predictable. Excellent followup to I Am Livia.
October 14, 2018
Although it switches between three different viewpoints--Livia, Julia, and Cleopatra Selene--this novel might as well be called The Downfall of Julia the Elder, because at its core this is really a story of how Augustus's daughter, starved for real love and used as a pawn, starred in a sex scandal that devastated her father and led to her banishment and eventual death.
Not to say that the book doesn't start out on a more promising note. Cleopatra Selene, living now after the loss of her parents and brothers with the family of Caesar Augustus, is a promising character, but we see little of her after she marries Juba II and goes with him to live in Mauretania. Livia is politically astute, sensible, living the life of a virtuous Roman matron while never so much as poisoning anybody; there's no evidence that she behaved the way Robert Graves portrays her in I, Claudius, and in fiction she's been rehabilitated since then, but you have to wonder sometimes whether she might have been tempted...
That leaves Julia, daughter and only child of Augustus, to be married, widowed, remarried, widowed, married yet again... Historically, she truly was a political pawn in the game of securing the Imperial succession, and it's easy to feel sorry for her, but there are moments when she comes across as too stupid to live. Was her later promiscuity really a matter of her having a romantic nature, or being oversexed? I always get the feeling that Suetonius, whose work The Twelve Caesars furnished much of the material on which I, Claudius was based, played up the salacious details especially when it came to badly behaved women.
Meanwhile, Tiberius broods--whatever was his problem, anyway?--Octavia pines for lost Marcellus, children are born, etc. Julia never seems particularly maternal, as we never see much of her with her offspring. Perhaps this reflects the real-life Julia, but it would have been nice to see her doing something besides hanging out with her friends of dubious moral character and having sex with every Celer, Dick, and Gracchus who can quote Catullus back to her.
Don't get me wrong, this is a well-written book and well worth the time if you like spending time with sensible women like Livia and Cleopatra Selene. Smith has done her research and early Imperial Rome does come alive. Just be prepared to be frustrated with Julia.
Not to say that the book doesn't start out on a more promising note. Cleopatra Selene, living now after the loss of her parents and brothers with the family of Caesar Augustus, is a promising character, but we see little of her after she marries Juba II and goes with him to live in Mauretania. Livia is politically astute, sensible, living the life of a virtuous Roman matron while never so much as poisoning anybody; there's no evidence that she behaved the way Robert Graves portrays her in I, Claudius, and in fiction she's been rehabilitated since then, but you have to wonder sometimes whether she might have been tempted...
That leaves Julia, daughter and only child of Augustus, to be married, widowed, remarried, widowed, married yet again... Historically, she truly was a political pawn in the game of securing the Imperial succession, and it's easy to feel sorry for her, but there are moments when she comes across as too stupid to live. Was her later promiscuity really a matter of her having a romantic nature, or being oversexed? I always get the feeling that Suetonius, whose work The Twelve Caesars furnished much of the material on which I, Claudius was based, played up the salacious details especially when it came to badly behaved women.
Meanwhile, Tiberius broods--whatever was his problem, anyway?--Octavia pines for lost Marcellus, children are born, etc. Julia never seems particularly maternal, as we never see much of her with her offspring. Perhaps this reflects the real-life Julia, but it would have been nice to see her doing something besides hanging out with her friends of dubious moral character and having sex with every Celer, Dick, and Gracchus who can quote Catullus back to her.
Don't get me wrong, this is a well-written book and well worth the time if you like spending time with sensible women like Livia and Cleopatra Selene. Smith has done her research and early Imperial Rome does come alive. Just be prepared to be frustrated with Julia.
February 12, 2016
Thank-you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for my advanced reading copy of this novel.
This novel is told from the perspectives of three very different women. Julia is the daughter of Emperor Augustus (heir to Julius Caesar), Livia is his wife and Selene is his ward, daughter of the defeated and now deceased Marc Anthony and Cleopatra. All three characters are striving to find their path in the new world of Rome after the civil war and the death of the Republic.
For the most part I found this novel to be Julia’s story. Her character not only had the most prose but was also the most vivid of the three. I came to feel a strong connection to her and therefore her bias became my own. Considering the two other main character’s opinions often conflicted with Julia’s it is quite telling that I sided with her the way I did. I truly felt every heartbreak and pitied every lonely thought that she had. The author states in her author’s note that her “biggest challenge in writing this novel was to portray her [Julia] as a psychologically comprehensible human being”. She absolutely succeeded. Julia’s character resonated with me in a way that the others did not and a very strong empathetic response was stirred. I greatly admire the author’s character development of Julia.
Overall this is not an action-packed novel, rather the focus is upon the three female protagonists and how their lives were affected by the everyday workings of the early Roman Empire. Augustus is portrayed as the personification of the Empire itself and therefore his whims become lore and his moods shape the lives of those around him. Taking up with Julia as I did meant that I did not like the character of Augustus at all. As a father he is a complete failure, regardless of how capable a ruler he was. Julia feels nothing more than a tool in his hand, used to help shape the Empire into what he wishes it to be. It is not surprising why she behaves as she does, a promiscuous wild child searching for the thing that is missing from her life: unselfish love. Once she finally finds it I became terrified that it would be taken from her. I fervently wished that this wouldn’t be the case, whilst at the same time picking up on the undertone of doom the author was filtering into the novel. Julia’s life felt very much like a car crash hurtling towards the inevitable.
Although I didn’t forge quite the same connection to Livia or Selene, I still appreciated what their voices brought to the novel. Livia’s undeniable love for Augustus went a little way towards humanizing a man who would have otherwise come across as completely robotic. Selene represented the mercy he could show and is portrayed as a living reminder of the civil war and the destruction that it wrought. Having lost both parents to this war it is hard to imagine how Selene would have felt towards the victor and subsequently the killer of her parents. In this novel Selene thrives and the author explains this by cleverly creating a memory for Selene of her mother’s dying wish being for her daughter to live. Therefore she strives to do just that. She focuses not upon revenge or hatred but rather upon continuing her mother’s legacy of being a wise and enlightened ruler. Her marriage to Juba and role as Queen of Mauretania allowed her to personify this ideal. It struck me as ironic that Selene’s destiny was both happy and fulfilling and Julia’s was not, considering that one was the daughter of the victor and the other the daughter of the loser.
Overall I really enjoyed this novel and I will definitely be going back and reading the first novel written by this author, “I am Livia”. Although it takes place prior to this novel I do not believe the order will matter too much and I hope that it grants me a somewhat different perspective of Livia than the one I hold right now.
This novel is told from the perspectives of three very different women. Julia is the daughter of Emperor Augustus (heir to Julius Caesar), Livia is his wife and Selene is his ward, daughter of the defeated and now deceased Marc Anthony and Cleopatra. All three characters are striving to find their path in the new world of Rome after the civil war and the death of the Republic.
For the most part I found this novel to be Julia’s story. Her character not only had the most prose but was also the most vivid of the three. I came to feel a strong connection to her and therefore her bias became my own. Considering the two other main character’s opinions often conflicted with Julia’s it is quite telling that I sided with her the way I did. I truly felt every heartbreak and pitied every lonely thought that she had. The author states in her author’s note that her “biggest challenge in writing this novel was to portray her [Julia] as a psychologically comprehensible human being”. She absolutely succeeded. Julia’s character resonated with me in a way that the others did not and a very strong empathetic response was stirred. I greatly admire the author’s character development of Julia.
Overall this is not an action-packed novel, rather the focus is upon the three female protagonists and how their lives were affected by the everyday workings of the early Roman Empire. Augustus is portrayed as the personification of the Empire itself and therefore his whims become lore and his moods shape the lives of those around him. Taking up with Julia as I did meant that I did not like the character of Augustus at all. As a father he is a complete failure, regardless of how capable a ruler he was. Julia feels nothing more than a tool in his hand, used to help shape the Empire into what he wishes it to be. It is not surprising why she behaves as she does, a promiscuous wild child searching for the thing that is missing from her life: unselfish love. Once she finally finds it I became terrified that it would be taken from her. I fervently wished that this wouldn’t be the case, whilst at the same time picking up on the undertone of doom the author was filtering into the novel. Julia’s life felt very much like a car crash hurtling towards the inevitable.
Although I didn’t forge quite the same connection to Livia or Selene, I still appreciated what their voices brought to the novel. Livia’s undeniable love for Augustus went a little way towards humanizing a man who would have otherwise come across as completely robotic. Selene represented the mercy he could show and is portrayed as a living reminder of the civil war and the destruction that it wrought. Having lost both parents to this war it is hard to imagine how Selene would have felt towards the victor and subsequently the killer of her parents. In this novel Selene thrives and the author explains this by cleverly creating a memory for Selene of her mother’s dying wish being for her daughter to live. Therefore she strives to do just that. She focuses not upon revenge or hatred but rather upon continuing her mother’s legacy of being a wise and enlightened ruler. Her marriage to Juba and role as Queen of Mauretania allowed her to personify this ideal. It struck me as ironic that Selene’s destiny was both happy and fulfilling and Julia’s was not, considering that one was the daughter of the victor and the other the daughter of the loser.
Overall I really enjoyed this novel and I will definitely be going back and reading the first novel written by this author, “I am Livia”. Although it takes place prior to this novel I do not believe the order will matter too much and I hope that it grants me a somewhat different perspective of Livia than the one I hold right now.
January 31, 2016
I would give more stars if I could! It was an absolutely marvelous book, even better than "I Am Livia" the first one. Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union for allowing me an ARC.
Livia, the wife of Emperor Augustus for more than 50 years, was one of the daughters the book was written about. The author, who has made Rome come to life in a vivid fashion for me, has made very long dead historical figures spring to life and tell their own stories.
Living on the Palatine Hill also were Cleopatra Selene daughter of Mark Antony and Cleapatra and her half brother Jullus( Iullus) Antony as foster children of Octavia sister to Augustus. Raised in the household of Livia and Augustus was Julia only child of Caesar and sometimes Livia's sons Tiberius and Drusus.
What an amazingly complicated life Livia lived; her father was killed at Phillipi and her mother killed herself.She was married quite young to her cousin Tiberius Nero, who she divorced when she was pregnant with her 2nd son. She divorced at the insistence of Octavian who she called Tavius who would be come Augustus.
Julia who has a lot of children with Agrippa who she did not wish to marry, was first married to her cousin Marcellus and lastly to Livia, her stepmother's son Tiberius. She rebelled in many ways including numerous adulterous affairs and lastly is exiled to a small island off Italy. Does she return?
Realizing now that when this book ends Livia and Augustus have a lot more years left~ Can I hope for a sequel? Please? Phyllis T. Smith is a remarkable and sophisticated writer who truly breathes life into her characters and her era. A masterful work and recommended highly.
Livia, the wife of Emperor Augustus for more than 50 years, was one of the daughters the book was written about. The author, who has made Rome come to life in a vivid fashion for me, has made very long dead historical figures spring to life and tell their own stories.
Living on the Palatine Hill also were Cleopatra Selene daughter of Mark Antony and Cleapatra and her half brother Jullus( Iullus) Antony as foster children of Octavia sister to Augustus. Raised in the household of Livia and Augustus was Julia only child of Caesar and sometimes Livia's sons Tiberius and Drusus.
What an amazingly complicated life Livia lived; her father was killed at Phillipi and her mother killed herself.She was married quite young to her cousin Tiberius Nero, who she divorced when she was pregnant with her 2nd son. She divorced at the insistence of Octavian who she called Tavius who would be come Augustus.
Julia who has a lot of children with Agrippa who she did not wish to marry, was first married to her cousin Marcellus and lastly to Livia, her stepmother's son Tiberius. She rebelled in many ways including numerous adulterous affairs and lastly is exiled to a small island off Italy. Does she return?
Realizing now that when this book ends Livia and Augustus have a lot more years left~ Can I hope for a sequel? Please? Phyllis T. Smith is a remarkable and sophisticated writer who truly breathes life into her characters and her era. A masterful work and recommended highly.
February 8, 2018
This book is not a book I would have picked. All thought I was pleasantly surprised I did like it.
February 17, 2016
I read and enjoyed I Am Livia so as soon as I saw this second offering by Phyllis T. Smith, I jumped at the chance to read it. I'm still a fan. I wanted more of Livia's voice when the last book ended and I got it here. What drew me in was the fact that Cleopatra Selene was featured. I so rarely run into books that feature her that I tore through the story and very much enjoyed her voice here. Julia was the third POV character and I felt she was rendered well and it shone through that she was captive to her fate. That Selene is ultimately the freer and successful one and Julia not is like Cleopatra reached out of her grave to curse her child's captor's child. Julia couldn't catch a break and so deeply & longing sought love it consumed her. It made for an engaging read. While I've no idea to the historical accuracy, I also very much enjoyed Livia relating that she saw herself in Selene and the similarities their young lives held.
I'd definitely recommend this one to fans of I Am Livia and also fans of historical fiction. It's a quick read that's time well spent.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I'd definitely recommend this one to fans of I Am Livia and also fans of historical fiction. It's a quick read that's time well spent.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
June 22, 2022
This is a submersible historical fiction novel about ancient Rome from a woman’s perspective. The author takes you on a vivid journey with Julia( The First Citizen’s daughter), Livia (The First Citizen's Wife), and Cleopatra Selena (Daughter of Cleopatra and Marc Anthony, POW). It demonstrates how the society treated them along with their responses to that what was dealt with. Life was not easy then even though at points it seems freer than present-day circumstances- at least in appearance. Each one of these women were an actual person and the author does a great job bringing them to life on the page. I felt Every single frustration that they faced, and found myself questioning if this was me would I able to do what they did! I wish we had more about Cleopatra Selena in the novel but I understood why the author wrote it that way. Go on this journey! You won’t regret it! Especially if you are going to Rome and you can walk the streets in the Forum or the Colosseum with the characters! I wish I read it before I went.
August 13, 2017
I'm surprised and disappointed to be giving this book only two stars. I feel like it deserves more, because it is a very well-researched, well-written, entertaining historical novel. And yet, I had to put it down halfway. So, like a bad break up, I'll say: it's not you, it's me.
The problem is definitely me. I like a clean romance. Or at most, a romance that occasionally hints at more and then swerves back to the story. What I don't like is a book that suddenly devotes chapters and chapters to different sexual encounters and gets me thinking about things I really didn't sign up for. Call me a prude.
So, is this a good book? Definitely. I learned a few things about this time in Roman history that I didn't know about. Would I recommend it? Not to readers like myself who aren't comfortable with certain topics. Not if you want a clean romance. In all other respects, the book is great, and just because it didn't work for me doesn't mean it won't work for you.
The problem is definitely me. I like a clean romance. Or at most, a romance that occasionally hints at more and then swerves back to the story. What I don't like is a book that suddenly devotes chapters and chapters to different sexual encounters and gets me thinking about things I really didn't sign up for. Call me a prude.
So, is this a good book? Definitely. I learned a few things about this time in Roman history that I didn't know about. Would I recommend it? Not to readers like myself who aren't comfortable with certain topics. Not if you want a clean romance. In all other respects, the book is great, and just because it didn't work for me doesn't mean it won't work for you.
April 19, 2018
This is another historical fiction account of what happened to the daughter of Cleopatra and Marc Antony after she was captured and taken to Rome to live with the family of Caesar Augustus. We see the happenings thru the eyes of many characters, although Augustus is not one of them and we also view the history of Augustus biological daughter, Julia who was actually less loyal to him than the daughter of Cleopatra, his enemy. I don't know if this was supposed to be a YA novel (some of the sexual practices referred to make me think it is not) but it did read like one so you may prefer a more sophisticated rendition of this old story.
April 16, 2016
Kindle lending library.
Ugh. Plowed through this book told by 3 women during the Roman Empire. Oddly, none of them seemed very dimensional to me. Nor did they seem very reliable narrators -- and if this was intended by the author, then... I'm not sure what I would say about that, except: why?.
A string of marriages. A string of affairs. A string of deaths. A string of plots. And all of it pretty boringly told: this happened, then this happened and, "All I wanted was to be loved!"
Spare me.
Ugh. Plowed through this book told by 3 women during the Roman Empire. Oddly, none of them seemed very dimensional to me. Nor did they seem very reliable narrators -- and if this was intended by the author, then... I'm not sure what I would say about that, except: why?.
A string of marriages. A string of affairs. A string of deaths. A string of plots. And all of it pretty boringly told: this happened, then this happened and, "All I wanted was to be loved!"
Spare me.
February 6, 2020
This was such a fascinating read about a relative unknown period of history . . . at least for me.
I spent some time in Rome, so I was familiar with some of the names in the book. It was fascinating to read about that time period and how limited the options for women were. I loved that the author described this period in time from the point of view of three very important women. There was Livia. the wife of Augustus Caesar. There was Julia, Augustus's daughter and there was Selene, the daughter of Marc Anthony and Cleopatra. These women were all so strong and yet their lives were determined by the men in their lives. They couldn't marry or divorce without permission from Augustus. Livia was essentially the woman behind the man; yes, he had all the power, but she was very clever in the ways in which she would convince him to show mercy at times. Julia was someone who just wanted love and passion. There was so much tragedy in her life; I can understand her need for passion. All of these women were amazing figures in history and I loved the way that the author weaved fiction with fact to make for a very compelling story.
I spent some time in Rome, so I was familiar with some of the names in the book. It was fascinating to read about that time period and how limited the options for women were. I loved that the author described this period in time from the point of view of three very important women. There was Livia. the wife of Augustus Caesar. There was Julia, Augustus's daughter and there was Selene, the daughter of Marc Anthony and Cleopatra. These women were all so strong and yet their lives were determined by the men in their lives. They couldn't marry or divorce without permission from Augustus. Livia was essentially the woman behind the man; yes, he had all the power, but she was very clever in the ways in which she would convince him to show mercy at times. Julia was someone who just wanted love and passion. There was so much tragedy in her life; I can understand her need for passion. All of these women were amazing figures in history and I loved the way that the author weaved fiction with fact to make for a very compelling story.
May 1, 2023
4⭐️
Preferred it to her previous book about Livia.
These characters felt very real, strong, passionate and idealistic.
We get to see the older Livia and her devotion to Cesar Augustus, their marriage and their plotting of their family “children’s” lives, including Augustus only daughter Julia and, the rescued daughter of Marc Anthony and Cleopatra, she too called Cleopatra, but to not ever remind them of her mother more than her looks already show she goes by Selina, the moon goddess, and her second name.
These three will be the narrators and it’s their story being told. I particularly liked Seline’s.
Again, Livia and Augustus are a bit too much for me, but Livia does have a heart as we know from her early life and she’ll be able to salvage part of the horrible fate wanting to be imposed on the young girls, Julia and Selina.
It’s pretty sad, but its history, a savage, cruel history, but not as bad as it was hundreds years before but still…
Yeah, I liked this one.
Preferred it to her previous book about Livia.
These characters felt very real, strong, passionate and idealistic.
We get to see the older Livia and her devotion to Cesar Augustus, their marriage and their plotting of their family “children’s” lives, including Augustus only daughter Julia and, the rescued daughter of Marc Anthony and Cleopatra, she too called Cleopatra, but to not ever remind them of her mother more than her looks already show she goes by Selina, the moon goddess, and her second name.
These three will be the narrators and it’s their story being told. I particularly liked Seline’s.
Again, Livia and Augustus are a bit too much for me, but Livia does have a heart as we know from her early life and she’ll be able to salvage part of the horrible fate wanting to be imposed on the young girls, Julia and Selina.
It’s pretty sad, but its history, a savage, cruel history, but not as bad as it was hundreds years before but still…
Yeah, I liked this one.
June 5, 2019
This is the story of the part of Augustus' Principate from the time he returned to Rome after defeating Antony and Cleopatra until he banished his daughter Julia, as told by three important women in his life - his wife Livia, his daughter Julia and Antony and Cleopatra's daughter Cleopatra Selene. Selene was quite young when he brought her and her brother back to Rome. It's interesting getting into the heads of Livia and Julia. Livia's reputation as a scheming and possibly murderous woman is quite different from how she's portrayed here. And Julia isn't as promiscuous as she is in other writings. Selene is also interesting as sort of an outsider and possibly not quite trusted, given who her parents were. I enjoyed reading about the politics of the time from women's viewpoints.
April 30, 2023
Been a while since I've read something about Rome, so why the fuck not? I've read a few books in this period, mostly about Cleopatra Selene and those were very different. I really enjoyed this book though. It brought some new things to light. There really should be a full book about Julia's exploits, that would be extremely fun.
When I initially added this, years ago, I added it because of Cleopatra Selene. However she's rarely in this book a lot of blink and you'll miss it. She is important to the plot however and the final denouement.
It was frustrating that Livia and Julia no matter what just seemed to be all about Augustus. It would've been nice for more from them. Didn't detract from the story at least.
When I initially added this, years ago, I added it because of Cleopatra Selene. However she's rarely in this book a lot of blink and you'll miss it. She is important to the plot however and the final denouement.
It was frustrating that Livia and Julia no matter what just seemed to be all about Augustus. It would've been nice for more from them. Didn't detract from the story at least.
October 14, 2019
This was a great read and very engaging!
Wonderful writing style and the plot kept me reading until the end
I still recommend this book. NO compensations were received. All opinions are my own.
Wonderful writing style and the plot kept me reading until the end
I still recommend this book. NO compensations were received. All opinions are my own.
February 17, 2024
Everything I love about historical fiction!
December 4, 2017
Listened on audio. Well researched. Well written. Well performed. I love that it is written from the women’s point of view. Thank you Phyllis T. Smith for making this time in history come alive!
March 26, 2024
This was my first read from Phyllis Smith and I loved the writing. She really made the characters come alive and the overall story was pretty engaging. Will look for other books by her for sure.
January 9, 2025
Half audio narration/half reading - went really quickly. As always with historical fiction, incredibly tragic. Loved the different perspectives chosen. It was quite simplistic but also a nice weaving of fiction and fact in the narrative.
March 17, 2017
5 Stars -
July 18, 2018
You can read all of my reviews on my blog -> Cover2CoverMom Blog
Once I discovered that The Daughters of Palatine Hill was about Cleopatra & Mark Antony’s daughter, Cleopatra Selene, I hit the request button immediately. After the defeat of the Egyptian Queen, her daughter was taken to Rome & adopted into the family that was responsible for her family’s demise. This part of history has all the makings of a good historical fiction, but does Smith deliver?
The Daughters of Palatine Hill is the fictionalized account of Emperor Augustus (Julius Ceaser’s successor), his descendants, & the descendants of Mark Antony and Cleopatra.
*Side note: Because it was normal for a person to be married and divorced multiple times, this made the family tree a tad complicated. Also people tended to keep it in the family if you catch my drift…. Trying to figure out all the family ties made my head hurt. This is history folks, you can’t make this stuff up.
Despite the fact that this is a work of fiction, the people and events are based in history. I knew almost nothing about these historical figures going into this book, and really enjoyed this fictional account of their lives. From what I’ve researched, Smith does a great job staying accurate to the historical events while taking fictional liberties. This is why I love historical fiction, it sparks an interest in an era I don’t know much about before. This spark always leads me on my own journey for knowledge into history.
The Daughter’s of Palatine Hill is told in 3 alternating perspectives: Lavia (Augustus’s Wife), Julia (Augustus’s daughter from a previous marriage), and Selene (daughter of Mark Antony & Cleopatra). I found each POV & story equally interesting. I often find that I am more drawn to one POV over the other(s) in multi-perspective books, so I’m impressed that Smith was able to hold my attention with each separate character story. Each character felt distinct & well fleshed out. I would say that the focus of this story is more on Julia & Selene. I particularly enjoyed Julia’s portrayal for the fact that she was a very complex character. She definitely had her flaws, but Smith did an excellent job shedding light to the fact that Julia was definitely a product of her environment.
I found the treatment of women during these times to be horrifying. These women had little say in the outcomes of their lives. Women during this era were pawns for political reasons & social climbing through forced marriage, and in many cases forced divorce and forced re-marriage. I was appalled at how little control these women had. Let’s just say that I would never have survived during this time period.
The Daughters of Palatine Hill can 100% be read as a standalone novel. In fact, I did not ever realize that the author had written a previous novel, I Am Livia, which is about Livia Drusilla’s early life and her courtship with Octavian. You do not have to read I Am Livia in order to enjoy or this book. That being said, I will definitely be picking up the first book to learn more about Livia and her earlier days. I must know how Octavian swept Livia off her feet while she was both married and pregnant by another man… or at least Smith’s version of events.
The biggest weakness in The Daughter’s of Palatine Hill was the setting. When I read historical fiction, I need the author to put me in that time period. Unfortunately, there was almost no descriptions of the setting or context to the era. Despite the fact that the setting & historical context was lacking throughout the novel, it was still a good read since the focus was on the characters.
The Daughters of Palatine Hill is full of political intrigue, family drama, secrets, and scandal. I definitely recommend giving this one a go if you are interested in this era or these particular events in history.
*Big thanks to Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Once I discovered that The Daughters of Palatine Hill was about Cleopatra & Mark Antony’s daughter, Cleopatra Selene, I hit the request button immediately. After the defeat of the Egyptian Queen, her daughter was taken to Rome & adopted into the family that was responsible for her family’s demise. This part of history has all the makings of a good historical fiction, but does Smith deliver?
The Daughters of Palatine Hill is the fictionalized account of Emperor Augustus (Julius Ceaser’s successor), his descendants, & the descendants of Mark Antony and Cleopatra.
*Side note: Because it was normal for a person to be married and divorced multiple times, this made the family tree a tad complicated. Also people tended to keep it in the family if you catch my drift…. Trying to figure out all the family ties made my head hurt. This is history folks, you can’t make this stuff up.
Despite the fact that this is a work of fiction, the people and events are based in history. I knew almost nothing about these historical figures going into this book, and really enjoyed this fictional account of their lives. From what I’ve researched, Smith does a great job staying accurate to the historical events while taking fictional liberties. This is why I love historical fiction, it sparks an interest in an era I don’t know much about before. This spark always leads me on my own journey for knowledge into history.
The Daughter’s of Palatine Hill is told in 3 alternating perspectives: Lavia (Augustus’s Wife), Julia (Augustus’s daughter from a previous marriage), and Selene (daughter of Mark Antony & Cleopatra). I found each POV & story equally interesting. I often find that I am more drawn to one POV over the other(s) in multi-perspective books, so I’m impressed that Smith was able to hold my attention with each separate character story. Each character felt distinct & well fleshed out. I would say that the focus of this story is more on Julia & Selene. I particularly enjoyed Julia’s portrayal for the fact that she was a very complex character. She definitely had her flaws, but Smith did an excellent job shedding light to the fact that Julia was definitely a product of her environment.
I found the treatment of women during these times to be horrifying. These women had little say in the outcomes of their lives. Women during this era were pawns for political reasons & social climbing through forced marriage, and in many cases forced divorce and forced re-marriage. I was appalled at how little control these women had. Let’s just say that I would never have survived during this time period.
The Daughters of Palatine Hill can 100% be read as a standalone novel. In fact, I did not ever realize that the author had written a previous novel, I Am Livia, which is about Livia Drusilla’s early life and her courtship with Octavian. You do not have to read I Am Livia in order to enjoy or this book. That being said, I will definitely be picking up the first book to learn more about Livia and her earlier days. I must know how Octavian swept Livia off her feet while she was both married and pregnant by another man… or at least Smith’s version of events.
The biggest weakness in The Daughter’s of Palatine Hill was the setting. When I read historical fiction, I need the author to put me in that time period. Unfortunately, there was almost no descriptions of the setting or context to the era. Despite the fact that the setting & historical context was lacking throughout the novel, it was still a good read since the focus was on the characters.
The Daughters of Palatine Hill is full of political intrigue, family drama, secrets, and scandal. I definitely recommend giving this one a go if you are interested in this era or these particular events in history.
*Big thanks to Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
June 2, 2016
As someone who enjoys reading historical fiction (especially that of the ancient world), this book unfortunately ended up to be a disappointment.
Part I was relatively weak. The author's writing style then was utterly boring. Many sentences started with 'I', and sentence structure remained similar for many sentences, which made for dull reading. I'm not sure if the author intended for it to reflect the viewpoints of the then-teenage protagonists (since teenagers are supposedly more self-centered during those years), but it could have been accomplished with more complex structures. At the same time, there was much 'telling' and little 'showing' - I keep getting told what the characters are doing, rather than being shown (and described to) what they are doing. I must admit, I nearly gave up reading this book then.
Characterisation wise, it was a mixed bag. I appreciated that the author chose to present Livia in a more sympathetic manner, rather than designating her as the antagonist as many historical fiction do. That said, I felt that her character could still be better written. Throughout the novel, we're constantly reminded of the love between her and Augustus, but we haven't been shown exactly why they're in love with each other, just told that they are. Also, Livia is supposedly shrewd, but aside from engineering political matches and giving Selene advice (to which we barely see any as well), I don't see many examples of her being that. I saw much more examples of her being a devoted wife to Augustus.
Julia was an interesting character, and I liked that we got to hear her perspective, since I have seen scarce fiction focusing on her despite her very interesting life. While she may appear to be wanton in the eyes of many, the truth is that she merely seeks out love and tries to find it in various places. If this were a modern novel and Julia a common/poor person, she would perhaps end up to be the sob story of a young single mother who always ends up with bad men. But Julia is no fool, and it is shown through her participation in trying to overthrow her father. In some way, I like Julia's character the best.
Cleopatra Selene was also, unfortunately, a disappointment. She was an intelligent girl who trusted no one, understandable given the circumstances. I liked the part where , but the abandonment of this (perhaps to keep Augustus from becoming a villain?) was a shame. Despite there being supposedly three narrators in this novel, we barely hear Selene's voice, which could have provided a vivid and sharp contrast to Rome while she resided in Mauretania. We also know that Selene was involved in governing Mauretania, but again we barely see it. Most of the time, we see her with Juba, and the ultimate impression we have of Selene is that of a loving wife towards Juba and tolerates his constant journeys, which is almost an insult considering the extent she has improved and shaped Mauretania. To reduce her as such, when she was so much more than that, practically does injustice to her character.
In short, the novel could have been so much more complex and interesting given its premise, but ultimately fell short and rather became a 'what could have been' experience instead.
Part I was relatively weak. The author's writing style then was utterly boring. Many sentences started with 'I', and sentence structure remained similar for many sentences, which made for dull reading. I'm not sure if the author intended for it to reflect the viewpoints of the then-teenage protagonists (since teenagers are supposedly more self-centered during those years), but it could have been accomplished with more complex structures. At the same time, there was much 'telling' and little 'showing' - I keep getting told what the characters are doing, rather than being shown (and described to) what they are doing. I must admit, I nearly gave up reading this book then.
Characterisation wise, it was a mixed bag. I appreciated that the author chose to present Livia in a more sympathetic manner, rather than designating her as the antagonist as many historical fiction do. That said, I felt that her character could still be better written. Throughout the novel, we're constantly reminded of the love between her and Augustus, but we haven't been shown exactly why they're in love with each other, just told that they are. Also, Livia is supposedly shrewd, but aside from engineering political matches and giving Selene advice (to which we barely see any as well), I don't see many examples of her being that. I saw much more examples of her being a devoted wife to Augustus.
Julia was an interesting character, and I liked that we got to hear her perspective, since I have seen scarce fiction focusing on her despite her very interesting life. While she may appear to be wanton in the eyes of many, the truth is that she merely seeks out love and tries to find it in various places. If this were a modern novel and Julia a common/poor person, she would perhaps end up to be the sob story of a young single mother who always ends up with bad men. But Julia is no fool, and it is shown through her participation in trying to overthrow her father. In some way, I like Julia's character the best.
Cleopatra Selene was also, unfortunately, a disappointment. She was an intelligent girl who trusted no one, understandable given the circumstances. I liked the part where , but the abandonment of this (perhaps to keep Augustus from becoming a villain?) was a shame. Despite there being supposedly three narrators in this novel, we barely hear Selene's voice, which could have provided a vivid and sharp contrast to Rome while she resided in Mauretania. We also know that Selene was involved in governing Mauretania, but again we barely see it. Most of the time, we see her with Juba, and the ultimate impression we have of Selene is that of a loving wife towards Juba and tolerates his constant journeys, which is almost an insult considering the extent she has improved and shaped Mauretania. To reduce her as such, when she was so much more than that, practically does injustice to her character.
In short, the novel could have been so much more complex and interesting given its premise, but ultimately fell short and rather became a 'what could have been' experience instead.
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