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Cicero #1-3
The Cicero Trilogy
Cicero Trilogy Robert Harris Collection 3 Books Collection Set. Titles in this Imperium, Conspirata, Dictator. Conspirata is the USA edition of Lustrum, it's the same book with a different title
1258 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 6, 2016
858 people are currently reading
3150 people want to read
About the author
Robert Harris
62 books8,798 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 137 reviews
October 12, 2018
Exhilarating. Felt as if I were witnessing the triumphs and vagaries of a nobler, more spirited form of democracy in action. By the end, Cicero's soaring oratory is the only force left against those powers moving to snuff out Roman freedom for ever. Today, when liberal democracy is in retreat all over the world, and frightened citizens voluntarily cede their liberties to demagogues in the name of security, the drama of the last days of the Roman republic could not be more relevant. Harris portrays Cicero the man as profoundly as any character by Tolstoy. Highly intelligent, astute, wily, witty, cunning, kind, vain, wrong-headed, loyal, and ultimately a man of uncompromising principle. Surrender your freedoms and you will never get them back. In the age of Trump and Putin, where are our Ciceros?
May 27, 2025
Robert Harris has achieved something truly wonderful with this enthralling trilogy about the life of the great Roman statesman, politician, lawyer and defender of the Republic. It is at once gripping, humorous, enlightening and surprisingly modern. Originally published as three separate books (Imperium, Lustrum and Dictator) over a period of several years, and fascinatingly narrated by his long-suffering secretary (and slave) Tiro, the trilogy sets out Cicero's rise to the political pinnacle of Consul of Rome, achieved significantly by a successful prosecution of the corrupt Sicilian Governor Verres. In the middle book of the trilogy, his Consulship is dominated by the Catiline conspiracy. Its fateful conclusion sets off a train of events that profoundly affect the rest of Cicero's life. In the final part, Cicero, now in exile, fights the last heroic political battles of his life to save the doomed Republic. Throughout, the incredible gallery of historical characters that have become so familiar to the modern world shape the events, most significantly Caesar, Crassus, Pompey and Cato. Harris has brought all of them intriguingly to life, and the books are throughout a compelling, page-turning read. Cicero emerges as a multi-dimensional, and very human figure: a great intellect, an acid wit, highly ambitious, but also vulnerable to nerves and mood slumps. Highly recommended, a master story-teller at the peak of his considerable powers.
October 16, 2021
The Cicero Trilogy collects Robert Harris’ Cicero novels: Imperium, Lustrum (published as Conspirata in the States), and Dictator. I gave Imperium four stars out of five, and Lustrum and Dictator both get two out of five, so I’ll give the trilogy an overall score of three stars out of five. I reviewed each book individually below - enjoy!
*
Imperium - 4 stars
Set in the dying days of the Roman Republic, Marcus Cicero begins his ascent through the ranks of the senate to become one of the most powerful men in Rome. But the path to becoming the famous orator we now know is strewn with dangerous men who would see a high-minded lawyer dead in a ditch to get what they want. Men like Pompey and Julius Caesar who are looking to destroy democracy for a military dictatorship and absolute power.
Robert Harris writes another fantastic novel, his second Roman novel (after “Pompeii”) and the first to feature Cicero as main character. He effortlessly creates the Roman world for the reader so that you can really see and feel what it’s like to live in this time, detailing the numerous social structures and customs that are completely alien to 21st century people. He brilliantly chooses Cicero’s slave Tiro to be the narrator of the story, a man who was Cicero’s right hand man but also created short-hand so that it seems plausible that so much detail could be put into the book when someone who was there could conceivably have recorded it all.
But I will say the first half of the book is the better half. The first sees Cicero take on a corrupt governor of Sicily as he builds a case against the man and the reader is introduced to the brutality of Roman law and punishment (“miles and miles of crucifixions”) and the showdown in the courtroom. Despite being set in antiquity it reads like a contemporary legal thriller such as you might expect from John Grisham, and the book really takes off.
The second half is where things become extremely complicated. There is a conspiracy to take down the Republic and create an absolute ruler, an Emperor, which we know will be Julius Caesar, and so there is endless discussions over elections, bribing voters, legal discussions of ruling, and so on that become the main focus of this second part. Throw in dozens of Roman names which make it hard to keep track of the plot, and the complications of the Roman voting system, and the momentum built up in the first half of the book completely fizzles out in the second.
That said, “Imperium” is an incredible achievement by Harris who has crafted a well-researched, completely viable ancient thriller that is believable, informative, and well written. Intelligent and compelling to read (for the most part anyway), it is well worth a look for fans of Robert Harris but also those interested in Roman history who want to see some of history’s biggest names come to life on the page. Despite it’s problems, I’m fully invested in Cicero’s plight and will definitely pick up the sequel.
*
Lustrum - 2 stars
I tried reading Lustrum a while ago but gave up early on, sensing that it wasn’t anywhere near as good as its preceding book, Imperium. Except I really want to read Dictator, the final book in Robert Harris’ Cicero trilogy, which I’m hoping will be awesome, and I’ve been on a Harris kick lately, so I powered through Lustrum – and I was right the first time because unfortunately it ain’t all that and a bag of potatoes!
The novel is divided into two halves: Consul, about Cicero’s year as leader of the Senate and de facto ruler of Rome, and Pater Patriae, that details his severe fall from such mighty heights. The story centres around arch rival Catilina’s conspiracy to assassinate Cicero and its aftermath, spanning roughly five years in total (hence the title Lustrum, which is a period of five years, and the US/Italian title of this book, Conspirata).
Which sounds interesting – and yet… nah. What made Imperium so compelling was the wonderfully viperous Caesar clashing with Cicero throughout (which is why I want to read Dictator as I think that book is going to be full of that) whereas Caesar, though his shadow looms over everything, is largely absent in Lustrum. Instead, there’s a lot of tedious politicking between way too many unmemorable characters – too much talking, not enough action - which just isn’t very engaging or compelling to read.
Some scenes are interesting – the fate of the conspirators, pretty much every scene Cato was in and when Cicero goes to see Caesar at the end – but it’s precious few in a book nearly 450 pages long. Still, Harris’ portrait of Cicero remains captivating and convincing and he brings Ancient Rome to life very skilfully. As always, Harris writes well and things end in a tantalising way that makes me look forward to Dictator all the more.
I suppose given how things change for Cicero by the end, you probably need to have read Lustrum if you’re planning on reading Dictator, and maybe you’ll get more out of this one than I did, but it’s definitely a weak point in the series, so don’t expect much from it.
*
Dictator - 2 stars
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.
*
Imperium - 4 stars
Set in the dying days of the Roman Republic, Marcus Cicero begins his ascent through the ranks of the senate to become one of the most powerful men in Rome. But the path to becoming the famous orator we now know is strewn with dangerous men who would see a high-minded lawyer dead in a ditch to get what they want. Men like Pompey and Julius Caesar who are looking to destroy democracy for a military dictatorship and absolute power.
Robert Harris writes another fantastic novel, his second Roman novel (after “Pompeii”) and the first to feature Cicero as main character. He effortlessly creates the Roman world for the reader so that you can really see and feel what it’s like to live in this time, detailing the numerous social structures and customs that are completely alien to 21st century people. He brilliantly chooses Cicero’s slave Tiro to be the narrator of the story, a man who was Cicero’s right hand man but also created short-hand so that it seems plausible that so much detail could be put into the book when someone who was there could conceivably have recorded it all.
But I will say the first half of the book is the better half. The first sees Cicero take on a corrupt governor of Sicily as he builds a case against the man and the reader is introduced to the brutality of Roman law and punishment (“miles and miles of crucifixions”) and the showdown in the courtroom. Despite being set in antiquity it reads like a contemporary legal thriller such as you might expect from John Grisham, and the book really takes off.
The second half is where things become extremely complicated. There is a conspiracy to take down the Republic and create an absolute ruler, an Emperor, which we know will be Julius Caesar, and so there is endless discussions over elections, bribing voters, legal discussions of ruling, and so on that become the main focus of this second part. Throw in dozens of Roman names which make it hard to keep track of the plot, and the complications of the Roman voting system, and the momentum built up in the first half of the book completely fizzles out in the second.
That said, “Imperium” is an incredible achievement by Harris who has crafted a well-researched, completely viable ancient thriller that is believable, informative, and well written. Intelligent and compelling to read (for the most part anyway), it is well worth a look for fans of Robert Harris but also those interested in Roman history who want to see some of history’s biggest names come to life on the page. Despite it’s problems, I’m fully invested in Cicero’s plight and will definitely pick up the sequel.
*
Lustrum - 2 stars
I tried reading Lustrum a while ago but gave up early on, sensing that it wasn’t anywhere near as good as its preceding book, Imperium. Except I really want to read Dictator, the final book in Robert Harris’ Cicero trilogy, which I’m hoping will be awesome, and I’ve been on a Harris kick lately, so I powered through Lustrum – and I was right the first time because unfortunately it ain’t all that and a bag of potatoes!
The novel is divided into two halves: Consul, about Cicero’s year as leader of the Senate and de facto ruler of Rome, and Pater Patriae, that details his severe fall from such mighty heights. The story centres around arch rival Catilina’s conspiracy to assassinate Cicero and its aftermath, spanning roughly five years in total (hence the title Lustrum, which is a period of five years, and the US/Italian title of this book, Conspirata).
Which sounds interesting – and yet… nah. What made Imperium so compelling was the wonderfully viperous Caesar clashing with Cicero throughout (which is why I want to read Dictator as I think that book is going to be full of that) whereas Caesar, though his shadow looms over everything, is largely absent in Lustrum. Instead, there’s a lot of tedious politicking between way too many unmemorable characters – too much talking, not enough action - which just isn’t very engaging or compelling to read.
Some scenes are interesting – the fate of the conspirators, pretty much every scene Cato was in and when Cicero goes to see Caesar at the end – but it’s precious few in a book nearly 450 pages long. Still, Harris’ portrait of Cicero remains captivating and convincing and he brings Ancient Rome to life very skilfully. As always, Harris writes well and things end in a tantalising way that makes me look forward to Dictator all the more.
I suppose given how things change for Cicero by the end, you probably need to have read Lustrum if you’re planning on reading Dictator, and maybe you’ll get more out of this one than I did, but it’s definitely a weak point in the series, so don’t expect much from it.
*
Dictator - 2 stars
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.
Want to read
May 22, 2021Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome
Conspirata
Dictator
علی اکبر قاری نیت. انتشارات نسل نواندیش. طاقچه
March 24, 2023
I read this in one big tome, and as Harris' introduction says, the intended format. And damn. What a journey. I started it 3 months ago as part of a monthly group readalong and I have been entertained, I've been hooked, I've been fascinated and I've learned so so much.
What an epic portrait of arguably the first politician, as we know modern politicians today.
Harris writes Cicero's political career with passion for the subject. There's a sense of awe to his writing that adds a real joie de vivre as the French would say.
It's politically and morally complex, utterly enthralling, and equally depressing as you realise that nothing has changed in 2000 years.
Politicians gonna politick. Cicero himself is a simple man, a great man, and a frustrating man all at once. And the other key players are all given vivid and colourful personalities, the standouts being the Pompous Pompey and Slithery Caesar. Harris' narrative voice through Tiro is such a breath of fresh air in historical fiction and the whole package should make this a classic of the genre.
What an amazing portrait of a man at the heart of a fascinating turning point in history.
What an epic portrait of arguably the first politician, as we know modern politicians today.
Harris writes Cicero's political career with passion for the subject. There's a sense of awe to his writing that adds a real joie de vivre as the French would say.
It's politically and morally complex, utterly enthralling, and equally depressing as you realise that nothing has changed in 2000 years.
Politicians gonna politick. Cicero himself is a simple man, a great man, and a frustrating man all at once. And the other key players are all given vivid and colourful personalities, the standouts being the Pompous Pompey and Slithery Caesar. Harris' narrative voice through Tiro is such a breath of fresh air in historical fiction and the whole package should make this a classic of the genre.
What an amazing portrait of a man at the heart of a fascinating turning point in history.
April 9, 2020
De eerste 2 boeken gelezen; Imperium en Lustrum. Laat zich lezen als een moderne handleiding in democratische politiek, met de permanente dreiging van het populisme dat op de loer ligt. Goed geschreven, spannend!
January 26, 2025
Outstanding! I loved it so, so much. I cannot even imagine the amount of work put into this book. That was so inspiring, both Cicero's life and the author's dedication to represent it in as much detail as possible. Yet, it's not a dry recount, but a well-flashed novel with its own twists and emotional scenes. I cannot recommend this enough, it's a remarkable piece of fiction.
May 2, 2023
Med ett så gott råmaterial som behärskas så väl botde denna ha varit mycket mer välskriven.
August 27, 2023
Door de schrijfstijl van Robert Harris word je meegezogen terug de tijd in. Het had allemaal echt zo gebeurd kunnen zijn. Het boek beschrijft de carrière van Cicero van begin tot einde vol met politieke spelletjes, verraad, corruptie, vrienden en vijanden. Het is een mooi en interessant verhaal waarin je wil blijven lezen.
Dit moet je ook wel doen want het is geen makkelijk boek. Je moet je hoofd er echt bijhouden want door de vele personages, gebeurtenissen en politiek gekronkel raakte ik de draad soms even kwijt. Desalniettemin legt Robert Harris het grote verhaal duidelijk uit en is het leven van Cicero en Tiro mooi ingevuld en verteld in deze trilogie.
Dit moet je ook wel doen want het is geen makkelijk boek. Je moet je hoofd er echt bijhouden want door de vele personages, gebeurtenissen en politiek gekronkel raakte ik de draad soms even kwijt. Desalniettemin legt Robert Harris het grote verhaal duidelijk uit en is het leven van Cicero en Tiro mooi ingevuld en verteld in deze trilogie.
August 23, 2021
"O tempora, o mores!"
We finally get a nice hardback book with all three of Harris' books in the Cicero trilogy (Imperium, Lustrum and Dictator). In this new gorgeous set we immerse ourselves into the wonderful, deadly world of Roman politics. This series is jam-packed with details about everyday life in ancient Rome, to the backstabbing joy of being a politician in the ancient world. Harris describes Cicero, Caesar and Octavian (among others) in the same high level of detail as the world building.
Now, this book is very heavy on the historical facts and as such, there's a lot of characters that potentially we could have had more information on, but I think that's what I like about this series, it's so heavily focused on the history rather than being yet another fiction book set in the ancient world. If a book contains ancient Rome or Cicero it's an instant read for me, and this series really didn't disappoint, Cicero is such a worthy protagonist in the shambles that was politics in Rome.
Thank you to Penguin for sending me a copy to review!
We finally get a nice hardback book with all three of Harris' books in the Cicero trilogy (Imperium, Lustrum and Dictator). In this new gorgeous set we immerse ourselves into the wonderful, deadly world of Roman politics. This series is jam-packed with details about everyday life in ancient Rome, to the backstabbing joy of being a politician in the ancient world. Harris describes Cicero, Caesar and Octavian (among others) in the same high level of detail as the world building.
Now, this book is very heavy on the historical facts and as such, there's a lot of characters that potentially we could have had more information on, but I think that's what I like about this series, it's so heavily focused on the history rather than being yet another fiction book set in the ancient world. If a book contains ancient Rome or Cicero it's an instant read for me, and this series really didn't disappoint, Cicero is such a worthy protagonist in the shambles that was politics in Rome.
Thank you to Penguin for sending me a copy to review!
April 23, 2022
2 months ago I started this “journey”. This book had been written as a Historic Roman but in great detail and with some fill ins of what ‘possibly’ has been said.
These 1136 pages have al been a complete treat for me and probably all the other readers.
-
Look upward" so says the old statesman (Cicero) to Scipio, "and contemplate this eternal resting place; then you will no longer worry about gossip from the rabble, no longer expect an earthly reward for your efforts. Nor will human reputations long endure, for what people say goes with them, and as soon as posterity forgets it, it is obliterated."
All that will make a lasting impression of us is what we write down
-
10/10
These 1136 pages have al been a complete treat for me and probably all the other readers.
-
Look upward" so says the old statesman (Cicero) to Scipio, "and contemplate this eternal resting place; then you will no longer worry about gossip from the rabble, no longer expect an earthly reward for your efforts. Nor will human reputations long endure, for what people say goes with them, and as soon as posterity forgets it, it is obliterated."
All that will make a lasting impression of us is what we write down
-
10/10
August 4, 2024
De heimwee naar Alkibiades en de dithyrambe van De Wever waardig.
Imperium (1#). Wijlen Dehaene bleek voor ‘zijn’ (verkorte) adagium schatplichtig aan Cicero: “De ware levenskunst is om je pas met problemen bezig te houden op het moment dat ze zich voordoen in plaats van je humeur te bederven door je er lang van tevoren zorgen over te maken.”
Lustrum (2#). “Mijn enige legioen zijn mijn woorden. Door taal ben ik opgeklommen en door taal zal ik overleven.”
Dictator (3#). De eerdergenoemde formateur zweert bij het devies “Historia docet”, eveneens in Cicero’s schaduw: “Wie onwetend blijft van wat er voor zijn geboorte gebeurde, blijft altijd een kind. Want wat is een mensenleven waard, als het niet is verweven met het leven van onze voorvaderen in de annalen der geschiedenis?”
Een extatische expeditie naar de antieke wereld.
Imperium (1#). Wijlen Dehaene bleek voor ‘zijn’ (verkorte) adagium schatplichtig aan Cicero: “De ware levenskunst is om je pas met problemen bezig te houden op het moment dat ze zich voordoen in plaats van je humeur te bederven door je er lang van tevoren zorgen over te maken.”
Lustrum (2#). “Mijn enige legioen zijn mijn woorden. Door taal ben ik opgeklommen en door taal zal ik overleven.”
Dictator (3#). De eerdergenoemde formateur zweert bij het devies “Historia docet”, eveneens in Cicero’s schaduw: “Wie onwetend blijft van wat er voor zijn geboorte gebeurde, blijft altijd een kind. Want wat is een mensenleven waard, als het niet is verweven met het leven van onze voorvaderen in de annalen der geschiedenis?”
Een extatische expeditie naar de antieke wereld.
September 6, 2023
yeah this was crazy ….. absolutely incredible, such a vivid image of ancient rome. loved the relationship between tiro and cicero, especially in terms of what it examined about slavery in this time. i could write soooooo much more about this but everything has already been said before so. MOVING STUFF!!!!!
April 25, 2023
It took me a while to read this amazing book!
1146 pages long and boy it took me for a ride.
The way the story is told will stick me forever. The rise and fall of Cicero.
"A room without books is like a body without a soul." - Cicero
5/5 amazing read.
1146 pages long and boy it took me for a ride.
The way the story is told will stick me forever. The rise and fall of Cicero.
"A room without books is like a body without a soul." - Cicero
5/5 amazing read.
July 9, 2020
Very interesting point of view of Ciceros life in ancient Rome.
1000+ pages never got boring.
1000+ pages never got boring.
April 1, 2025
Verrassend toepasselijk op het huidige geopolitieke landschap. Populisme, polarisatie en roddels uit de hoge politieke kringen, leest relatief makkelijk voor zo’n politiek boek.
August 25, 2022
Technically I read this one, but judged the first and last separately.
It's a gripping, well researched story showing all the vices and brilliance of a man that much has been written about and who has written much himself. Part one sees Cicero rise to power, part 2 shows what he does with it and part 3 describes the chaotic aftermath in which the man is mainly naive, obstinate and melancholy. So the third one was a slow one!
I love that it is fiction laced with histories. People we still are taught about flit in and out of the story. It shows a personal perspective on old history and it is very well done - albeit confusing cause all those Romans have the same name.
Harris really does write really well about topics that may otherwise be a bit dry. I cannot wait what comes next :-)
It's a gripping, well researched story showing all the vices and brilliance of a man that much has been written about and who has written much himself. Part one sees Cicero rise to power, part 2 shows what he does with it and part 3 describes the chaotic aftermath in which the man is mainly naive, obstinate and melancholy. So the third one was a slow one!
I love that it is fiction laced with histories. People we still are taught about flit in and out of the story. It shows a personal perspective on old history and it is very well done - albeit confusing cause all those Romans have the same name.
Harris really does write really well about topics that may otherwise be a bit dry. I cannot wait what comes next :-)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2020
Echt een meesterlijk boek!
October 22, 2023
I loved this trilogy. I’m astounded that anything ever got done in the Roman Republic given that the those at the centre of power seemed intent on tearing it to pieces for their own gain. I know it’s fiction, but the facts are there: the pillaging of Sicily by Verres, the attempted coup by Cataline, the manoeuvrings of Crassus, Pompey and Caesar, and then finally (for Cicero) the short lived Antony and Octavian pact. Even knowing the players and the script, this was dramatic, tense, and exciting. Go read!
April 3, 2020
I didn't really expect to enjoy a series centered on Cicero as a protagonist, being as I am a Caesarian to the bone in addition to being extremely picky about Late Roman Republic fiction - more often than not, there are enough factual errors that I can't even finish them. However, I'm happy to report that I not only finished this series, but that I've done so a few times. Harris takes rather a lot of Cicero's writing at face value, but that's a justified authorial choice, given that the narrator is Cicero's secretary - Tiro would hardly be interested in explaining the anti-senatorial faction's reasoning.
That does lead me to probably my biggest criticism, though - Tiro is almost entirely lacking in interiority. He has hardly any inner life of his own, and the attempts later on to provide him with one fall flat, as though the author keeps checking the word count to see when he's done enough for Tiro to get back to Cicero again. Granted, I wanted to get back to Cicero too, but you'd think Harris could have come up with a better side plot than
The political side of things is overall very good, although I have some bones to pick about the trial of Rabirius and about the nature and direction of Augustan propaganda (which Tiro claims is biased against his former master) - W. B. Tyrrell largely destroys the portrayal of the trial as it shows up here in his biography of Labienus, and the latter was rather the opposite of what Harris supposes, as is demonstrated by ES Ramage in 'Augustus' Treatment of Julius Caesar'. However, I am willing to concede that these are minor gripes that mainly bother me and nobody else, I just wanted to get them off my chest.
The best aspect is without a doubt Cicero's characterization. You get an extremely good feel for his personality through the sheer amount of personal correspondence that survives, and Harris extends that sense of person throughout the series magnificently - there are no discordant notes here. I actually had to go back to the letters again because I realized I couldn't tell whether such-and-such a phrase came from Cicero or Harris. Despite this fidelity, he also manages to make Cicero more sympathetic than he easily might have been, since Harris is careful to mostly elide his somewhat repellent contempt for the Roman poor.
The worldbuilding is fair - I would say that McCullough does do a better job of evoking how different the culture of the Republic was, whereas Harris' Rome feels distinctly modern and rather British. I don't consider it a major problem, though, since his style lends itself more to dynamic plotting and dialogue rather than lush detail.
Overall, I would recommend this series pretty highly. I realize I've focused more on the flaws than the virtues, but in my defense, Cicero would agree that criticism is easier and more fun to write than praise.
That does lead me to probably my biggest criticism, though - Tiro is almost entirely lacking in interiority. He has hardly any inner life of his own, and the attempts later on to provide him with one fall flat, as though the author keeps checking the word count to see when he's done enough for Tiro to get back to Cicero again. Granted, I wanted to get back to Cicero too, but you'd think Harris could have come up with a better side plot than
The political side of things is overall very good, although I have some bones to pick about the trial of Rabirius and about the nature and direction of Augustan propaganda (which Tiro claims is biased against his former master) - W. B. Tyrrell largely destroys the portrayal of the trial as it shows up here in his biography of Labienus, and the latter was rather the opposite of what Harris supposes, as is demonstrated by ES Ramage in 'Augustus' Treatment of Julius Caesar'. However, I am willing to concede that these are minor gripes that mainly bother me and nobody else, I just wanted to get them off my chest.
The best aspect is without a doubt Cicero's characterization. You get an extremely good feel for his personality through the sheer amount of personal correspondence that survives, and Harris extends that sense of person throughout the series magnificently - there are no discordant notes here. I actually had to go back to the letters again because I realized I couldn't tell whether such-and-such a phrase came from Cicero or Harris. Despite this fidelity, he also manages to make Cicero more sympathetic than he easily might have been, since Harris is careful to mostly elide his somewhat repellent contempt for the Roman poor.
The worldbuilding is fair - I would say that McCullough does do a better job of evoking how different the culture of the Republic was, whereas Harris' Rome feels distinctly modern and rather British. I don't consider it a major problem, though, since his style lends itself more to dynamic plotting and dialogue rather than lush detail.
Overall, I would recommend this series pretty highly. I realize I've focused more on the flaws than the virtues, but in my defense, Cicero would agree that criticism is easier and more fun to write than praise.
July 1, 2019
I recently finished the Cicero trilogy by Robert Harris and was awed by the imaginative and fully realized rendering of ancient Rome during the fall of the republic, as well as Harris’s brilliant writing style.
The series is ostensibly written by Tiro, a slave who served as Cicero’s secretary, actually did write a biography of Cicero, and invented the first system of shorthand. This would normally be a turnoff right from the get-go, as I prefer as a reader to get right in the head of the main protagonist instead of viewing them through a filter, but Harris’s use of Tiro is very effective. You feel like you know Cicero, but you’re focused on what Cicero says and does.
Before I get into the books, I should point out who Cicero was and why he’s important. Marcus Tullius Cicero was one of the greatest and cleverest statesmen, orators, lawyers, and philosophers the Roman republic produced. He was a “new man,” rising to power as a senator, aedile, and ultimately consul purely through his popularity and persuasion, rather than old money and a venerable name. His influenced the Latin language, introduced Greek philosophy to the Romans, and fought political duels against Julius Caesar, Marc Antony, and Octavian, who would become Augustus Caesar. These battles marked the last years of his life, as he fought to save the Roman republic first from mob rule and then from the tyranny of dictatorship.
The three books in the bestselling trilogy are IMPERIUM, LUSTRUM, and DICTATOR. In IMPERIUM, we are thrown into the violent, wheeling-and-dealing, and backstabbing world of Roman politics, in which Cicero uses his wits and skills as an orator and lawyer against the entrenched patrician class to reach for the consulship. LUSTRUM deals with the dangers, seductions, and horrors of power, and the slide toward brutal mob rule. DICTATOR follows Cicero into exile and a dramatic comeback, where he strives to save the Roman republic against a series of would-be tyrants.
The books are amazingly detailed and realized, with every peculiarity of Roman life and political system explored, and with so many similarities to our own society and political system. Cicero is a thoroughly engaging character, a self-made man who is heavily flawed and is often forced to compromise, a politician who fights with his wit and clever scheming. The depictions of well-known Roman figures such as Caesar, Marc Antony, and Octavian are similarly very well depicted.
Overall, this series gets a high A from me. If you’re into Roman history or any historical fiction, this is a must read.
The series is ostensibly written by Tiro, a slave who served as Cicero’s secretary, actually did write a biography of Cicero, and invented the first system of shorthand. This would normally be a turnoff right from the get-go, as I prefer as a reader to get right in the head of the main protagonist instead of viewing them through a filter, but Harris’s use of Tiro is very effective. You feel like you know Cicero, but you’re focused on what Cicero says and does.
Before I get into the books, I should point out who Cicero was and why he’s important. Marcus Tullius Cicero was one of the greatest and cleverest statesmen, orators, lawyers, and philosophers the Roman republic produced. He was a “new man,” rising to power as a senator, aedile, and ultimately consul purely through his popularity and persuasion, rather than old money and a venerable name. His influenced the Latin language, introduced Greek philosophy to the Romans, and fought political duels against Julius Caesar, Marc Antony, and Octavian, who would become Augustus Caesar. These battles marked the last years of his life, as he fought to save the Roman republic first from mob rule and then from the tyranny of dictatorship.
The three books in the bestselling trilogy are IMPERIUM, LUSTRUM, and DICTATOR. In IMPERIUM, we are thrown into the violent, wheeling-and-dealing, and backstabbing world of Roman politics, in which Cicero uses his wits and skills as an orator and lawyer against the entrenched patrician class to reach for the consulship. LUSTRUM deals with the dangers, seductions, and horrors of power, and the slide toward brutal mob rule. DICTATOR follows Cicero into exile and a dramatic comeback, where he strives to save the Roman republic against a series of would-be tyrants.
The books are amazingly detailed and realized, with every peculiarity of Roman life and political system explored, and with so many similarities to our own society and political system. Cicero is a thoroughly engaging character, a self-made man who is heavily flawed and is often forced to compromise, a politician who fights with his wit and clever scheming. The depictions of well-known Roman figures such as Caesar, Marc Antony, and Octavian are similarly very well depicted.
Overall, this series gets a high A from me. If you’re into Roman history or any historical fiction, this is a must read.
August 4, 2017
Magistraal. Ik heb in dit boek gewóónd en zal het missen.
April 10, 2024
Cicero
A work of immense scholarship, at once touching, humane, brutal, blood-thirsty and funny. We are as flies to the gods...
A work of immense scholarship, at once touching, humane, brutal, blood-thirsty and funny. We are as flies to the gods...
July 3, 2024
Er is geen ontkomen aan: telkens men het einde van de republiek in Rome beschrijft en de opgang van het keizerrijk, dan zijn de parallellen met ons politiek bestel overduidelijk.
Hoe de macht van de senaat het door de opkomst van bondgenootschappen met elk hun eigen belang (of zoals we dat nu zouden noemen: partijen) uiteindelijk ten onder ging en vervangen werd door de macht van die bondgenootschappen. Die bestonden eerst uit 3 leiders, dan 2 en uiteindelijk slechts uit 1, die we kort nadien keizer zijn gaan noemen.
De rest van het verhaal is genoegzaam bekend: burgerplicht, respect voor de overheid en de eer iets goed te doen voor het land stierven uit. In de plaats kwamen uitgeholde legers, financiële rampen, honger, polarisatie in de bevolking, inhuren van vreemde troepen om de staat te beschermen, algemene decadentie en tenslotte de val van het Romeinse rijk en eeuwen van wat we nu donkere middeleeuwen noemen.
Auteur Robert Harris is gebiologeerd door macht en weet als geen ander hoe hij de politieke arena, waarin macht het hoofdingrediënt vormt, in beeld moet brengen. Hij kiest daarvoor bij voorkeur het instrument van de historische roman. Of in dit geval: een weergaloze trilogie waarin hij opkomst en ondergang beschrijft van de bekende redenaar-politicus Cicero.
Deel 1, "Imperium", laat in een filmische openingssequentie het Rome met zijn luxekwartieren van en voor de machtigen zien, waarin Cicero als jurist carrière maakt. Cicero als ontluikend advocaat krijgt de microbe van de politiek te pakken en wil meedoen met de machtigen. Harris tooont op ongeëvenaarde wijze heel concreet hoe het er echt aan toe ging bij de kiesstrijd op het Marsveld maar zoomt hij vooral in op het gekonkel en gelobby om tot het kransje van invloedrijken te kunnen behoren.
'"Lustrum", deel 2, toont hoe Cicero eindelijk consul is geworden en hoe hij voortdurend belaagd wordt door tegenstanders, waaronder Catilina, onder vuur genomen. Hij vraagt zich af of het wel de moeite loonde om all the way te gaan tot hij consul werd en nu voortdurend wordt tegengewerkt en belaagd. De vraag stellen is allicht ze ook beantwoorden ...
In het sluitstuk van deze trilogie, "Dictator", geraakt Cicero dankzij de steun aan Caesar weer in de cockpit van de macht. Wanneer in 44 voor Christus Caesar wordt vermoord, krijgt hij het opnieuw moeilijk en komt hij terug op zijn besluit om de politiek vaarwel te zeggen. Als Marcus Antonius een monsterverbond sluit met Octavianus - de latere keizer Augustus - wordt Cicero geslachtofferd.
Ik ben al jaren fan van Robert Harris. Je zal in mijn leeslijst hier nog andere schitterende boeken van hem vinden. Allemaal pareltjes, maar voor mij is deze trilogie zijn absolute meesterwerk. De historische details zitten goed, de gelijkenissen met ons systeem zijn pijnlijk treffend en de achtergrondinformatie verhelderend. Zo moet ik toegeven dat ik door dit boek mijn mening over Julius Caesar wat heb moeten bijstellen. Ik leerde trouwens ook hoe de secretaris van Cicero een rol van belang speelde toen de CVP destijds een nieuwe naam zocht en bij CD&V uitkwam.
Uitstekende boeken mis je, de eerste dagen nadat je ze uit hebt. Fervente lezers zullen weten waarover ik het heb. Een steengoede trilogie stelde dat gevoel een tijdje uit, maar ik vrees dat het gemis de te groter zal zijn.
Om niet helemaal "cold turkey" te moeten gaan kan ik "Ik, Claudius" aanbevelen, een al even magistraal werk dat perfect aansluit op Harris' trilogie - zowel qua tijd als qua inhoud. En voor wie liever tv kijkt: Ik Claudius werd ooit door de BBC verwerkt in een reeks die je nog altijd kan bekijken. Het is nog altijd de enige reeks die even goed is dan het boek waar ze op gebaseerd is.
Zou het in deze tijden van Netflix and Co geen goed idee zijn om een even goede reeks te maken van deze trilogie? Het blijft riskant, want de kans op een miskleun blijft groot. Toch zou ik ze laten proberen. Als we er de Amerikanen uit weghouden, zou het wel eens kunnen lukken om de beste tv-reeks ooit te maken.
En als het toch mislukt, kan je nog altijd met het hand op het hart snoeven dat de boeken beter waren.
Hoe de macht van de senaat het door de opkomst van bondgenootschappen met elk hun eigen belang (of zoals we dat nu zouden noemen: partijen) uiteindelijk ten onder ging en vervangen werd door de macht van die bondgenootschappen. Die bestonden eerst uit 3 leiders, dan 2 en uiteindelijk slechts uit 1, die we kort nadien keizer zijn gaan noemen.
De rest van het verhaal is genoegzaam bekend: burgerplicht, respect voor de overheid en de eer iets goed te doen voor het land stierven uit. In de plaats kwamen uitgeholde legers, financiële rampen, honger, polarisatie in de bevolking, inhuren van vreemde troepen om de staat te beschermen, algemene decadentie en tenslotte de val van het Romeinse rijk en eeuwen van wat we nu donkere middeleeuwen noemen.
Auteur Robert Harris is gebiologeerd door macht en weet als geen ander hoe hij de politieke arena, waarin macht het hoofdingrediënt vormt, in beeld moet brengen. Hij kiest daarvoor bij voorkeur het instrument van de historische roman. Of in dit geval: een weergaloze trilogie waarin hij opkomst en ondergang beschrijft van de bekende redenaar-politicus Cicero.
Deel 1, "Imperium", laat in een filmische openingssequentie het Rome met zijn luxekwartieren van en voor de machtigen zien, waarin Cicero als jurist carrière maakt. Cicero als ontluikend advocaat krijgt de microbe van de politiek te pakken en wil meedoen met de machtigen. Harris tooont op ongeëvenaarde wijze heel concreet hoe het er echt aan toe ging bij de kiesstrijd op het Marsveld maar zoomt hij vooral in op het gekonkel en gelobby om tot het kransje van invloedrijken te kunnen behoren.
'"Lustrum", deel 2, toont hoe Cicero eindelijk consul is geworden en hoe hij voortdurend belaagd wordt door tegenstanders, waaronder Catilina, onder vuur genomen. Hij vraagt zich af of het wel de moeite loonde om all the way te gaan tot hij consul werd en nu voortdurend wordt tegengewerkt en belaagd. De vraag stellen is allicht ze ook beantwoorden ...
In het sluitstuk van deze trilogie, "Dictator", geraakt Cicero dankzij de steun aan Caesar weer in de cockpit van de macht. Wanneer in 44 voor Christus Caesar wordt vermoord, krijgt hij het opnieuw moeilijk en komt hij terug op zijn besluit om de politiek vaarwel te zeggen. Als Marcus Antonius een monsterverbond sluit met Octavianus - de latere keizer Augustus - wordt Cicero geslachtofferd.
Ik ben al jaren fan van Robert Harris. Je zal in mijn leeslijst hier nog andere schitterende boeken van hem vinden. Allemaal pareltjes, maar voor mij is deze trilogie zijn absolute meesterwerk. De historische details zitten goed, de gelijkenissen met ons systeem zijn pijnlijk treffend en de achtergrondinformatie verhelderend. Zo moet ik toegeven dat ik door dit boek mijn mening over Julius Caesar wat heb moeten bijstellen. Ik leerde trouwens ook hoe de secretaris van Cicero een rol van belang speelde toen de CVP destijds een nieuwe naam zocht en bij CD&V uitkwam.
Uitstekende boeken mis je, de eerste dagen nadat je ze uit hebt. Fervente lezers zullen weten waarover ik het heb. Een steengoede trilogie stelde dat gevoel een tijdje uit, maar ik vrees dat het gemis de te groter zal zijn.
Om niet helemaal "cold turkey" te moeten gaan kan ik "Ik, Claudius" aanbevelen, een al even magistraal werk dat perfect aansluit op Harris' trilogie - zowel qua tijd als qua inhoud. En voor wie liever tv kijkt: Ik Claudius werd ooit door de BBC verwerkt in een reeks die je nog altijd kan bekijken. Het is nog altijd de enige reeks die even goed is dan het boek waar ze op gebaseerd is.
Zou het in deze tijden van Netflix and Co geen goed idee zijn om een even goede reeks te maken van deze trilogie? Het blijft riskant, want de kans op een miskleun blijft groot. Toch zou ik ze laten proberen. Als we er de Amerikanen uit weghouden, zou het wel eens kunnen lukken om de beste tv-reeks ooit te maken.
En als het toch mislukt, kan je nog altijd met het hand op het hart snoeven dat de boeken beter waren.
November 8, 2022
In many ways an impressive piece of work, a kind of House of Cards in tongas, which offers a pain-free way of studying the demise of the Roman Republic, with Robert Harris weaving his narrative around the actual events of that period. Still, I have mixed feelings about the blurb claim on the front cover, that it is ”one of the great triumphs of contemporary historical literature”: if you open it believing that you’ll probably be disappointed. On the other hand, if you open it expecting to have a “good read”, then you’ll be fine.
At one level it certainly does bowl along, and I did find myself turning the pages avidly to see what happened next. As I neared the end of the trilogy I realised that I had whisked through more than 900 pages of Roman history – no mean feat on its own on RH’s part. But, great literature it is not.
Up to a point he has the “excuse” that he is recounting the tale of Cicero’s (and the Republic’s) rise and eventual fall through the eyes/recollections of his amanuensis, Tiro; and as a result – one might argue – the tone is inevitably a bit flat and a bit unmodulated. But you can’t help thinking that a better writer would have made the prose sexier and more ‘appropriate’ all the same. It is remarkably deadpan, and as I read I couldn’t help thinking it resembled an ancient-world version of Bridget Jones’s’ Diary - profoundly unfair as I have never read Bridget Jones’s’ Diary: but that’s what it felt like. A random example from halfway through the novel - “Sulla, who had been immersed in the conspiracy right up to his noble neck”. Towards the end of the book one senator turns to another and calls him ”Mon vieux”. Really? Does language like this convey a sense of people talking in ancient Rome? Very edgy maybe – but it fails to convey any sense of the times it is describing, in the same way that Jane Austen adaptations don’t work with an American accent.
The tone of the trilogy switches quite noticeably from one part to the next. The opening novel, Imperium, is probably the best of the three, with the second and third novels coming axcross as a little flatter, recitations of what happened next. Imperium focuses on Cicero’s steady rise to the top of the Republic’s political system, fired by via his canny legal work and speechifying. As described by his scribe-slave Tiro it is positively hagiographic, with pretty much everything Cicero touches turning to gold. He barely puts a foot wrong throughout, to the point that you wind up wishing he would, just to show he was human. The second part, Lustrum, makes up for that in its way, as he becomes a kind of anti-Midas, with pretty much everything he does crumbling in his hand. I record this as a criticism because one admirable feature of the trilogy is that most of the plot is historically accurate: if the tone and the credibility of the narrative wobbles, it is therefore presumably RH’s doing as a writer.
In summary then, an interesting way of learning about the end of the Roman Republic, and a little about the life of Cicero.
At one level it certainly does bowl along, and I did find myself turning the pages avidly to see what happened next. As I neared the end of the trilogy I realised that I had whisked through more than 900 pages of Roman history – no mean feat on its own on RH’s part. But, great literature it is not.
Up to a point he has the “excuse” that he is recounting the tale of Cicero’s (and the Republic’s) rise and eventual fall through the eyes/recollections of his amanuensis, Tiro; and as a result – one might argue – the tone is inevitably a bit flat and a bit unmodulated. But you can’t help thinking that a better writer would have made the prose sexier and more ‘appropriate’ all the same. It is remarkably deadpan, and as I read I couldn’t help thinking it resembled an ancient-world version of Bridget Jones’s’ Diary - profoundly unfair as I have never read Bridget Jones’s’ Diary: but that’s what it felt like. A random example from halfway through the novel - “Sulla, who had been immersed in the conspiracy right up to his noble neck”. Towards the end of the book one senator turns to another and calls him ”Mon vieux”. Really? Does language like this convey a sense of people talking in ancient Rome? Very edgy maybe – but it fails to convey any sense of the times it is describing, in the same way that Jane Austen adaptations don’t work with an American accent.
The tone of the trilogy switches quite noticeably from one part to the next. The opening novel, Imperium, is probably the best of the three, with the second and third novels coming axcross as a little flatter, recitations of what happened next. Imperium focuses on Cicero’s steady rise to the top of the Republic’s political system, fired by via his canny legal work and speechifying. As described by his scribe-slave Tiro it is positively hagiographic, with pretty much everything Cicero touches turning to gold. He barely puts a foot wrong throughout, to the point that you wind up wishing he would, just to show he was human. The second part, Lustrum, makes up for that in its way, as he becomes a kind of anti-Midas, with pretty much everything he does crumbling in his hand. I record this as a criticism because one admirable feature of the trilogy is that most of the plot is historically accurate: if the tone and the credibility of the narrative wobbles, it is therefore presumably RH’s doing as a writer.
In summary then, an interesting way of learning about the end of the Roman Republic, and a little about the life of Cicero.
December 17, 2024
The Imperium trilogy is a fictionalised biography of the lawyer, orator, statesman and philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BCE) during one of the most exciting periods of Roman history, when the old Republic gave way to the Empire. That we know Cicero existed is attested by a wealth of material. Perhaps less well-known is that much of it was recorded by his slave and personal secretary, Tiro, who devised a shorthand method of recording speech verbatim. Some of his shorthand survives today: the abbreviations 'e.g. and NB' were his, as well as the ampersand (&). It is also known from other sources that Tiro, who long outlived his master, wrote a biography of Cicero, though the biography itself is now lost. It is this that Harris recreates, with his usual attention to detail, sensitive characterisation and matchless readability. Imperium records Cicero's early life and training, rising through the political ranks from the relatively junior quaestor, through aedile, praetor and finally consul, during which Cicero made his name by the high-profile prosecution of Gaius Verres, a corrupt governor of Sicily. Lustrum covers Cicero's tumultuous year as consul and the years immediately following, in which he helped foil a conspiracy to destabilise the Republic, during which he condemned several men to death without trial, a circumstance that was to dog him ever afterwards. Dictator charts the rise and fall of Julius Caesar, the various civil wars, and Cicero's eventual downfall by order of Mark Antony. I learned a great deal about the organisation of Roman life from these books, and grasped how much of modern society, especially the legal system, owes to Roman law: the idea of a constitution; debates in the Senate; the whole concept of prosecution and defence; and trial by jury. The whole courtroom drama scenario, in fact, which this series exploits beautifully. Characters from ancient history, too, shine out as real people. Not just Cicero, who is supremely clever, cunning and cultured -- as well as crotchety, driven and vain -- but the majestic if rather dopey Pompey; the fanatically stoic Cato; the vulpine Julius Caesar; Cicero's ferocious and clever wife Terentia, and, in Dictator, the precocious Octavianus, who becomes the Emperor Augustus. It might not sound like it, but it's a nail-biting thrill-ride as Cicero navigates the treacherous shoals and sometimes lethal hazards of Roman political life -- especially as you just know it'll all come to a sticky end. The dramatisation of Julius Caesar's assassination is brilliant because, even though you know what's about to happen, it's so shocking.
April 9, 2025
‘Wie onwetend blijft van wat er voor zijn geboorte gebeurde, blijft altijd een kind. Want wat is een mensenleven waard, als het niet is verweven met het leven van onze voorvaderen in de annalen van de geschiedenis?’
Deel 1: Imperium
70 voor Christus, Rome. We bevinden ons in het hart van de macht. Daar volgen we Marcus Tullius Cicero, redenaar, politicus, advocaat en filosoof. Cicero schittert in de rechtszaak tegen Verres (die in Sicilië heeft huisgehouden) maar ook tijdens de machtsstrijd tussen Pompeius en Crassus. Doorzettingsvermogen, vernuft, spreektalent en ambitie brengt deze redenaar ver in de zoektocht naar macht. We merken ook hoe de dilemma’s parten spelen; doe je het goede of het juiste. En vanuit welk standpunt dan?
Uit de mond van zijn privé secretaris Tiro lezen we het verhaal alsof we er zelf bij zijn.
Veel beroemde namen komen voorbij: Pompeius, Cato, Ceasar, Sulla, Lucullus, Hortensius. En ook niet onbelangrijk voor de spanning in het verhaal: Cicero leidt geen ongevaarlijk leven.
Ik vind het prachtig, hoe fictie en gedetailleerde correcte geschiedkundige feiten in elkaar verweven worden tot een razend spannend boek!
Deel 2, Lustrum
Cicero is doorgedrongen tot de top van de Romeinse macht. Om op zo’n plek te komen en te blijven zonder je ziel te verliezen, was toen en is nu een ingewikkeld steekspel tussen waarden/normen en omgaan met de voortdurend wisselende krachtenvelden. Het besef dat je er met idealisme en enthousiasme alleen niet komt, is wel heel duidelijk. En succes maakt je niet altijd een beter mens. Macht al helemaal niet.
Opvallend veel machtsprocessen zijn vergelijkbaar met de huidige en dat is beangstigend.
Deel 3, Dictator
‘Glorie is niet voor de eeuwigheid, verdoemenis ook niet’. Alles voor de stelling Macht is om te gebruiken.
In de herfst van zijn leven komen de overpeinzingen, zekerde moeite waard!
Ik weet niet hoe Harris het voor elkaar heeft gekregen maar het is een pageturner van meer dan 1100 pagina’s. Genoten!
Deel 1: Imperium
70 voor Christus, Rome. We bevinden ons in het hart van de macht. Daar volgen we Marcus Tullius Cicero, redenaar, politicus, advocaat en filosoof. Cicero schittert in de rechtszaak tegen Verres (die in Sicilië heeft huisgehouden) maar ook tijdens de machtsstrijd tussen Pompeius en Crassus. Doorzettingsvermogen, vernuft, spreektalent en ambitie brengt deze redenaar ver in de zoektocht naar macht. We merken ook hoe de dilemma’s parten spelen; doe je het goede of het juiste. En vanuit welk standpunt dan?
Uit de mond van zijn privé secretaris Tiro lezen we het verhaal alsof we er zelf bij zijn.
Veel beroemde namen komen voorbij: Pompeius, Cato, Ceasar, Sulla, Lucullus, Hortensius. En ook niet onbelangrijk voor de spanning in het verhaal: Cicero leidt geen ongevaarlijk leven.
Ik vind het prachtig, hoe fictie en gedetailleerde correcte geschiedkundige feiten in elkaar verweven worden tot een razend spannend boek!
Deel 2, Lustrum
Cicero is doorgedrongen tot de top van de Romeinse macht. Om op zo’n plek te komen en te blijven zonder je ziel te verliezen, was toen en is nu een ingewikkeld steekspel tussen waarden/normen en omgaan met de voortdurend wisselende krachtenvelden. Het besef dat je er met idealisme en enthousiasme alleen niet komt, is wel heel duidelijk. En succes maakt je niet altijd een beter mens. Macht al helemaal niet.
Opvallend veel machtsprocessen zijn vergelijkbaar met de huidige en dat is beangstigend.
Deel 3, Dictator
‘Glorie is niet voor de eeuwigheid, verdoemenis ook niet’. Alles voor de stelling Macht is om te gebruiken.
In de herfst van zijn leven komen de overpeinzingen, zekerde moeite waard!
Ik weet niet hoe Harris het voor elkaar heeft gekregen maar het is een pageturner van meer dan 1100 pagina’s. Genoten!
February 25, 2019
The Cicero Trilogy is of course a work of fiction and not a historical biography. At the same time it does give some insight into the politics in and of Rome, how they could have been. For anyone who like me in his youth read the Catilinarian Orations in Latin, in particular the book dedicated to that struggle is a very amusing and pleasing read.
The last book of the trilogy paints a negative and therefore interesting picture of Julius Caesar, Marc Anthony and Octavian (the later emperor Augustus). History is usually written by the victor, so the rather negative portrait of Caesar is an interesting thought, and perfectly credible from the point of view of Cicero who, at least we are certain about that historical fact, was a staunch defender of the republic.
Still, I rated the trilogy only 3 stars, because as a whole I found it a bit of a missed opportunity. There is so much historical fact to mention that the author just does not have or take the time to do anything with his characters. The character of Tiro for instance remains completely flat throughout the book, which accounts for a lifespan of approx 60 of his 99 years. The same goes for the main character of Cicero. Sometimes you feel that Robert Harris would have preferred to spend a bit more time with his characters, for instance when he talks briefly about Cicero's wife or his daughter. He does not develop any of these characters at all though. I assume because he preferred to cover the entirety of Cicero's life in his trilogy, which means a lot of historical fact to explain. Personally, I think that it might have been far more interesting to have only the historical background of the struggle of the Republic with Catilina and more depth of character.
So my verdict in the end is : too much "history" and not enough fiction.
The last book of the trilogy paints a negative and therefore interesting picture of Julius Caesar, Marc Anthony and Octavian (the later emperor Augustus). History is usually written by the victor, so the rather negative portrait of Caesar is an interesting thought, and perfectly credible from the point of view of Cicero who, at least we are certain about that historical fact, was a staunch defender of the republic.
Still, I rated the trilogy only 3 stars, because as a whole I found it a bit of a missed opportunity. There is so much historical fact to mention that the author just does not have or take the time to do anything with his characters. The character of Tiro for instance remains completely flat throughout the book, which accounts for a lifespan of approx 60 of his 99 years. The same goes for the main character of Cicero. Sometimes you feel that Robert Harris would have preferred to spend a bit more time with his characters, for instance when he talks briefly about Cicero's wife or his daughter. He does not develop any of these characters at all though. I assume because he preferred to cover the entirety of Cicero's life in his trilogy, which means a lot of historical fact to explain. Personally, I think that it might have been far more interesting to have only the historical background of the struggle of the Republic with Catilina and more depth of character.
So my verdict in the end is : too much "history" and not enough fiction.
October 12, 2024
Robert Harris’s Cicero Trilogy—Imperium, Lustrum, and Dictator—is an impressive and richly detailed portrayal of one of Rome’s greatest statesmen, Marcus Tullius Cicero. Harris captures the political intrigue and tension of the Roman Republic’s final years through the eyes of Cicero’s loyal secretary, Tiro, offering readers a deeply human and nuanced look at the man behind the rhetoric.
What I found particularly compelling is how Harris doesn’t just present Cicero as a flawless hero. He’s shown with all his weaknesses, dilemmas, and moral compromises, which makes him more relatable. His struggles with power, loyalty, and survival in a rapidly changing political landscape feel all too real. The way Harris intertwines Cicero’s personal and political challenges—balancing his ideals with the harsh realities of Roman politics—is gripping.
However, while the trilogy is masterfully written and historically rich, it sometimes felt a bit slow, particularly in the middle sections. There were moments where the narrative took its time, focusing heavily on the intricacies of Roman law and politics, which, while fascinating, could drag down the pace. It’s what kept me from giving it a full 5/5, though it came very close.
That said, the depth of character development, especially in Cicero’s rise, fall, and eventual fate, is impressive. The historical context—Rome’s shift from Republic to Empire—is incredibly well-researched, and Harris brings it to life in vivid detail. For anyone interested in Roman history or political drama, this trilogy is an immersive and thought-provoking read.
What I found particularly compelling is how Harris doesn’t just present Cicero as a flawless hero. He’s shown with all his weaknesses, dilemmas, and moral compromises, which makes him more relatable. His struggles with power, loyalty, and survival in a rapidly changing political landscape feel all too real. The way Harris intertwines Cicero’s personal and political challenges—balancing his ideals with the harsh realities of Roman politics—is gripping.
However, while the trilogy is masterfully written and historically rich, it sometimes felt a bit slow, particularly in the middle sections. There were moments where the narrative took its time, focusing heavily on the intricacies of Roman law and politics, which, while fascinating, could drag down the pace. It’s what kept me from giving it a full 5/5, though it came very close.
That said, the depth of character development, especially in Cicero’s rise, fall, and eventual fate, is impressive. The historical context—Rome’s shift from Republic to Empire—is incredibly well-researched, and Harris brings it to life in vivid detail. For anyone interested in Roman history or political drama, this trilogy is an immersive and thought-provoking read.
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