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Republic #1
The Pillars of Rome
With barbarians at the gate and enemies within, two men must fight for the soul of the Republic and the greatest empire in the world. A cave hacked out of the rock, lit by flickering torches…two young boys appeal to the famed Roman oracle for a glimpse into their future. The Sybil draws a blood-red shape of an eagle with wings outstretched. An omen of death. As they flee from the cave in fear, Aulus and Lucius make an oath of loyalty until death. An oath that will be tested in the years to come. Thirty years on and Aulus, now Rome’s most successful general, faces his toughest battle. Barbarian rebels have captured his wife, and are demanding the withdrawal of Roman legions from their land in return for her life. It is unthinkable for Aulus to agree, and he fears her life must be forfeit to Rome. Meanwhile, Lucius has risen to high rank in the Senate; a position he uses and abuses. But when Lucius is suspected of arranging a murder, the very foundations of the Republic are threatened. Lucius and Aulus soon find themselves on very different sides of the conflict—perhaps the prophecy of the eagle will come true after all. History and adventure, brutality and courage combine to powerful effect, making The Pillars of Rome an outstanding opening to the Republic series.
524 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2007
25 people are currently reading
575 people want to read
About the author
Jack Ludlow
18 books61 followersJACK LUDLOW is the pen name of writer David Donachie, who was born in Edinburgh in 1944. He has had a variety of jobs, including selling everything from business machines to soap. He has always had an abiding interest in the naval history of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, which he drew upon for the many novels he has set in that period. The author of a number of bestselling books, he now lives in Deal with his wife, fellow A&B author Sarah Grazebrook.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
July 27, 2015
The two pillars of Rome were the Law and the Military. Two young boys, Aulus and Lucius, are given a prophecy that begins to be fulfilled during the course of this novel:
"One shall tame a mighty foe/the other strike to save its fame/neither will achieve their aim. Look aloft if you dare/though what you fear cannot fly/both will face it before you die."
They pledge blood brotherhood and eternal friendship. Years pass; Aulus becomes a renowned military general, winning a triumph through his defeat of Macedonia. He earns the sobriquet "Macedonicus." He also defeats Brennos, a Celt-Iberian who has united the tribes in Spain. Ever after, Brennos harbors revenge. Lucius becomes a well-known, influential senator. Each has a son; one is exposed in an out-of-the-way place in the woods to die, rescued by a poor man, Clodius, and raised by him and his wife. They name him Aquila, since he had been found with an amulet of an eagle. In contrast, Lucius's son, the only child Marcellus, is rich and given every advantage. The novel takes us through the lives of all these characters and how their fates begin to intertwine. First we see before a fateful battle in Illyricum [the Balkans] the meeting of the general and Clodius, who has been convinced to substitute as a legionary for his neighbor. There were several poignant episodes where I teared up.
This novel flowed easily and was easy to follow. I recommend this novel but I'm not sure if I'll read the sequels.
"One shall tame a mighty foe/the other strike to save its fame/neither will achieve their aim. Look aloft if you dare/though what you fear cannot fly/both will face it before you die."
They pledge blood brotherhood and eternal friendship. Years pass; Aulus becomes a renowned military general, winning a triumph through his defeat of Macedonia. He earns the sobriquet "Macedonicus." He also defeats Brennos, a Celt-Iberian who has united the tribes in Spain. Ever after, Brennos harbors revenge. Lucius becomes a well-known, influential senator. Each has a son; one is exposed in an out-of-the-way place in the woods to die, rescued by a poor man, Clodius, and raised by him and his wife. They name him Aquila, since he had been found with an amulet of an eagle. In contrast, Lucius's son, the only child Marcellus, is rich and given every advantage. The novel takes us through the lives of all these characters and how their fates begin to intertwine. First we see before a fateful battle in Illyricum [the Balkans] the meeting of the general and Clodius, who has been convinced to substitute as a legionary for his neighbor. There were several poignant episodes where I teared up.
This novel flowed easily and was easy to follow. I recommend this novel but I'm not sure if I'll read the sequels.
January 5, 2026
Grata sorpresa, interesante leer un libro sobre la República Romana donde ni Julio Cesar o Escipión sean los protagonistas!
January 18, 2019
Het eerste boek in deze reeks. Ik lees graag boeken over het Romeinse rijk, en ik vind dat de auteur veel historische weetjes goed verwerkt heeft in het boek. Het was ook fijn om de belevenissen te lezen van hooggeplaatsten en militairen die naar uithoeken van het rijk gezonden werden om daar de rust te bewaren, of te doen weerkeren, en Romeinse waarden en nieuwigheden daar te introduceren, zoals het aanleggen van degelijke wegen. Het verhaal op zich zit ook goed in elkaar. We volgen twee romeinse vrienden, de ene is consul geworden, de andere generaal. De ene bleef kinderloos, tot zijn vrouw zwanger raakt van haar slavenminnaar, en de consul het kind als het zijne erkent. Het jongetje wordt Marcellus genoemd. Op dezelfde dag bevalt de jonge nieuwe vrouw van de generaal van een zoontje, dat echter verwekt werd door een Kelt die haar gevangen genomen had, maar na 2 jaar kon ze bevrijd worden door de Romeinen. De generaal ontdoet zich van het kind, door het 's nachts in een verlaten bos te leggen, waar het zeer waarschijnlijk gauw zal sterven. Echter wordt de kleine gevonden door een arme burger, die het kind meeneemt naar huis, en het samen met zijn vrouw opvoedt. Ze noemen hem Aquila. Het boek wekt de verwachting dat het in de volgende delen zal gaan over deze twee jongelingen. Spannend!
April 23, 2024
It was neither fantasy nor fiction, the writing style didn’t sit well with me
September 21, 2013
Found this selection on a free ebook site from Google Play. A surprisingly good read and quite authentic in its discussion of Roman culture. Had enough characters to be interesting without being confusing. Each character had their own little agenda and these were all woven well throughout the book's plot.
There were a few spots where the plot dragged but I still found myself wanting to read just a few more pages before bedtime. Looking forward to the two remaining books in this Roman trilogy as well as his other books.
There were a few spots where the plot dragged but I still found myself wanting to read just a few more pages before bedtime. Looking forward to the two remaining books in this Roman trilogy as well as his other books.
December 3, 2016
Pillars of Rome is a book that probably should have been read...not listened to. I found it difficult to keep track of characters (names and where they fitted in) and the plot seemed to jump, no, lumber around...always difficult in an audio book. However, the ending has me wanting to listen to Books 2 and 3 of the trilogy....sometime.
January 30, 2018
Againt the backdrop of political intrigues which Rome's Senate certainly experienced, this historical novel has great potential, with good story lines on several levels. However, some events are just too improbable, and one must believe in the power of future-tellers to fully appreciate how these unfold.
March 9, 2019
This was a good story but not an epic one. The book was not exciting, the battle scenes where not detailed and were over as soon as they begun. I found much of the book was obvious with very few surprises. Some characters and stories were left hanging but I suspect they would be expanded or concluded in the susbsequent books.
May 20, 2013
Audiobook read by Nick Boulton
I do enjoy starting a new series late so that I already have the other books to hand. Just as well as I was quite happy to carry on with the other two books.
Nicely written with a bit of variety
I do enjoy starting a new series late so that I already have the other books to hand. Just as well as I was quite happy to carry on with the other two books.
Nicely written with a bit of variety
February 2, 2013
A good story with believable characters whose actions are easily identified with.
August 14, 2017
Danish review:
Aulus og Lucius lister sig i al hemmelighed hen til et orakel/spåkone, for at høre om deres fremtid. Det er der mange romere der gør, så det er i sig selv ikke usædvanligt, men idet drengene ikke er mere end 12 år har oraklet i første omgang svært ved at tage dem alvorlig. Men nu de alligevel er kommet får de alligevel deres profeti.
Den ene skal vinde store krigsslag og blive en stor helt i Rom. Den anden skal redde byens ry. Men de skal begge kikke på himlen efter noget der ikke kan flyve, det vil blive det sidste de ser inden de dør. Det giver to unge mennesker en lille tendens til at gå at se op i luften, fra tid til anden.
Lucius har efter en del års ægteskab endelig fået sin første søn, selvom hans hustru dør i barselssengen har han aldrig været mere lykkelig... og dog. Der mangler noget meget væsentligt - Aulus er ikke kommet for at ønske ham tillykke med drengen. Det er uacceptabelt, for det er bare noget bedste venner gør.
Men Aulus har travlt... Han er selv blivet gift for 2. gang. Denne gang med en ganske ung kvinde, Claudia. Lige efter brylluppet var der en del uro i Spanien, der dengang lå under Roms regime. Derfor er det også de store romerske hærfører der skal tage afsted og sikre at der bliver fred, hurtigst mulig.
Aulus melder sig frivilligt, men der er folk i Rom der mener at Aulus allerede har høstet den ære han kan forvalte. Hvis han bliver hædret mere endnu, bliver hans magt for stor, derfor ville det være til gene for Roms andre generaler, hvis han også får dette slag.
Lucius er en dygtig politiker og har en stor indflydelse i Rom. Han får trumfet igennem at Aulus selvfølgelig også denne gang skal redde Rom fra oprørene i Spanien. Selv da Aulus forlanger at få sin familie med til Spanien, bliver hans ønske fulgt.
Men lige der begik han en stor fejl. Aulus hær bliver splittet totalt af og Claudia forsvinder under mystiske omstændigheder. Der kommer en besked fra fjendens lejr: hvis han vil se sin kone igen, skal han omgående forlade Spanien og aldrig komme igen. Nu er Aulus fanget i sit løft til Rom. Hvis han vil have Claudia tilbage skal han svigte sit soldaterløfte, og vende hjem med et svidende nederlag i tasken.
Han er en stolt mand og vil kæmpe til det sidste. Det varer 18 måneder inden han ser sin kone igen - i en tilstand han i sin vildeste fantasi ikke havde forestillet sig. Hun er højgravid, og Aulus er sikker på at der er nogen der har tiltvunget sig adgang til konen.
Den aften at Lucius endelig får sin søn, går Aulus udenfor en stor øde villa og venter på at Claudia føder det barn, der ikke er ønsket. Efter fødslen bliver drengebarnet overladt til slaven Cholon. Han skal skaffe dem af med barnet.
Han ligger den under en busk, sammen med den halskæde Claudia har givet drengen rundt om den ene ankel. Han bliver fundet af en fulderik, der ikke tør gå hjem til sin kone. Men nu har han jo en "gave" med, er det en del nemmere at formilde madammen.
Roms søjler er begyndelsen på en familie-føljeton. Personerne i bogen "hænger sammen" på kryds og tværs. Nogen af dem uden nogensinde at mødes.
Vi er helt tilbage til dengang der var slaver, romerske legioner, soldater der var klar til at ofre sit liv for Rom. Dengang, man bare stjal alt det man kunne komme til fra hinanden. Dårlig samvittighed blev betalt med en ung køn slavinde, der bare havde at makke ret.
Den unge dreng, Aquila der bliver sat ud af den store hærfører, vokser på trods af den hårde start på livet, op hos en fattig familie, men med en "mor" der har et hjerte af guld. Drengen bliver faktisk ret forkælet og det er kun manden i huset, der flere gange fortryder at han kom hjem med ungen - nu skal han jo arbejde endnu hårdere, og må ikke længere drikke pengene op.
Har man ikke forstand på hvordan livet var i Grækenland dengang er "Roms søjler" et godt bud. Den er meget underholdende, men også til tider ret blodig, følelseskold og barsk. Men ikke urealistisk
Er man bare lidt historisk interesseret så kan man sagtens hoppe på vognen - denne her er kun den første af tre - bliver spændende at følge drengen, Aquila der i slutningen af bogen stadig er en ung mand.
Aulus og Lucius lister sig i al hemmelighed hen til et orakel/spåkone, for at høre om deres fremtid. Det er der mange romere der gør, så det er i sig selv ikke usædvanligt, men idet drengene ikke er mere end 12 år har oraklet i første omgang svært ved at tage dem alvorlig. Men nu de alligevel er kommet får de alligevel deres profeti.
Den ene skal vinde store krigsslag og blive en stor helt i Rom. Den anden skal redde byens ry. Men de skal begge kikke på himlen efter noget der ikke kan flyve, det vil blive det sidste de ser inden de dør. Det giver to unge mennesker en lille tendens til at gå at se op i luften, fra tid til anden.
Lucius har efter en del års ægteskab endelig fået sin første søn, selvom hans hustru dør i barselssengen har han aldrig været mere lykkelig... og dog. Der mangler noget meget væsentligt - Aulus er ikke kommet for at ønske ham tillykke med drengen. Det er uacceptabelt, for det er bare noget bedste venner gør.
Men Aulus har travlt... Han er selv blivet gift for 2. gang. Denne gang med en ganske ung kvinde, Claudia. Lige efter brylluppet var der en del uro i Spanien, der dengang lå under Roms regime. Derfor er det også de store romerske hærfører der skal tage afsted og sikre at der bliver fred, hurtigst mulig.
Aulus melder sig frivilligt, men der er folk i Rom der mener at Aulus allerede har høstet den ære han kan forvalte. Hvis han bliver hædret mere endnu, bliver hans magt for stor, derfor ville det være til gene for Roms andre generaler, hvis han også får dette slag.
Lucius er en dygtig politiker og har en stor indflydelse i Rom. Han får trumfet igennem at Aulus selvfølgelig også denne gang skal redde Rom fra oprørene i Spanien. Selv da Aulus forlanger at få sin familie med til Spanien, bliver hans ønske fulgt.
Men lige der begik han en stor fejl. Aulus hær bliver splittet totalt af og Claudia forsvinder under mystiske omstændigheder. Der kommer en besked fra fjendens lejr: hvis han vil se sin kone igen, skal han omgående forlade Spanien og aldrig komme igen. Nu er Aulus fanget i sit løft til Rom. Hvis han vil have Claudia tilbage skal han svigte sit soldaterløfte, og vende hjem med et svidende nederlag i tasken.
Han er en stolt mand og vil kæmpe til det sidste. Det varer 18 måneder inden han ser sin kone igen - i en tilstand han i sin vildeste fantasi ikke havde forestillet sig. Hun er højgravid, og Aulus er sikker på at der er nogen der har tiltvunget sig adgang til konen.
Den aften at Lucius endelig får sin søn, går Aulus udenfor en stor øde villa og venter på at Claudia føder det barn, der ikke er ønsket. Efter fødslen bliver drengebarnet overladt til slaven Cholon. Han skal skaffe dem af med barnet.
Han ligger den under en busk, sammen med den halskæde Claudia har givet drengen rundt om den ene ankel. Han bliver fundet af en fulderik, der ikke tør gå hjem til sin kone. Men nu har han jo en "gave" med, er det en del nemmere at formilde madammen.
Roms søjler er begyndelsen på en familie-føljeton. Personerne i bogen "hænger sammen" på kryds og tværs. Nogen af dem uden nogensinde at mødes.
Vi er helt tilbage til dengang der var slaver, romerske legioner, soldater der var klar til at ofre sit liv for Rom. Dengang, man bare stjal alt det man kunne komme til fra hinanden. Dårlig samvittighed blev betalt med en ung køn slavinde, der bare havde at makke ret.
Den unge dreng, Aquila der bliver sat ud af den store hærfører, vokser på trods af den hårde start på livet, op hos en fattig familie, men med en "mor" der har et hjerte af guld. Drengen bliver faktisk ret forkælet og det er kun manden i huset, der flere gange fortryder at han kom hjem med ungen - nu skal han jo arbejde endnu hårdere, og må ikke længere drikke pengene op.
Har man ikke forstand på hvordan livet var i Grækenland dengang er "Roms søjler" et godt bud. Den er meget underholdende, men også til tider ret blodig, følelseskold og barsk. Men ikke urealistisk
Er man bare lidt historisk interesseret så kan man sagtens hoppe på vognen - denne her er kun den første af tre - bliver spændende at følge drengen, Aquila der i slutningen af bogen stadig er en ung mand.
January 3, 2024
This is first book in a three book series.
The book seemed to start a bit slow. However, as the characters were fleshed out, my interest grew.
I think that the characters started out fairly flat, but I liked how they developed as the story moved along. However, I would have appreciated that development a lot sooner than what it came. The way things happened, it was like I had to commit from the start to read all three books to get the most enjoyment out of each one.
I think that the premise was good, but I felt like something was missing in Lucius's character that never really gets resolved. I may have to re-read this book one day to figure out what it was.
Overall, the book was a good leisure read and I found it enjoyable. I recommend it if you like Roman history.
The book seemed to start a bit slow. However, as the characters were fleshed out, my interest grew.
I think that the characters started out fairly flat, but I liked how they developed as the story moved along. However, I would have appreciated that development a lot sooner than what it came. The way things happened, it was like I had to commit from the start to read all three books to get the most enjoyment out of each one.
I think that the premise was good, but I felt like something was missing in Lucius's character that never really gets resolved. I may have to re-read this book one day to figure out what it was.
Overall, the book was a good leisure read and I found it enjoyable. I recommend it if you like Roman history.
December 10, 2025
I really like the depth of political intrigue that Jack Ludlow describes in this historical novel. While I`m not a big fan of politics, he makes it interesting without allowing it to drag or get bogged down in detail. I`d be interested to know how historically accurate this book is - if something like that could be claimed for events happening 2,000 years ago.
October 30, 2021
A solidly good but somehow not great story set in the Roman republic. He’s set up the second book sufficiently well that I’ve bought it.
April 16, 2022
Historia de traiciones, avaricia y engaños.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 14, 2012
Good book. I found Aulus' character to be a tad cliched at times but, overall, a pretty a good read. I really enjoyed hearing the stories of Marcellus and Aquila and it was VERY historically accurate. That's what most impressed me. I'm tempted to read the next one now!
April 23, 2013
I really enjoyed this, far more than I expected to, since it cast $2 in a newsagent sale bin.
Historically correct as a fictional work can be, yet interesting and engaging. I am only disappointed I cannot find the second and thirds of this series.
I believe, an author to keep an eye out for.
Historically correct as a fictional work can be, yet interesting and engaging. I am only disappointed I cannot find the second and thirds of this series.
I believe, an author to keep an eye out for.
January 12, 2011
Loved all the charactars, but it could be a bit slow at times.
August 3, 2011
Great read, sometimes could drag out a little, but I'm so fascinated by the history of the Roman Empire, the dragging bits are still pretty good. Can't wait to read the next two novels.
December 4, 2011
Gritty, historically accurate (I suspect), entertaining. Looking forward to the next one.
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October 17, 2013“Another of the ROME series, I am apt to read the whole series. Nothing great to write about except that at times I was tempted to put it down. ”
March 12, 2011
intensely exciting trilogy of roman legions
April 18, 2017
More Drome.
Featuring some rather tiresome twaddle about an eagle in a prophesy, an illegitimate son of a senator/general and yer bog standard barbarian druid.
All the usual bilge you'd expect in this sort of historical (hysterical ?) novel.
Enjoyable enough though, and although I have a good idea where this series is going, I've started the next one, seeing as I had charity shopped Volume 3.
Featuring some rather tiresome twaddle about an eagle in a prophesy, an illegitimate son of a senator/general and yer bog standard barbarian druid.
All the usual bilge you'd expect in this sort of historical (hysterical ?) novel.
Enjoyable enough though, and although I have a good idea where this series is going, I've started the next one, seeing as I had charity shopped Volume 3.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews