The Roman History Book Club discussion

Your book of the month for October is Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland.

Synopsis
In 49 B.C., the seven hundred fifth year since the founding of Rome, Julius Caesar crossed a small border river called the Rubicon and plunged Rome into cataclysmic civil war. Tom Holland’s enthralling account tells the story of Caesar’s generation, witness to the twilight of the Republic and its bloody transformation into an empire. From Cicero, Spartacus, and Brutus, to Cleopatra, Virgil, and Augustus, here are some of the most legendary figures in history brought thrillingly to life. Combining verve and freshness with scrupulous scholarship, Rubicon is not only an engrossing history of this pivotal era but a uniquely resonant portrait of a great civilization in all its extremes of self-sacrifice and rivalry, decadence and catastrophe, intrigue, war, and world-shaking ambition.

About the author
An acclaimed British author. He has written many books, both fiction and non-fiction, on many subjects from vampires to history.

Holland was born near Oxford and brought up in the village of Broadchalke near Salisbury, England. He obtained a double first in English and Latin at Queens' College, Cambridge, and afterwards studied shortly for a PhD at Oxford, taking Lord Byron as his subject, before interrupting the post graduate studies and moving to London.

He has adapted Herodotus, Homer, Thucydides and Virgil for BBC Radio 4. His novels, including Attis and Deliver Us From Evil, mostly have a supernatural and horror element as well as being set in the past. He is also the author of three highly praised works of history, Rubicon, Persian Fire and Millennium.

He is on the committee of the Society of Authors and the Classical Association.

Ellie wrote: "Your book of the month for October is Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland.

Synopsis
In 49 B.C., the seven hundred fifth year since the founding..."

Hi, I have just joined this club and just started reading this book. I noticed that there has not been much discussion of books here so thought I would post something.

Preface

(view spoiler)[I had read some comments that this book is too much like a story. In the Preface (p xxii and xxiii) Holland states that many of the original works have been lost and that there are a number of narratives that could be put together. Holland has decided to put together a story of what happened and makes no apology for it. (hide spoiler)]

My challenge with groups like this is timing. I can't finish the books assigned in one month (because of other obligations), or, as with this book, I already read it years ago. In fact, Holland's book may be the one that really fixed my fascination with ancient Rome. It came before I read Graves (or saw Claudius), or any other dedicated Rome book (other than Astrix :).

So, I love this book. There is a genre of solid, accessible history writing that seemed to be going out of style (in favor of the "Pamputties and How They Saved Civilization" variety). I'm talking about the kind of thing the Thomas Costain did for his Plantagenets series. Good writing AND good facts.

Holland, to my mind, captured both the grandiosity of Caesar's "creation" and the mundanity of it. He is primarily a storyteller.

Gary wrote: "My challenge with groups like this is timing. I can't finish the books assigned in one month (because of other obligations), or, as with this book, I already read it years ago. In fact, Holland's b..."

I agree with you Gary, reading the whole book in a month is not going to be easy for me either. I have read a number of other books on Rome but this is the first time I have come across this book. I have just finished chapter and was surprised how far back into the past Tom Holland decided to go. It is a book I will finish.

Chapter ONE – The Paradoxical Republic

(view spoiler)[Chapter One takes us back to the times of the first kings of Rome and the visit of Sibyl, a muse, who made predictions about the future of Rome. We then quickly move on to the Republic, and Rome’s fight to take over the other states of Italy. Next we read of the fight with Carthage, the Balkans and Greece.
Rome was built on the 7 hills, but soon had to spread out. ‘The streets of Rome had never had any kind of planning imposed upon them.’ (p14) Rome had two thoroughfares and if you strayed off them it was easy to become lost. Shanties would spring up, only to be torn down and rebuilt to see the rich become richer and the poor struggle to survive. This then led to the plebeians going on strike. However, try to help the plebeians too much murder could be the result.
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Chapter TWO – The Sibyl’s Curse

(view spoiler)[Sibyl had foreseen all the ills that would worry Rome, but would also provide answers. She foresaw greatness, such as the destruction of Carthage, and the riches of Pergamum. Taxing of colonies taken over by Rome, lead to corruption by those who were to represent the State and the fostering of greed throughout the Republic. Rufus, who tried to reign in this corruption, paid the ultimate price of being charged and convicted of extortion.
Sibyl had also foreseen the terror, from within. Of course the businessmen took it too far, arranging for an invasion of Pontus, leading to the uprising by Mithridiates, who, as a result, murdered thousands of Romans. Elsewhere, tribes on the Italian peninsular rose up and rebelled against the Romans.
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Chapter THREE – Luck be a Lady

(view spoiler)[And now we have the rivalry between Marius, the old General, and Sulla, the up and coming General. Marius was able to outplay Sulla, who then outplayed Marius, and marched on Rome. Going to Greece Marius took back the provinces taken by Mithridiates. Needing to return to Rome, Sulla forgives Mithridiates, a very un-Roman thing to do and is seen marching back to Rome. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter FOUR – Return of the Native

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While Sulla is away Marius and Cinna take over Rome. Marius soon dies, and his son Marius takes over. Crassus and Pompey raise their own private armies and join Sulla. Sulla starts another war with the Samnites and a battle is fought outside the Colline Gate of Rome. Crassus destroys the Samnites saving Sulla’s army and giving Rome to Sulla.
After killing six thousand Samnite prisoners Sulla turned his attention to the Romans who had opposed him. Every 5 years a citizen had to register himself, family, and property, so that Rome had a complete list of everyone and their possessions. (p94). Sulla used this list to identify and kill anyone who had ever opposed him, or even just those whose money and property he could steal.
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I am not sure what you are doing, Frank. All I see is a spoilers notice and no content.

Gary wrote: "I am not sure what you are doing, Frank. All I see is a spoilers notice and no content."

Hi Gary,

As there was no other action here I decided to write a quick review on each chapter as I read it to see if any one responded. If you click on view spoiler then you can see what I have written.

Hi everyone! Sorry for my absence over the past month. If there are problems in reading one book per month, would you prefer two month reads instead? That's probably better for me too as I'm juggling two jobs and my own studies alongside this!