Ancient Roman Fiction

After the Fall ratchets up the tension as time traveler Gigi Perrin and her husband, the Roman warrior Quintus Magnus, join forces with the Visigoth King Alaric to march on Rome. There waits Princess Galla Placidia, the admirable sister of the despicable Emperor Honorius. About to be forced into an arranged marriage by her brother, Placidia fears a bleak future, trapped in a loveless union. In an attempt to save Rome from barbarian invasion, Placidia puts aside her troubles and meets with Alaric’s delegation, which includes Gigi and Magnus, and the king’s second-in-command, the Visigoth...

Worried that old age will inevitably mean losing your libido, your health, and possibly your marbles too? Well, Cicero has some good news for you. In How to Grow Old, the great Roman orator and statesman eloquently describes how you can make the second half of life the best part of all - and why you might discover that reading and gardening are actually far more pleasurable than sex ever was.

Honor is secondary to survival. Reeling from their losses at Callinicum, the Roman army has repulsed the Persians from Mesopotamia, but at horrendous cost. Belisarius’ improbable triumph at Dara is cast aside by a vengeful legate, condemning Constantinople’s vaunted general to ignominious imprisonment. With his last order, Belisarius pleads with Varus to lead the army to safety and to bring peace to a shattered land.

In Hearts Beneath the Ashes of Pompeii, healer Lucia Valerius and Egyptian physician Khai risk everything to uncover a deadly secret—and protect a love society forbids. As Pompeii teeters on the brink, they must fight prejudice, passion, and time itself in a race to heal a city—and their hearts.

This famous work by Lucretius is a masterpiece of didactic poetry, and it still stands today as the finest exposition of Epicurean philosophy ever written. The poem was produced in the middle of first century B.C., a period that was to witness a flowering of Latin literature unequaled for beauty and intellectual power in subsequent ages. The Latin title, De Rerum Natura, translates literally to On the Nature of Things and is meant to impress the reader with the breadth and depth of Epicurean philosophy.

Her heart becomes the deadliest weapon. Hiding from her past and wracked by remorse, Rawena dedicates her life to bringing bread to lepers outside the walls of Constantinople. She visits the colony every day, driving her cart through the city gates and past a dilapidated hilltop palace. Her carefully reconstructed life shatters when she finds that the palace has a new tenant: a deposed warrior king, left there to die. Just as she decides to help the unfortunate prisoner, Rawena realizes the king would do anything for revenge - even band with Rawena’s divine tormentor, Pandemia. Pandemia ...

🔥 A Warrior’s Fall. A Slave’s Struggle. A Rebel’s Rise. 🔥 Once, Gaius Aemilius Rufus commanded legions, feasted among Rome’s elite, and dictated the fate of men. But in the blink of an eye, betrayal and misfortune cast him into the darkness—his name erased, his honor stolen, his freedom lost. Now, shackled and sold, Rufus is thrown into a world where only strength and cunning can keep him alive. The gladiatorial arena is his new battlefield, where steel meets flesh and only the strongest walk away. Yet, amid the dust, blood, and roaring crowds, he finds something he never ...

In this second book of the Camillus series Marcus is pitted against enemies old and new. Publius Postumius is the hero of the hour, sacking the city of Bolae with its incredible treasures. Sent with a relief force to support his old enemy Marcus falls foul of an assassination attempt before his credibility is tested by the scheming of his old commander and he must choose between friendship and duty. Back in Rome tensions are rising as Postumius’s schemes grow and his soldiers rage against their former Tribune as the plebeians and patricians come to bloody conflict. Marcus is given his ...

In Conn Iggulden’s latest historical epic, join Pericles, the lion of Athens, on his journey to secure the fate of the Athenian empire. Pericles returns home more than a hero: he's the leader of Athens, the empire's beacon of light. But even during times of peace, the threat of Sparta—Athens's legendary rival—looms large on the horizon. When a sudden catastrophe brings Sparta to its knees, Pericles sees a golden opportunity to forever shift the balance of power in his city's favor.

Meditations is former US President Bill Clinton's favorite book. This audio consists of a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor AD 161-180, setting forth his ideas on Stoic philosophy.

How to Win an Election is an ancient Roman guide for campaigning that is as up-to-date as tomorrow's headlines. In 64 BC when idealist Marcus Cicero, Rome's greatest orator, ran for consul (the highest office in the Republic), his practical brother Quintus decided he needed some no-nonsense advice on running a successful campaign.

The Trial and the Death of Socrates remains a powerful document not least because it gives a first-hand account of the end of one of the greatest figures in history.

In Apology, Socrates defends himself before the Athenian court against charges of corrupting youth. Phaedo is the account by a young man of the actual last words and moments of Socrates.

Along with Virgil, Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus) was the greatest poet produced by Rome, and in many ways his work has had arguably an even greater impact. His brilliant expression and astonishing acumen continue to amaze readers today, either in their original Latin or in innumerable worldwide translations. Shakespeare's debt to Horace is incalculable, and it is difficult to read his Sonnets today without immediately being reminded of the famous Odes.

As mysterious injuries, and even deaths, begin to appear in the medical ledgers, it's clear that all is not well amongst the native recruits to Britannia's imperial army. Is the much-decorated centurion Geminus preying on his weaker soldiers? And could this be related to the appearance of Emperor Hadrian? Bound by his sense of duty and ill-advised curiosity, Ruso begins to ask questions nobody wants to hear. Meanwhile his barbarian wife Tilla is finding out some of the answers....

In a world where social media, online relationships, and relentless self-absorption threaten the very idea of deep and lasting friendships, the search for true friends is more important than ever. In this short book, famous Roman politician and philosopher Cicero offers a compelling guide to finding, keeping, and appreciating friends. With wit and wisdom, Cicero teaches not only how to build friendships but also why they must be a key part of our lives. For, as Cicero says, life without friends is not worth living.

The year is 79 A.D. The place is Ostia, the port of Rome. Flavia Gemina, a Roman sea captain's daughter, is about to embark on a thrilling adventure.

In his essay On Anger, the Roman Stoic thinker Seneca argues that anger is the most destructive passion. This splendid new translation of essential selections from On Anger, presented with an enlightening introduction, offers listeners a timeless guide to avoiding and managing anger. Drawing on his great arsenal of rhetoric, including historical examples, anecdotes, quips, and soaring flights of eloquence, Seneca builds his case against anger with mounting intensity.

Dive into the captivating world of "Imperium Unbounded The Scholar's Codex," a thrilling alternate history that weaves speculative fiction with the intricacies of political intrigue and technological marvels. Step into the sandals of Lucius Aelius Scipio, a brilliant Roman scholar who stumbles upon a mysterious codex, setting him on a treacherous path that could upend the very foundations of the empire. As Lucius uncovers the secrets of this ancient artifact, he is hurled into a labyrinth of deception that snakes from the underbelly of the marketplace to the polished corridors of power. ...

Who was the man that would become Caesar's lieutenant, Brutus' rival, Cleopatra's lover, and Octavian's enemy? When his stepfather is executed for his involvement in the Catilinarian conspiracy, Mark Antony and his family are disgraced. His adolescence is marked by scandal and mischief, his love affairs are fleeting, and yet, his ambition is vast. Antony's path to prosperity leads him to an education in Athens, a campaign for a seat in the Senate, and a position of military command.

Meet the greatest Greek general you've never heard of: Philopoemen. In his day, a leader as skilled and as dangerous as Hannibal: a ferocious fighter, a superb general, and credited as the inventor of modern 'special operations'. More importantly, he was a brilliant political leader. He commanded Greek forces at the turn of the third century BC, when mighty Rome, fresh from the destruction of Carthage, and Imperial Macedon, the greatest power of the day, chose Greece as their battlefield.