Ancient Roman Fiction

Suffering invasions, riots, and hunger, the decaying Roman Empire staggers against its most ancient enemy—Persia. Undefeated in over a century, the Shahanshah’s vast armies cross the Tigris, hungry to reclaim lands that once had been the jewel of their heritage. Driving Persia’s invasion are the vaunted Immortals, an elite band of Persian warriors unmatched in prowess. Set against the invading forces are the undermanned and ill-equipped forces of Flavius Belisarius.

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.

This reissue of the 1919 classic combines the immortal stories from Homer's Iliad and Odyssey into one glorious saga of heroism and magical adventure. Beloved by generations, Padraic Colum's masterful retelling of these epic adventures is remarkably fresh, consistently spellbinding, and unmatched for its richness and poetry.

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.

When poverty strikes, an ageing farmer is forced to make a heartbreaking choice: relinquish his oldest son in the hope of appeasing the gods or see his family face certain starvation. And so it follows that young Lucius Ulpia Porcianus is sacrificed to Rome. Embarking on his new life, Lucius travels to Ancona to enlist in the legion. Accepted into the army of Pompey, the young recruit soon finds himself engulfed in the civil war between Sulla and the Marians. As a callow youth, torn from the land of Picenum, can Lucius put his days as a pig farmer behind him and embrace life as a legionary?

Britannia 43AD. The last unconquered stronghold of the Celts and a land of gold and slaves. A dangerous place of men without fear, led by mystical Druid warriors, yet still to face the might of Rome in the unrelenting expansion of the empire. Four Roman legions have assembled in Gaul undertaking final preparations for the invasion of Britannia. Two young men are posted to a training cohort under the sadistic tutorage of a battle scarred veteran, Remus. The training is brutal, but eventually the trainees find themselves involved in their first campaign. The invasion of Britannia.

Tribune Cato and Centurion Macro are based on the eastern border of the Empire, facing Rome's deadly enemy, Parthia. The signs are that Parthia is preparing for war. And the two battle-hardened veterans are ready for their greatest-ever military challenge.

Hannibal was a great and skillful general who defeated the Romans at Trebia, Lake Trasimenus, and Cannae, and all but took Rome.

Two heroes of the Roman army - Prefect Cato and Centurion Macro, now battle-scarred veterans, tough and resilient - lead their best men into the midst of an enemy both fearless and resourceful. Far from Rome in cold, rainy, unwelcoming Britannia, the soldiers need all their training to stand strong and undaunted as constant attacks challenge morale. And a leader like no other sends fear through the ranks: Boudica.

🔥 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 ...

Cowardice in a legionary carries a heavy punishment: the sentence of decimation—to live or die at the whim of the gods with the unlucky ones clubbed to death by their fellow soldiers. Ursus, the man killed in Quintus's group, lays a heavy charge on the youth, asking him to look after the remaining men and to take care of his family back in Rome.

A bloody revolt by a North African prince and a plot to seize control of Rome are the subjects of two short masterpieces of ancient history by the illustrious Roman chronicler, Sallust. He could not have chosen two more dramatic episodes in the long history of this city.

Life is short and cheap in Nero’s arenas. A single stab can annihilate humanity. Rome, 54 AD: Rawena overcomes a lion with just a spear and a dagger, making the emperor believe she’s a sorceress. Cursed to unleash a plague when steel pierces her heart, the immortal Celtic woman fears that Nero’s desire to learn her secrets will trigger a catastrophe. Her fight against destiny pulls Rawena into a whirlpool of dazzling perils. The rat-goddess who cursed her strives to drag her soul into a pestilential swamp. Her sister longs to destroy her. So does the man Rawena once loved. Then the ...

The pratfall of the Roman Empire. Toss together one skittish outsider with the swaggering ruler of the known world. Whip in a generous serving of deadly chases, spy rings and desperate disguises. And enjoy the most deranged Caesar salad ever served up. To stay alive, two unexpected companions will need to unite their entirely opposing urges. While facing unthinkable peril. To say nothing of the trash chute, bridal costume and first-ever texting scandal. The mayhem promises astonishing revelations for both of them. About courage, friendship and surprise identities. They first just need to ...

Stolen gold, a dead priest and a mystery fit for the gods Rome’s treasures are gone and a priest lies dead within the burned-out shell of the Temple of Vulcan. Did he die a hero protecting the riches stored at the temple as everyone says or is there a more sinister reason for his death? Facing financial ruin if he cannot find the missing gold and silver, Secundus makes enemies of Rome’s rich and powerful as he grapples with hostile priests, corrupt patricians and a mystery which seems to hold no clues. From the depths of the fire comes hope as a potential new home appears on the market ...

After saving the Empire's richest province from a foreign army, Marcus and the men who protect him have been in hiding. Their lives will be forfeit if they are seen in Rome. But times have changed. Marcus's protector, the patrician legion commander Scaurus, has been summoned home by his mentor, a powerful senator who has decided he must act to save the empire from its debauched ruler's reign of terror. Rome is a hotbed of conspiracy and treachery and the senator is not the only contender for power. The emperor himself plans to destroy those he mistrusts, and no-one is safe.

When young Telemachus gets the chance to join the crew of the merchant ship Selene, he's delighted to escape the rough streets of Piraeus. He knows little of the dangers of life at sea. And even past hardship has not prepared him for the terror on board when a pirate ship appears on the horizon. The fight is bloody, but the result is never in doubt. Then the victorious pirate chief, Bulla, offers the beaten men a cruel choice: join us, or die.

Before Gauis (from Centurion: From Glory to Glory) faced off against the proud and arrogant Valerius, there was a young man whose only desire was to escape his cruel and domineering father. Born of a slave and destined to live the life of a tenant farmer, Valerius dreamed of another life, of honor and glory. Falling into a drunken stupor, Valerius’ father was on the verge of losing everything. Taking the initiative, Valerius works hard to fulfill his father’s obligation, impressing General Sextus. His ungrateful father, resenting his son’s new found status, steals away in the night ...

50 AD. The invasion is over, and Roman Legions spread throughout the land, a blood red stain on Britannia. Caratacus has fled south to rebuild his army, and warriors flock to his banner. In the north, a disgraced legionary grasps the chance to regain his honour and joins the Exploratores, the elite Roman unit operating behind enemy lines. Soon he is tasked with disrupting the plans of Caratacus, but deep inside he nurtures a deeper mission, the chance to fulfill an oath made six years earlier.

An undeniable masterpiece of Western Civilization, The Metamorphoses is a continuous narrative that covers all the Olympian legends, seamlessly moving from one story to another in a splendid panorama of savage beauty, charm, and wit. All of the gods and heroes familiar to us are represented. Such familiar legends as Hercules, Perseus and Medusa, Daedelus and Icarus, Diana and Actaeon, and many others, are breathtakingly recreated.