Roman History Books and More

online book chats

This blog is an adjunct to The Roman History Reading Group which meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month except August in our chat room from 9:30 to 11:00 p.m. US EDT (UTC/GMT -04).  This means that in Asia and Australia/Pacific, it's daytime. Here is a world time clock as a general assistance for non-USAns.

Starting November 6:  US DT (UTC/GMT -05)

Chat room location (with instructions) at Google Talk.

2012 Reading Schedule

January 4 & 18, February 1  
Caesar: A Novel
by Colleen McCullough

February 15
Render Unto Caesar by Gillian Bradshaw

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Proceeds from any sales benefit our local historical society, a non-profit corporation. Change of links from Amazon.com
to B&N are in the process of being made.

upcoming book chat: 'caesar: a novel' by colleen mccullough

Our next read on January 4 & 18, and February 1 is
Caesar: A Novel by Colleen McCullough.

I've been trying to make a fairly even split:

January 4: through Page 206
January 18: through Page 420
February 1: through the end

I suspect that some of the participants may not be too interested in the battle scenes, so we will play it by ear. However, it was suggested to read De Bello Gallico as background, and here is an eText link: Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic and Civil Wars.

See you all on the 4th!

reading calendar for 2012 now complete (corrected update)

Reading List for 2012

January 4 & 18, February 1	Caesar: A Novel by Colleen McCullough Background (online): Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic and Civil Wars
February 15	Render Unto Caesar by Gillian Bradshaw (also as eBook)
March 7 & 21	Plutarch: Moralia / incomplete at LacusCurtius Selections to be decided.
April 4	Getorix: Games of the Underworld by Judith Geary (author chat)
April 18, May 2	Antony and Cleopatra by Adrian Goldsworthy
May 16	The Republic of Vengeance (UK: Of Merchants and Heroes) by Paul Waters (also as eBook at other vendors)
June 6	The Scribes from Alexandria by Caroline Lawrence (author chat*)
June 20 & July 11 (note date)	Caesars' Wives: Sex, Power, and Politics in the Roman Empire (UK: The First Ladies of Rome) by Anneliese Freisenbruch (also as eBook)
July 18	The Blood of Caesar by Albert A. Bell Jr. (author chat)
August Recess
September 5 & 19	Eager for Glory: The Untold Story of Drusus the Elder, Conqueror of Germania by Lindsay Powell (author chat*)
October 3 & 17	The Naked Olympics: The True Story of the Ancient Games by Tony Perrottet (also as eBook)
November 7	The Ionia Sanction by Gary Corby (author chat)
November 14 (note date)	Cleopatra's Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter (author chat) (also as eBook)
December 5	Terra Incognita by Ruth Downie (also as eBook)
December 12	The Temple of the Muses (SPQR IV) by John Maddox Roberts (also as eBook)

* date may change

IO SATVRNALIA!

Reposting from 2009

IO SATVRNALIA!

december is mystery month! 'time to depart' & 'arms of nemesis'

Well, not quite. This year, it was also the second half of November: we had an enjoyable chat with Gary Corby, author of The Pericles Commission, an Athenian mystery.

Due to the holidays, the December chats are bunched, sorta:

December 7: Time to Depart by Lindsey Davis
December 14: Arms of Nemesis b y Steven Saylor

Enjoy these old favorites, see you all at the chats.

upcoming book chat: 'the pericles commission' with author gary corby, november 16

We all are looking forward to the chat on November 16 with Gary Corby, on his The Pericles Commission, an Athenian mystery.

I reviewed the book last year and subtitled it, or: The Education of Nicolaos, Son of Sophroniscus …. Nicolaos is also plagued with his pesky and irritating little brother Socrates.

The book is also available as eBook.  Enjoy!

two important biographical works out in paperback now: antony and cleopatra (adrian goldsworthy), caesars' wives (anneliese freisenbruch)

I'm pleased to announce that two works of biography are available in paperback now:

• YUP notified me that the paperback version  of Antony and Cleopatra (this link is to the hardcover edition) will be published on October 25. However, at this point it still seems not to be on the market, so you may want to check back. I reviewed the book in 2010.

• Caesars' Wives by Anneliese Freisenbruch is out in paperback. It is also available as a well put together eBook.

Caesars' Wives discusses Roman empresses from Livia to Galla Placidia and the development of their position over the centuries, with flashbacks to Roman women during the Republic; as well as some of the formers' relatives, such as in the chapter, "Augustus' Women." But this is not all: the book covers in some depth the status of Roman women, legally and societal. Thorough scholarship and a free and easy prose make reading the book a delight!

A full review will be forthcoming.

(The UK title of the book is "The First Ladies of Rome: The Women Behind the Caesars.")

Both books are on our 2012 reading list for the online book chats.

... and another book chat baby

Carson Skelly, age 7 weeks (typo corrected!)

first november book chat: 'cleopatra's heir' by gillian bradshaw, november 2

On November 2 will discuss Cleopatra's Heir by Gillian Bradshaw, an alternative history novel.

My 2003 review:

"How should one label this new book by Gillian Bradshaw? Alternative history? Yes. Historical romance? Definitely. A psychological study? Certainly …" I conclude with this sentence:

Aficionados of historical novels might not want to touch this book of alternative history, but to them I'd say “Give it a try, you might like it”!

 

'antony and cleoopatra' by adrian goldsworthy to be out in paperback later this month

YUP notified me that the paperback version of Antony and Cleopatra (this link is to the hardcover edition) will be published on October 25. Watch this space for a reminder.

Meanwhile, here is my review of the hardcover edition.

The book will be on our chat list for 2012.

next book chat: 'pharaoh: volume II of kleopatra' by karen essex

On October 19 we meet to discuss Pharaoh: Volume II of Kleopatra by Karen Essex. We read Volume I last year.

Irene's review / N.S. Gill's review.

Chat room location (with instructions) at Google Talk.
2011 Reading Schedule

new rosemary rowe mystery out: 'the vestal vanishes'

The Vestal Vanishes is the latest in the Roman Britain mystery series by Rosemary Rowe.

A Libertus Mystery of Roman Britain - The marriage of a former vestal virgin is always an important event, so the anticipated arrival of such a bride in Glevum is the excuse for an even more lavish banquet than usual on the Emperor's birthday feast. However, when Audelia's covered carriage finally arrives, the lady in question is nowhere to be found. Libertus investigates and makes a gruesome discovery, suggesting that Druid rebels may have been involved. But when another lady disappears, Libertus finds himself in a race against time to ensure the safety of the 'vanishing vestals'.

Update: Nook Book can be preordered for November 1.

Next Book Chat: 'How to Mellify a Corpse' by Vicki Léon, October 5

Our next book chat on Wednesday, October 5, will be the entertaining
How to Mellify a Corpse by Vicki Léon.

The stories take you from Athens & Attica to Greece & the Greek Islands to Asia Minor & the Middle East to Rome & Environs, and thereafter to Italy & Sicily and Egypt, Carthage & North Africa – from about 700 BC to 300 AD. They cover the range of physical science, then considered a “philosophy,” medicine, architecture, time keeping, astronomy, astrology & superstition, divination, religion … you name it.

A random opening of a page gets you to the chapter “Philosophical Fava Phobia” and, surprisingly to the unaware reader, to Pythagoras. The accompanying drawing is titled Decoding the Great Bean Taboo (and much else) of Pythagoras.

Hopefully, the author will join us for the chat. Chat members will remember last year's chat about Working IX to V: Orgy Planners, Funeral Clowns and Other Prized Professions of the Ancient World, which is now also available as Nook Book.

Enjoy!

Update: Vicki Léon will definitely join us!

modern companion readings to 'tiberius caesar'

As Lindsay Powell pointed out on our Facebook group page, there are excellent and more modern biographies of Tiberius out there after G.P. Baker, our current read:

Tiberius by Robin Seager and Tiberius the Politician by Barbara Levick. The latter is also a good source for Augustus.

As to novels, aside from Graves' I, Claudius there is Tiberius by Allan Massie.

           

a friend at hadrian's wall

Our book club member Beverly is currently digging at the Hadrian's Wall and keeps a blog:

Cats on the Wall

g.p. baker

A number of people in the reading group are fans of G.P. Baker, including myself. Not much can be found of him when googling his name except links to his books and occasional reviews.

I posted a summary of his life in 2006, G.P. Baker's life & a book review, when we read his "Justinian, the Last Roman Emperor."

Even though he wrote his biographies from the aspect of the 1920s and early 1930s, I get a lot out of his books, especially the psychological observations about his subject. And in Tiberius Caesar, he devotes quite a few pages to what he calls the "Roman word-state," which are well worth reading. One has to overlook (probably contemporary) idiosyncrasies such as singular names for peoples: "The Roman," "the German," "the Parthian," and so on. He seems to have been an autodidact, but I may well stand to be corrected.

dates for 'tiberius' chat changed

Due to circumstances beyond my control, the second "Tiberius" chat had to be changed from July 20 to July 13.   See you all at the first chat on July 6.

looking ahead to 'tiberius caesar' by g.p. baker

note to people planning to attend the book chats

I did some checking of the list of people who told me that they wanted to participate in the online chats, but there are names there who attended only once or never, and I did some house-keeping and have purged all of those from the list.

So please, anyone who is serious about attending, let me know, using the e-mail address in the chat room directions. I will set you up for the chat and will do a quick trial chat with you.

A G-mail address is not necessary but would make things easier for you.

Chat schedule for the rest of the year

You'll also find us on Facebook.

looking ahead to 'tiberius caesar' by g.p. baker (july 6 & 20)

As we are getting ready to discuss Tiberius Caesar by G.P. Baker, I have been looking for free eBooks. I found two:

• at Scribd. Can be downloaded to your computer two ways, via Facebook or by setting up an account if you haven't done so; and
• at the Internet Archive on the Daisy reader.  I'm not sure how it works, but it seems to be audio cum text, and there are also iPad applications. I will try the latter soon myself.

You can also purchase it as Google eBook from your Indie Bookseller.

Ancient historiography

• Tacitus at Sacred Texts and at Perseus
• Cassius Dio at LacusCurtius (Bill Thayer)
• Suetonius at LacusCurtius (Bill Thayer)
• Vellius Paterculus at LacusCurtius (Bill Thayer)
• Josephus at Perseus

Timeline at livius.org (Jona Lendering).

background on rosemary sutcliff, an earlier post

In 2009, when we discussed The Eagle of the Ninth, I collected some background information on Rosemary Sutcliff. Enjoy!

upcoming book chat June 15: 'the silver branch' by rosemary sutcliff

Next Wednesday, June 15, we will be discussing The Silver Branch  by Rosemary Sutcliff (also on Kindle). I personally like this novel better than the first in the series, The Eagle of the Ninth. All set in Roman Britain.

Historical figures in the book (all on Wikipedia, as usual handle with care):

• Carausius
• Allectus
• Constantius Chlorus

     
Carausius coin from Londinium mint. On the reverse, the lion, symbol of Legio IIII Flavia Felix.

Allectus Æ quinarius. Camulodunum mint.

Above right: Emperor Constantius I Chlorus. Cast in Pushkin museum after original in Antik Sammlung, Berlin.

All curtesy Wikimedia Commons 

Further background reading: A History of Roman Britain by Peter Salway.