Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
New York : St. Martin's Paperbacks, 2000.
Description
Rome, 80 B.C. and Cicero is about to conduct his first important case, the defense of well-heeled farmer Sextus Roscius against the charge of killing his hated father. Gordianus the finder, hired by Cicero to dig up evidence, soon learns why the elder Roscius was lured to his death.
User reviews
LibraryThing member morbidromantic
Roman Blood (book one of the Roma Sub Rosa series) by Steven Saylor centers around the real life patricide trial of a country farmer by the name of Sextus Roscius. The advocate of Sextus Roscius, the well known Marcus Tullius Cicero, employs the help of a man named Gordianus to dig up information
I avoided reading this book for a while because I didn’t want it to disappoint me. And it didn’t.
Saylor is clearly a historian. If it’s not obvious in his reader’s notes, it’s apparent in his clear delivery of accurate and compelling historical detail. You can almost see the dark dilapidation of the Roman Subura that is as hazardous as it is teeming with life, or see the immaculate scene of Carthage on the Rostra, or imagine the men in togas sitting around the Senate. What Saylor does is bring Rome to life, but not without insult and credit where credit is due. He doesn’t present a Rome that is glorious and magnificent as some are prone to do, but neither does it portray it as a place irredeemably corrupt as others would have it. Saylor gives his readers Rome in all her shameless glory without falling into some one of the most common traps of those who attempt to write historical fiction. A tendency of most historical writers is to accentuate what is ‘abnormal’ by today’s standards because they imagine it will help people understand the time period more, or respect it for how different it is, but this often backfires. I like how Saylor did not give excuses for Rome, but didn’t gloss over the many faults. Details are presented in an easy and matter of fact way, which I found helped me get into the time period more simply because it was all given so casually.
Roman Blood is not a ‘great men of Rome’ sort of book, though it does feature many of the people we know: Cicero and Sulla to name a few. They all play their roles, as great men do, but without stealing the spotlight. Gordianus is a great character because he is likable, realistic and humble. And very Roman. I also quite like the portrayal of Cicero in Roman Blood because I think it captured his peculiarities perfectly while still redeeming him at the end when it was shown to Gordianus the doubter that Cicero is more than just a picky nag and really is one of the greatest statesmen.
Roman Blood is as much mystery as it is historical fiction. It’s full of murder, perversion, ruthlessness, and doubt. There are enough twists and turns to make the plot interesting while not so many that you lose sense of the thing. In the end, you come to understand that everyone is guilty of something in some way and even an ‘innocent’ man has committed plenty of crimes of his own.
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about the murder in order to prove his client innocent. Gordianus is known as ‘the finder,’ a man well experienced in finding facts no matter how well hidden or obscure. Of course, such facts don’t come easy. There is much lying, much danger, and tons of characters only out for their own benefit that all together paint a picture of a corrupt Roman aristocracy. It is a very perilous time in Rome, after all, which has only just caught its breath from the proscription of Sulla and his restoration of the aristocracy over the common people. In order to prove Sextus Roscius innocent, Cicero and Gordianus must attack those very aristocrats that now hold Rome in a powerful grip.I avoided reading this book for a while because I didn’t want it to disappoint me. And it didn’t.
Saylor is clearly a historian. If it’s not obvious in his reader’s notes, it’s apparent in his clear delivery of accurate and compelling historical detail. You can almost see the dark dilapidation of the Roman Subura that is as hazardous as it is teeming with life, or see the immaculate scene of Carthage on the Rostra, or imagine the men in togas sitting around the Senate. What Saylor does is bring Rome to life, but not without insult and credit where credit is due. He doesn’t present a Rome that is glorious and magnificent as some are prone to do, but neither does it portray it as a place irredeemably corrupt as others would have it. Saylor gives his readers Rome in all her shameless glory without falling into some one of the most common traps of those who attempt to write historical fiction. A tendency of most historical writers is to accentuate what is ‘abnormal’ by today’s standards because they imagine it will help people understand the time period more, or respect it for how different it is, but this often backfires. I like how Saylor did not give excuses for Rome, but didn’t gloss over the many faults. Details are presented in an easy and matter of fact way, which I found helped me get into the time period more simply because it was all given so casually.
Roman Blood is not a ‘great men of Rome’ sort of book, though it does feature many of the people we know: Cicero and Sulla to name a few. They all play their roles, as great men do, but without stealing the spotlight. Gordianus is a great character because he is likable, realistic and humble. And very Roman. I also quite like the portrayal of Cicero in Roman Blood because I think it captured his peculiarities perfectly while still redeeming him at the end when it was shown to Gordianus the doubter that Cicero is more than just a picky nag and really is one of the greatest statesmen.
Roman Blood is as much mystery as it is historical fiction. It’s full of murder, perversion, ruthlessness, and doubt. There are enough twists and turns to make the plot interesting while not so many that you lose sense of the thing. In the end, you come to understand that everyone is guilty of something in some way and even an ‘innocent’ man has committed plenty of crimes of his own.
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LibraryThing member Narboink
“Roman Blood” was recommended to me by a staffer at the Oak Brook, Illinois, Borders. Not something that I would have chosen of my own accord, I was pleasantly surprised at how decent it turned out to be. There are, to be sure, plenty of clichéd bits of stagecraft (i.e., wispy linens draped
The first of a series of such novels, “Roman Blood” is essentially detective fiction – complete with the modern traditions of the genre – shoehorned into the waning days of the ancient Roman Republic. There is plenty of sex and violence to keep things interesting, and a fair dose of political intrigue and history as well. The balance between the demands of the genre and the allure of the mise-en-scène is expertly rendered. This isn’t a difficult or terribly complex book, but it is redeemed in the simple integrity of its execution.
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provocatively over sexy women, gladiators described in purely animalistic terms, street scenes that play on our preconceived ideas of ancient licentiousness and filth, etc.), but there is an underlying smartness that propels the narrative and upholds fidelity to the historical record. The first of a series of such novels, “Roman Blood” is essentially detective fiction – complete with the modern traditions of the genre – shoehorned into the waning days of the ancient Roman Republic. There is plenty of sex and violence to keep things interesting, and a fair dose of political intrigue and history as well. The balance between the demands of the genre and the allure of the mise-en-scène is expertly rendered. This isn’t a difficult or terribly complex book, but it is redeemed in the simple integrity of its execution.
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LibraryThing member annbury
The first in the "Roma Sub Rosa" series which features Gordianus the Finder, a sort of private investigator operating in late Republican Rome. In this novel, Gordianus is investigating a case for the young lawyer Cicero. The novel presents a vivid picture of Rome in that period, from a grittier
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perspective than some of the other Roman mystery series, which have aristocratic heroes. Gordianus is more emotional, more principled, and less funny than the central characters of some of the other series. This novel in particular is engrossing, both in its setting and its plot. Show Less
LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Giordanus is a finder working for Cicero, who is now a young advocate and orator. He is investigating the murder of the father of Sextus Roscius, for which the son is accused.
It's an interesting story with a lot o the politics of Rome and some of the interesting events and legal situations. I
It's an interesting story with a lot o the politics of Rome and some of the interesting events and legal situations. I
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enjoyed it immensely. Show Less
LibraryThing member cajela
I love this series and have reread it multiple times. Roman Blood is the first in the series of Roman detective Gordianus the Finder. The setting is as much the star as the character, though. Saylor is a very thorough historian, and really brings the city and the period to life. It's not just an
Gordianus, with his mildly unlikely modern sensibilities, is our eyes to watch the end of the Roman Republic in the first century BC. This first book features famed orator Cicero's first major case, a defense of a man accused of parricide. Or was it a frame-up by his relatives? Or perhaps one of the last of the dictator Sulla's proscriptions? Gordianus will ferret it out, for sure.
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exotic background for a murder story.Gordianus, with his mildly unlikely modern sensibilities, is our eyes to watch the end of the Roman Republic in the first century BC. This first book features famed orator Cicero's first major case, a defense of a man accused of parricide. Or was it a frame-up by his relatives? Or perhaps one of the last of the dictator Sulla's proscriptions? Gordianus will ferret it out, for sure.
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LibraryThing member mgaulding
This was the first book in the series so it's my sentimental favorite although there are several in the series later that are better.
LibraryThing member Gary10
Very unusual murder mystery set in ancient Rome. Amzaing detail about Roman life, although plot moves slowly.
LibraryThing member isabelx
This is the first of a series of books about Gordianus the Finder, an investigator in Ancient Rome in the reign of the dictator Sulla. Cicero hires Gordianus to investigate a case of parricide, and he only has eight days to discover the truth before the trial is due to start on the Ides of May.
The Roma Sub Rosa series is one of my sister's favourites. I gave her the first book one birthday and by Christmas all the other books in the series were on her Amazon wish list, so I knew I had made a good choice. Now that I have finally got round to reading this book, I am just as impressed, and intend to read the whole series too.
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"Roman Blood" is based on Cicero's first major case as an advocate.The Roma Sub Rosa series is one of my sister's favourites. I gave her the first book one birthday and by Christmas all the other books in the series were on her Amazon wish list, so I knew I had made a good choice. Now that I have finally got round to reading this book, I am just as impressed, and intend to read the whole series too.
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LibraryThing member piemouth
A mystery set in ancient Rome. I took three years of Latin in high school so the stuff about daily life was familiar, but I didn't know much about the politics, which were interesting. The narrator/detective's life is part of the story but not obtrusive (I hate mysteries that are all about the
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detective's failing marriage) and the mystery itself is compelling and believable. I'll be looking for the rest of the books in this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member dougwood57
'Roman Blood' started Steven Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series with Gordianus the Finder helping Cicero on his first big case - the parricide Sextus Roscius. Saylor authentically renders the details of life in late Republican Rome (albeit during the interval of Sulla's dictatorship). The reader will
The story of Sextus centers around the proscription lists (literally lists of death warrants) posted by Sulla in Rome. Anyone on the proscription list is subject to being killed with a reward to the killer. Abuses occurred and the victims' estates were plundered by Sulla and his followers. Sextus the father was a wealthy owner of agricultural estates in Ameria who made his son run the farm while he played in Rome. Sextus senior ends up dead, but who did it and who is going to be held to account for it (not necessarily the same thing)?
Unlike much historical fiction, Saylor has entwined a nice little mystery of his own into 'Roman Blood'. Who really did kill Sextus?
Gordianus also meets the mute boy Eco in this book.
A very enjoyable read and by all accounts quite historically authentic.
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meet many real historical figures such as the orator/politician Cicero, his slave Tiro, the dictator Sulla, his enemy Caecilia Metella, the wealthy freedman and Sulla's adherent Chrysogonus and many others. The story of Sextus centers around the proscription lists (literally lists of death warrants) posted by Sulla in Rome. Anyone on the proscription list is subject to being killed with a reward to the killer. Abuses occurred and the victims' estates were plundered by Sulla and his followers. Sextus the father was a wealthy owner of agricultural estates in Ameria who made his son run the farm while he played in Rome. Sextus senior ends up dead, but who did it and who is going to be held to account for it (not necessarily the same thing)?
Unlike much historical fiction, Saylor has entwined a nice little mystery of his own into 'Roman Blood'. Who really did kill Sextus?
Gordianus also meets the mute boy Eco in this book.
A very enjoyable read and by all accounts quite historically authentic.
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LibraryThing member Traveller1
An entertaining look at an actual historical trial, set in the late Roman Republic. Well written, clever interpretation, however, I do not find lawyering that exciting, so 3 stars, not 4.
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
This is set in the Ancient Roman Republic in 80BC, the time of rule by the dictator Sulla when Ceasar was young. The narrator and protagonist, Gordianus "the finder" is a kind of private investigator who is hired by a young Cicero to help his client accused of patricide.
I couldn't help but smile
However, he doesn't quite make me feel I'm immersed in an ancient, alien mindset the way the best historical writers I've read such as Mary Renault and Colleen McCullough and as a mystery it didn't impress. The narration flowed well in the beginning, with a wealth of evocative historical detail, but I thought did begin to get bogged down in the middle and I found the ending unsatisfying.
I admit, a political rant of Saylor in his Afterward rather soured me on trying more of his books--it made me feel he had a political agenda to his history and I doubt I will be able to read future books by him without seeing it through that filter.
I couldn't help but smile
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at our introduction to Gordianus when he's found by Cicero's slave Tiro. He favors the young man with a demonstration of his deductive talents very reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes when he meets Watson. Besides Holmes I'd say there are echoes here of Chandler and Hammett in the gritty and dark elements which include rape and incest. As far as I can tell, Saylor seems to have done his homework on Ancient Rome. However, he doesn't quite make me feel I'm immersed in an ancient, alien mindset the way the best historical writers I've read such as Mary Renault and Colleen McCullough and as a mystery it didn't impress. The narration flowed well in the beginning, with a wealth of evocative historical detail, but I thought did begin to get bogged down in the middle and I found the ending unsatisfying.
I admit, a political rant of Saylor in his Afterward rather soured me on trying more of his books--it made me feel he had a political agenda to his history and I doubt I will be able to read future books by him without seeing it through that filter.
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LibraryThing member dbsovereign
Wonderful historical mystery set in ancient Rome with detailed political strife and background to spice things up. One of Saylor's best.
LibraryThing member PeterWhitfield
I enjoyed this. It's a thriller with an engaging plot, reasonable character development. Oh, and it's set in Rome (great for me). I liked the Roman ambience which is well created. I'll probably read more...
Plot: 3/5 quite involved and not obvious; a bit too complicated perhaps.
Characters: 4/5 (Some
World: 4/5. I love ancient Rome and have not read much about it so good fun.
Writing: 3/5 This is a gallop-along thriller and whodunit, so doesn't pretend to be literature.
Plot: 3/5 quite involved and not obvious; a bit too complicated perhaps.
Characters: 4/5 (Some
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themes of incest and homosexuality if that bothers you - it is Rome after all!)World: 4/5. I love ancient Rome and have not read much about it so good fun.
Writing: 3/5 This is a gallop-along thriller and whodunit, so doesn't pretend to be literature.
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LibraryThing member SeriousGrace
It's Rome in the year 80 B.C., and Gordianus the Finder has been summoned to the house of Cicero. Only twenty six years old, Cicero needs help defending a client in court. A wealthy farmer has been accused of patricide, the most heinous crime of Roman times. Cicero needs evidence to support his
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case and Gordianus is just the man to find it. Only, this is ancient Rome where slaves and masters practice deceit and betrayal on a daily basis. Who is telling the truth and who is behind the lies? As Gordianus's investigation takes him closer and closer to dictator Sulla himself he knows he is in trouble. How far will he go to help Cicero uncover the truth? And is that truth worth uncovering? Show Less
LibraryThing member runner56
There are two authors I admire in Historical Roman fiction: Robert Harris and Simon Scarrow. Harris’s Cicero trilogy is untouchable in its ability to indoctrinate the reader in the Republic of that period, equally Scarrow’s “Eagles of Rome” series gives authenticity to the Roman army in the
Roman Blood by Steven Saylor introduces Gordianus, a type of Philip Marlowe of the ancient world. Does it work? In an answer no. Cicero is defending Sextus Ruscius a Roman citizen farmer from the province Ameria. In 80 BC he was tried for patricide by the senate and his case was successfully fought by a young enthusiastic advocate Cicero in his first major trial. Saylor uses these known facts as the basis of Roman Blood. The result is a rather overlong story with the uniquely named investigator Gordianus the Finder. The setting for this novel need not necessarily have been in Rome, it could have been King Arthur’s England, or Napoleon’s France. and in that respect, it is nothing more than a drab procedural police investigation. The final chapters do however show Cicero the dynamic advocate in full adversarial flow. This adds a dash of much needed excitement! and is of course helped by using the content from Cicero’s own memoirs.
So I end this review where I started. If you want an insight into Rome at the time of the Republic look no further than the superlative trilogy by Robert Harris, exciting, informative and so brilliantly executed. By comparison Roman Blood is a colourless long-drawn out second-hand murder investigation.
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field extending the reach of “Civis Romanus sum” to what they often viewed as uncivilized pagans…Roman Blood by Steven Saylor introduces Gordianus, a type of Philip Marlowe of the ancient world. Does it work? In an answer no. Cicero is defending Sextus Ruscius a Roman citizen farmer from the province Ameria. In 80 BC he was tried for patricide by the senate and his case was successfully fought by a young enthusiastic advocate Cicero in his first major trial. Saylor uses these known facts as the basis of Roman Blood. The result is a rather overlong story with the uniquely named investigator Gordianus the Finder. The setting for this novel need not necessarily have been in Rome, it could have been King Arthur’s England, or Napoleon’s France. and in that respect, it is nothing more than a drab procedural police investigation. The final chapters do however show Cicero the dynamic advocate in full adversarial flow. This adds a dash of much needed excitement! and is of course helped by using the content from Cicero’s own memoirs.
So I end this review where I started. If you want an insight into Rome at the time of the Republic look no further than the superlative trilogy by Robert Harris, exciting, informative and so brilliantly executed. By comparison Roman Blood is a colourless long-drawn out second-hand murder investigation.
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LibraryThing member patrickgarson
Historical mysteries are always trying to satisfy two masters, and it's a fine balance to maintain. The inoffensive Roman Blood succeeds better with its history than its mystery, but ultimately both are lacking the oomph to propel the book to any especially great heights.
Gordianus The Finder is a
Firstly, the good. The history is in the main very well done. Saylor knows the late republic inside and out, and it shows. Some historical writers struggle to escape their eras, and you are often left feeling like the story is at a remove; history becomes an inescapable frame or a textbook with bad recreations. This is especially the case with Roman stories, filled as they are with so many historical "celebrities", but Saylor doesn't falter. Rome in this novel breathes - oft-times with a somewhat foetid gust - and is quintessentially alive. You will feel like you're pounding the street with Gordianus and swept up into the frank insanity of the era. This works from both a literal perspective, with a shaky peace finally starting to emerge after decades of war; and a conceptual one where for every senator there are a hundred slaves, beggars, thieves and whores, and human life is very cheap indeed. Saylor eschews a romantic view for a Roman one, and it's without a doubt the strongest part of the novel, buttressed with steady, workmanlike prose.
The mystery elements are unfortunately not so strong. Aficionados of the genre will no doubt cotton on to the story long before the characters get there, aided in no small part by Saylor dropping hints bigger than glacial shears. Every clue is telegraphed well in advanced, and in case the lazy reader should miss it, it's usually reacted to, or discussed, by the characters at least a couple of times; it would make a Christmas pantomime look subtle. Compounding this, Saylor couldn't resist lacing up every single loose end through long expositionary dialogues by characters - a very, very tired mystery trope that should have been put to bed decades ago.
It's unfortunate because it left me relying more heavily on the historical aspect and the characters than I would have liked. The characters are okay - Gordianus himself is the most interesting by far, but at the same time, I wondered how "Roman" they actually were in a meaningful sense. Gordianus in many ways can be excused as an outsider and reader stand-in, but I did feel there was a too much that was recognisable to this twenty-first century reader in most of the cast. The Roman mind would be - if not unfathomable, at least very alien and unsympathetic to a modern eye, and I felt everyone was just too... understandable.
Perhaps I'm declaring my own historical biases there. Roman Blood certainly isn't in the top tier of the genre, but it's enjoyable enough for its meagre demands. I'm not sure if I will read more in the series, but I'm not opposed to the idea.
Gordianus The Finder is a
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Roman PI of sorts. Hired by the young advocate Cicero to investigate a patricide, Gordianus will unearth a conspiracy that might go right to the top - the proscription-happy regime of Sulla. Firstly, the good. The history is in the main very well done. Saylor knows the late republic inside and out, and it shows. Some historical writers struggle to escape their eras, and you are often left feeling like the story is at a remove; history becomes an inescapable frame or a textbook with bad recreations. This is especially the case with Roman stories, filled as they are with so many historical "celebrities", but Saylor doesn't falter. Rome in this novel breathes - oft-times with a somewhat foetid gust - and is quintessentially alive. You will feel like you're pounding the street with Gordianus and swept up into the frank insanity of the era. This works from both a literal perspective, with a shaky peace finally starting to emerge after decades of war; and a conceptual one where for every senator there are a hundred slaves, beggars, thieves and whores, and human life is very cheap indeed. Saylor eschews a romantic view for a Roman one, and it's without a doubt the strongest part of the novel, buttressed with steady, workmanlike prose.
The mystery elements are unfortunately not so strong. Aficionados of the genre will no doubt cotton on to the story long before the characters get there, aided in no small part by Saylor dropping hints bigger than glacial shears. Every clue is telegraphed well in advanced, and in case the lazy reader should miss it, it's usually reacted to, or discussed, by the characters at least a couple of times; it would make a Christmas pantomime look subtle. Compounding this, Saylor couldn't resist lacing up every single loose end through long expositionary dialogues by characters - a very, very tired mystery trope that should have been put to bed decades ago.
It's unfortunate because it left me relying more heavily on the historical aspect and the characters than I would have liked. The characters are okay - Gordianus himself is the most interesting by far, but at the same time, I wondered how "Roman" they actually were in a meaningful sense. Gordianus in many ways can be excused as an outsider and reader stand-in, but I did feel there was a too much that was recognisable to this twenty-first century reader in most of the cast. The Roman mind would be - if not unfathomable, at least very alien and unsympathetic to a modern eye, and I felt everyone was just too... understandable.
Perhaps I'm declaring my own historical biases there. Roman Blood certainly isn't in the top tier of the genre, but it's enjoyable enough for its meagre demands. I'm not sure if I will read more in the series, but I'm not opposed to the idea.
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LibraryThing member flippinpages
Moves quickly along from one unbelievable dramatic scene to the next. Being the first in the series I was expecting better character building. A little more on everyday life to help set the scene so to speak would also have been a plus.
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1991
Physical description
401 p.; 17 cm
ISBN
0312972962 / 9780312972967