Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
William Morrow (1991), Edition: First American Edition, 894 pages
Description
Fiction. Historical Fiction. HTML: Rome, 97 BC: Gaius Marius is triumphant. Under his command, Rome has conquered the Western world, weathered invasion and crushed its enemies. There is just one prize left to him: an unprecedented seventh consulship. But the greatest prize demands the highest price. Marius, now aging and ailing, is pitted against a new generation of assassins, power-seekers, and Senate intriguers. There are many who would like to see him fail, not least Lucius Cornelius Sulla, once his closest ally, now his most dangerous rival. Sulla and Marius' contest can only be won through treachery and blood. As a deadly enmity engulfs both men and plunges them towards madness, Rome must fight its own battle for survival..
User reviews
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
This is the second book in the Masters of Rome series begun in The First Man in Rome. That first man was unmistakenly Gaius Marius, a flawed but still admirable figure who married Julia, an aunt of Julius Caesar, making him a brother-in-law to Lucius Cornelius Sulla. A secondary character in the
It makes for a sad book, seeing that decline of a character I grew fond of in the first book. Sulla, as in the first book, is shown as both incredibly able, more than a little creepy and definitely scary. The character in this book that most gained my sympathy was Marcus Livius Drusus. As a tribune, he tried to reform the law and his failure is a turning point both in the book and for the republic. McCullough really made me feel for him and the lost opportunity to avert war.
The young Julius Ceasar is also appealing here, just coming of age, he's around 14 years old at the end of the book, and it was fascinating to see the makings of the man in the boy of this book--the way his life in his mother's cosmopolitan insula in a rough neighborhood may have shaped him.
I've seen reviewers who complain the books in the series, including this one, are ponderous, even tedious. I wasn't particularly taken with McCullough's prose style and it's not for the style for which I recommend these books. But although the books are long, I feel it's the rare long book that earns its length--even demands it. What makes this book and the series special to me is how vividly it recreates the early Roman republic. In that regard I think it's a more impressive achievement than Robert Graves's Claudius novels. I got a real sense of the Roman mindset and way of life in these books, both of the ways it parallels--and helped form--modern political systems and the ways it's in no way modern in outlook. I have a friend who is a classics scholar, and when she once told me all she cared about gaining in her own writing was dignitas, because of these books, I knew exactly what she meant.
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first book, he's on the rise in this one, as Marius is in decline.It makes for a sad book, seeing that decline of a character I grew fond of in the first book. Sulla, as in the first book, is shown as both incredibly able, more than a little creepy and definitely scary. The character in this book that most gained my sympathy was Marcus Livius Drusus. As a tribune, he tried to reform the law and his failure is a turning point both in the book and for the republic. McCullough really made me feel for him and the lost opportunity to avert war.
The young Julius Ceasar is also appealing here, just coming of age, he's around 14 years old at the end of the book, and it was fascinating to see the makings of the man in the boy of this book--the way his life in his mother's cosmopolitan insula in a rough neighborhood may have shaped him.
I've seen reviewers who complain the books in the series, including this one, are ponderous, even tedious. I wasn't particularly taken with McCullough's prose style and it's not for the style for which I recommend these books. But although the books are long, I feel it's the rare long book that earns its length--even demands it. What makes this book and the series special to me is how vividly it recreates the early Roman republic. In that regard I think it's a more impressive achievement than Robert Graves's Claudius novels. I got a real sense of the Roman mindset and way of life in these books, both of the ways it parallels--and helped form--modern political systems and the ways it's in no way modern in outlook. I have a friend who is a classics scholar, and when she once told me all she cared about gaining in her own writing was dignitas, because of these books, I knew exactly what she meant.
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LibraryThing member AliceAnna
Fascinating to watch the various machinations of the characters and the broad parade of historically-based events. She only loses me when she gets bogged too far down in the politics. Interesting but not riveting.
LibraryThing member RamzArtso
One of the best books produced by humanity. And I really mean it! If you are looking for a new series that will carry you away from Earth, look no further.
LibraryThing member surreality
Plot: The time between Marius' sixth and seventh consulship, several interlocked focus points and a few ventures offroad that do not matter much to the main plot in this book, but chronologically slot in here and are too important for the future to be ignored.
Characters: There is less character
Style: Exhausting at times due to the level of detail, but engaging.
Plus: Accuracy, attention to detail. No character is a direct villain or an absolute angel.
Minus: At times it is simply too long. As with The First Man in Rome, the pictures are unnecessary, as are some of the maps.
Summary: Not quite as good as its predecessor, but still well worth reading. More politics and social issues, and less battle.
Characters: There is less character
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development here than before, which is notable especially with Marius. Side characters are deftly sketched, and again everyone's motives are made clear. Style: Exhausting at times due to the level of detail, but engaging.
Plus: Accuracy, attention to detail. No character is a direct villain or an absolute angel.
Minus: At times it is simply too long. As with The First Man in Rome, the pictures are unnecessary, as are some of the maps.
Summary: Not quite as good as its predecessor, but still well worth reading. More politics and social issues, and less battle.
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LibraryThing member Bookmarque
This one was also quite good. Because the characters of both Sulla and Marius are so complex, it is impossible to view one as good and the other as evil. Even when Marius goes nuts at the end and employs ex-slaves as his army and then uses them to kill all of his real and imagined enemies.
The
It is interesting to see how the upper class will come to realize that the whole Italian population must be made citizens. This is how Rome grows to become the most powerful nation in history. They make others covet Roman citizenship and then grant it. They then strictly enforce behavior, laws and customs. This makes the newly enfranchised citizens want to fight for them and take over new places and subdue new peoples. It takes a long time for the ruling class of Senators to understand that this is how to subjugate the world, not by denial of citizenship.
I also love how each new censor or consul, twists the rules to suit his own purposes. They say the laws are inviolate and that Rome is sovereign but, they don’t act that way. They repeal laws made by the last consul; they impose sentences for crimes that were done before the nice new laws they just set up to make that action a crime. They don’t care that it wasn’t a crime when the act was committed. It’s funny that this kind of back biting government succeeded. Consuls weren’t in place long enough to make lasting change. One year isn’t enough time to make an impression. I understand their fear of making someone too powerful, but one year isn’t effective. That’s why Marius had to be consul 6 times to completely defeat the Germans.
Hearing about Mithridates was interesting. How he felt himself to be below the Romans at first and then his ego got in the way and he thought that they were too civilized to stay in power. Hopefully, Rome gets its head out of its ass about the Italians soon enough to leverage their new patriotic pride in Rome and they can defeat Mithridates.
The
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people of Rome still mystify me though. The Senate says it acts for the people of Rome but yet they are despised and have no rights. They are horribly taxed and used to bring about the ends to the means that the Senators dream up. They are talked about with contempt even after Marius shows they are as useful as any of the other classes by using them to make up his army that is triumphant (in the last book). The head count is a phrase only said with a sneer. It is interesting to see how the upper class will come to realize that the whole Italian population must be made citizens. This is how Rome grows to become the most powerful nation in history. They make others covet Roman citizenship and then grant it. They then strictly enforce behavior, laws and customs. This makes the newly enfranchised citizens want to fight for them and take over new places and subdue new peoples. It takes a long time for the ruling class of Senators to understand that this is how to subjugate the world, not by denial of citizenship.
I also love how each new censor or consul, twists the rules to suit his own purposes. They say the laws are inviolate and that Rome is sovereign but, they don’t act that way. They repeal laws made by the last consul; they impose sentences for crimes that were done before the nice new laws they just set up to make that action a crime. They don’t care that it wasn’t a crime when the act was committed. It’s funny that this kind of back biting government succeeded. Consuls weren’t in place long enough to make lasting change. One year isn’t enough time to make an impression. I understand their fear of making someone too powerful, but one year isn’t effective. That’s why Marius had to be consul 6 times to completely defeat the Germans.
Hearing about Mithridates was interesting. How he felt himself to be below the Romans at first and then his ego got in the way and he thought that they were too civilized to stay in power. Hopefully, Rome gets its head out of its ass about the Italians soon enough to leverage their new patriotic pride in Rome and they can defeat Mithridates.
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LibraryThing member janerawoof
A mixed bag. Flashes of genius interspersed with long stretches of tedium and density. Rise of Sulla and Fall of Gaius Marius. List of characters woefully incomplete. Line drawings good but maps and diagrams poor. I do not understand reasoning for all the very positive reviews.
LibraryThing member Cecrow
A list of illustrations at the beginning essentially gives up the entire plot; reader beware, if your aim is to learn Roman history the fun way. I skipped past those and was subjected to an unlikely story full of traitors, massacres, madness and chaos that nobody would ever believe if the author
The first book was good but I liked this sequel even better, probably because I had the correct expectations going in. The dialogue didn't feel as silly (even when it was silly), and the setting drew me in just as effectively despite her spending less time on it. There are sufficient events in this one volume to fill up two more of equal size, but McCullough has a schedule to keep and packs it all in, thick and fast - maybe a bit too fast in places, particularly during a certain complicated siege. In other places she can't help shoveling in more research than she strictly needs to. Several of Mithridates' scenes border on farce, especially his conversation with the high priest of Cos about the Egyptian royal family (the silliest dialogue bar none).
Good outweighs the bad, sewing everything together better than any textbook lesson can and placing the reader in all the best scenes at the right times, whether it's a battlefield or a dinner conversation. Possibly the closest thing to time travel back to this rough-and-tumble period that you're ever going to (or would ever want to) get.
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wasn't so closely adhering to actual history. McCullough operates under some serious self-imposed constraints, the toughest being that she is forced to kill off her characters with the timing and manner of their actual deaths. That could be disastrous to the entertainment factor if not accounted for, and she accounts for it by making the right people sympathetic. Drusus unexpectedly became a new favourite of mine, and some earlier favourites less so.The first book was good but I liked this sequel even better, probably because I had the correct expectations going in. The dialogue didn't feel as silly (even when it was silly), and the setting drew me in just as effectively despite her spending less time on it. There are sufficient events in this one volume to fill up two more of equal size, but McCullough has a schedule to keep and packs it all in, thick and fast - maybe a bit too fast in places, particularly during a certain complicated siege. In other places she can't help shoveling in more research than she strictly needs to. Several of Mithridates' scenes border on farce, especially his conversation with the high priest of Cos about the Egyptian royal family (the silliest dialogue bar none).
Good outweighs the bad, sewing everything together better than any textbook lesson can and placing the reader in all the best scenes at the right times, whether it's a battlefield or a dinner conversation. Possibly the closest thing to time travel back to this rough-and-tumble period that you're ever going to (or would ever want to) get.
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LibraryThing member stanleykaye
Feels like the author lived in ancient rome. The details about the political and social life are intriguing.
LibraryThing member robeik
The second book in the series Masters of Rome. Once again wonderful story telling, especially the dialogue between people like Sulla and Mithradates, Aurelia and Sulla, Marius and Young Caesar. This book covers the continued rise of Marius and Sulla, and the sad decline of Marius which -according
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to the author- is the principal reason for the start of the civil wars. Show Less
LibraryThing member pbjwelch
Spell-binding and brilliant. I'm now going to read the entire series start to finish.
LibraryThing member john257hopper
Probably my favourite historical fiction series. Really meaty and engrossing.
LibraryThing member Ailinel
The Grass Crown continues where First Man in Rome ended, chronicling both the last years of Gaius Marius' life and Sulla's rise to power. As Marius' health declines, Sulla's character becomes almost painful to read while his pride and arrogance grow (it makes one realize how essential Marcus
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Ameslias Scaurus Princeps Senatas was for Gaius Marius' life, career, and good qualities to flourish as they had-- his character grows on one as the saga continues). Young Caesar continues to learn and flourish, educated at the feet of both the Third Founder of Rome and Lucius Decumius, an assassin who loved Caesar more dearly than his own son. Caesar's personality and abilities become more defined as the story progresses, and in the next novel he will begin to come into power. Further significant events close to the end of the Republic take place, the Halian War comes to fruition, and Sulla leads a Roman army against Rome for the first time in history. The Grass Crown ends with Rome on the brink of another civil war, with disparate factions breaking apart the upper classes of the republic while the fight against Mithradates in Asia Minor continues. Show Less
LibraryThing member steffijohnson
Difficult to start, but well worth the effort. The endpiece information could be a separate book. Very informative, and like other reviewers have said, you know the people you meet in the book
LibraryThing member Zenbabie
This the second in a series of five books about Ancient Rome. The Grass Crown, like its predecessor, brings history to life. It brings a historical accuracy while breathing life into ancient figure so that we care about the characters to the point of mourning or cheering their fate. In this tome a
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very young and very charming and gifted Caesar is introduced. It is very exciting to read about Caesar in his youth and gain insite into Caesar the man, the politician and the military genius. Show Less
LibraryThing member santhony
This is the sequel to The First Man in Rome and takes up with the decline of Gaius Marius and the contemporanious rise of Sulla. It touches upon the the early years of Pompey, Cicero, Cato and Julius Caesar. As in the first book of the series, McCullough weaves a very complex and detailed world in
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what is largely a historically accurate tale. Show Less
LibraryThing member nillacat
First class research, first class recreation of an alien culture. McCullough has managed to paint the sociopathic Sulla with a sympathetic brush.
LibraryThing member bardbooks
Keenly researched. Such compelling, complicated story lines ... exactly my cup of tea, or rather, pots and pots of tea.
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1991
ISBN
9780688093693
Local notes
FB pp.821 - 894 glossary includes historical information. Spanning the years 97–86 BC.