magwep reviewed Roma: The Novel of Ancient Rome by Steven Saylor
From back cover: From its mythic beginnings as a campsite along a trade route to …
Interesting envisioning of Rome's historical families
4 stars
Content warning A "not-really-surprising" sort of spoiler.
Reading the stories of the Potitii and Pinarii families as they descend through history from the founding of Rome to the assassination of Julius Caesar is lots of fun. Evidently well-researched, Saylor brings the city to life as if you are walking its streets yourself. The characters are a bit flat, but you might not mind so much as it is almost as if Rome itself is the character. The tales are somewhat episodic in that sense. I kept thinking it might make a fun BBC series that we'd get here in the USA via PBS, like we did with 'I, Claudius.'
The best part about this book was that I felt I gained insight into the Roman system of power in a more tangible way. This was a system that led to poisonings becoming a commonplace method to promote oneself or one's family. People out there thinking to reinstitute hereditary power should take note! :)