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Entertaining from first page to last!

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I've gotten on an historical kick this year and I found this one to be a favorite. I'm not sure what I liked better; the interesting plot, the characters, or the period detail. All top notch.

A Masterful re-creation of Ancient Rome

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This is a masterful achievement. Historical study teaches us that Roman sources are few; that what we have are at best transliterations centuries later; and that the majority of classical texts are lost and not likely to be found. And in spite of this, Steven Saylor is able to create a picture of Rome and Roman society that teems with life, that draws a complete picture that the sources individually do not, and in my limited expereince, seems to be historically accurate and true. Not to mention its one heck of a great story. This is historical fiction at its best.

Rome, 80 B.C.E.

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Saylor, Steven. "Roman Blood", St. Martin's, 2000.

Rome, 80 B.C.E.

Amos Lassen

Some of you know Steven Saylor as the author of several books abut ancient Rome but I bet that you do not know that Saylor also writes some very hot gay erotica under the nom de plum of Aaron Travis and was editor of "Drummer" magazine. In his "Rome" novels there is always a gay subplot or an overtly gay character. "Roman Blood" continues that tradition. The "Rome" novels are based on the cases that Cicero argued in court.
Saylor authentically gives us the details of life in Republican Rome and writes about real historical figures. This novel centers on Sextus and the proscription lists (the names of those to be put to death). Anyone whose name appears on the list is liable to be killed and a reward is given to whoever does the deed. When Sextus ends up dead, there are questions about who did it and who is accountable for his death.
What makes this book interesting is that it deals the Roman on the street and we thereby get an intimate and realistic picture of Rome as opposed to reading about the generals, kings and upper class. There is a lot of history to be learned by reading Saylor. The book is not quite a mystery because we already know who did what. What it is then is a wonderful rendering of what happened and has a great deal of detail and description. Saylor gives us an intricate plot and am A-one novel. Under his pen, Rome comes alive. The "Rome" novels are the collection known as the Roma Sub Rosa series that both entertains and educates.

Exacting detail of Ancient Rome

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Steven Saylor's Roman Blood is an excellent detective story, set in ancient Rome, and based upon actual historical events. Roman Blood is the story of the investigations of Gordianus who works as a sort of private investigator, a vocation known in ancient Rome as "finder". Gordianus is hired, by a beginning advocate and aspiring orator named Cicero, to gather information for a scheduled trial. The defendant in the case is Sextus Roscius who is accused of, what is to Romans one of the most unspeakable and unholy crimes, parricide. Sextus, who is facing a horribly painful sentence appears very depressed and believes that no one can help him.

Gordianus accepts the mission and lives through multiple challenges and threats in his effort to discover the truth. The investigation takes Gordianus to Ameria, a small town in rural Italy, where Sextus lived and where he had to confront the fearsome Magnus. He pursued his search in the House of Swans, a brothel, and the Baths of Pallacina, where he is accosted. Finally he has to fight the hulking Mallius Galaucia in the latrines of Rome.

This is a fine detective story and presents a realistic, vivid, and very detailed picture of everyday life in ancient Rome. One of my majors in college was history. In my studies I completed several courses in ancient history and focused on the Roman Republic in particular but none of my studies provided the detailed picture on Roman life contained in these pages. If you like history you will like this book.

Diverting Read Set in the Dying Days of the Roman Empire

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Roman Blood is a fun little mystery set in the last days of the Roman Republic. The book is modeled on the actual killing of Sextus Roscius and Cicero's defense of his son for the crime. Saylor has taken many a liberty with the actual story, and embellished off what is unknown about the incident and by doing so he has created a fun and diverting mystery that does an excellent job of brining ancient Rome to life and of introducing Gordianus the Finder, the sleuth who will star in the rest of this series.

The book is better written then the average mystery and the historical figures who make appearances (including Cicero and his slave Tiro, both in staring roles) are well drawn and believable. I could have done without some of the forced humor, but the accurate portrayal of Rome, warts and all, make this a worthwhile read for anyone interested in a decent mystery or ancient Rome.