Lustrum: From the bestselling author of Conclave

(This is for the 'Audible' version of this book and series) I read this series of three books when they came out some time ago, and thoroughly enjoyed them - so when I saw them on 'Audible' I didn't hesitate, and bought all three. The story itself is dramatic - covering the rise of the lawyer and orator Cicero through the various stages of recognition in the courts of Rome, and as a politician in the Senate. The times he lived in were also some of the most dramatic in the history of ancient Rome - dealing with the end of the Republic, and the rise of tyrany under Pompey, Julius Caesar and Mark Anthony. On the way a host of other historical characters are introduced; Crassus - thr 'richest man in Rome', Cato - a notable political figure, and Clodius - a 'play-boy' with ambitions. Harris has taken this dramatic era and re-told it through the eyes of Tiro - a slave, and scribe of Cicero - who was an actual historic figure, and one who invented a form of short-hand writing, some of which is still in use today (the '&' 'e.t.c.' and some other common abbreviations were invented by him). The recording of all three books is read by Bill Wallis, who carries the subject matter very well, and holds the attention (and tension) of the story he is narrating. It all makes for an interesting, gripping story that is easy on the ears, and will introduce you to an era you may think you know. (These are my own thoughts on audiobooks item I have bought)

Lustrum is the deserving sequel to Harris's Imperium - though it is also readable on its own. It picks up where the first book of the trilogy-in-progress left off: Cicero has just been elected consul. The year 63BC begins. Cicero is faced with the same hostility from corrupt senatorial peers, oblivious to threats from the immensely wealthy Crassus and the rising stars of popular Rome that are Caesar and Pompey. But Cicero also makes mistakes. He turns down a land law amid rural distress, debt, and a grain shortage. The demagogues soon seize upon this to launch the murkiest and most desperate conspiracy the Republic has seen. This is led by none other than Catiline, the debauched patrician playboy whom Cicero had to defeat at the consular stakes. And Catiline has friends, he is unafraid of violence, and is bent on vengeance. Cicero's life was eventful in itself, but it also took place within the most tumultuous of Roman times. And Cicero's own writings were profuse. So Harris's trilogy can afford to rely on, at times becoming almost a palimpsest of, the original documents, and the Imperium series are that rare thing: a historically faithful work that is at the same time a great yarn. Though I'd read and enjoyed some Harris before, I heard of the Ciceronian trilogy through an eminent professor of classics. She said she found no historical mistake in it, and that it captures the spirit of the times as she imagines it. This is isn't to belittle Harris as a storyteller. He knows when to build anticipation and what to insist on for drama. The idea was brilliant of having the story told by Tiro, Cicero's slave secretary, who actually existed and wrote a lost biography of his master. If anything, Lustrum offers more action and tension than Imperium. It is also darker, beginning with the murder of a child, and more lurid, answering our fantasies of Roman decadence. Lustrum became the term for the five-year period between each taking of the census, when the censors purged the morally unfit from the body politic, especially from the senate. As the late Republic's conflicts became increasingly acrimonious, one after the other of the censuses failed to be performed - and Cicero became ever more anxious at what he saw as a double tale of moral and constitutional decay. We will eagerly be awaiting the final episode of Harris's trilogy: into the Civil War.

A stunning trilogy. Robert Harris has accomplished what many historical authors may aspire to but few attain. He has created an ancient Rome alive with the sights, the sounds, the smells of a city towards the latter years of the republic. He has painted a picture in my mind of warring commanders: Pompey, Caesar. Crassus. He has allowed me to view both the beauty of Rome from the aristocratic Palatine to the stench of the inner-city streets. He shows Romans as a people obsessed with wealth, and from wealth flows power, influence, and the ultimate prize a position in the senate leading to first consul adoration. Pompey the great commander, the chief general in the state….” A large chair was carried in for the Imperator, and he settled himself into it. An ivory pointer was placed in his hand. A carpet was unrolled at his feet into which was woven a map of the east, and as the senators gazed down he began gesticulating at it to illustrate his achievements”…. Caesar, the chief priest, adored by all the masses, fresh from military success, biding his time as he waits, panther like, moulding the men of influence to attend to his every whim. These two together with the wealthy Crassus form the triumvirate, a power base for them to dictate and manipulate. It is however a dangerous thing to allow so much “imperium” into the hands of the few. Cicero’s year as 1st consul is drawing to a close, and some of his finest accomplishments are now just a distant memory. When he faces a direct threat on his life it is to his wealthy companions that he turns for help and support, but such friendship will always require payback. Robert Harris shoes not only the strong side of Cicero but his weaknesses. His aspirations to climb the social ladder, result in a questionable decision when he borrows money to purchase a grand property owned by Crassus in the exclusive Palatine hill. As the candle slowly fades on a glittering senatorial career, and as the influence of a few wealthy men starts to emerge, the scene is set for a bloody conflict. Rome should have learnt the lessons of the past that it is a grave mistake to leave so much power in the hands of a powerful minority. A wonderful story, the subtle blending of fact and fiction makes Lustrum an essential read…the final chapter “The Dictator” now awaits me” Highly recommended.

One of the greatest figures in world history and one which up to now I have disgracefully neglected. I make up for that omission now. There is no better guide and mentor to this period of Rome's history than Robert Harris, a wondrous wordsmith who never falters for a moment in the telling of this gripping tale.

Robert Harris, always so readable, manages to put flesh on the key players in the history of ancient Rome. He must have put many hours of research into this book - and the others in the Cicero trilogy - and I am very grateful to him. As a story alone, it would not have enthralled me..... but as a story worked around historical figures and events, it was a fascinating way to learn history and appreciate how Rome gradually moved from a workable and surprisingly democratic Republic to a dictatorship, spearheaded by the astute and scheming Julius Caesar. My only slight problem was that the vast number of characters with similar Roman names and varying roles were quite hard to sort out, even with the excellent x-ray facility on my Kindle. I would have appreciated a few words to remind me of their significance when these characters reappeared in the narrative. I am looking forward to completing the set by reading Dictator.

No middle book syndrome here, and a strong finish, which makes this sequel just as good, if not slightly better, than the first one (Imperium). Cicero is up against some much more formidable opponents now, and while this tale covers events from over 2000 years ago, it is at times shocking to realise how corrupt politics still is. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Cicero is, for the most part, a good, decent, honourable man, yet you can see the impact the political environment has had on him. In politics, you cannot afford to make any enemies, or underestimate anyone. Cicero is given a harsh lesson of how fast the political landscape can change, and not always in your favour. People rise from the most unexpected of places, the trick is to keep enough people happy, at the right time. A huge part of being a successful politician is a juggling act, and Cicero’s sharp tongue and ready wit are not always weapons that work in his favour. I had a very different image of Julius Caesar, and this book continues the story of his rise. I am extremely tempted to read Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, as well as anything else from this time period. The last few months have been good for historical fiction – first Warlord Chronicles, then Gates of Fire, and then the Cicero trilogy. Hoping to add a few more to the list this year.

Stunning book from Robert Harris. Captivating and a fantastic account of Cicero's life through the eyes of his manservant Cato. Essential to read all 3 volumes. Harris brings not only the actors to vivid life, but also the seething political atmosphere and the day to day life in ancient Rome.

Like an archaeologist on a promising dig, Robert Harris returns to Rome in the first Century BC. He points out that although he seeks to make the fiction accord with the facts, and uses the words spoken by Cicero as recorded by his amanuensis, this is ultimately a novel. By that criterion, he is only partially successful. The facts dictate that characters drift in and out of the story, but fiction that grips demands a less episodic narrative. Cicero and his slave, Tiro (the book's narrator) carry the story. Caesar, Pompey, Cato, Crassus and others emerge by turns as leading players, usually figuring in one of the major set pieces that Harris handles well. The reader who persists will find that the moving climax of the last eighty-or-so pages has been thoroughly prepared, but it will not have been easy to follow. A list of Dramatis Personae details thirty-three characters. Yet between pages 90 and 102. there are passing references to Athenodorus Cordylion, ;"leading scholar of the stoics; Gaius Curio,"who had won a triumph a decade earlier; Marcus Lucullus, Lucius's younger brother; Quintus Curius, a dissolute senator; the conspirators, Cornelius Cethegus, Cassius Longinus, Quintus Annius Chilo, Lentulus Sura and his freedman Umbrenus, Autronius Paetus, Marcus Leaca, Lucius Bestia, Lucius Vargunteius: "a knight called Titus Sextus" and his brother, Quintus; Sergius Oratus, famous for his shower baths; Cornelia, mother of the Gracchi brothers. Only a handful of these will recur. Reader fatigue can easily lead to a feeling that the author has done too much homework.

Alle drei Bände der Cicero-Trilogie von Robert Harris sind meiner Meinung nach absolut lesenswert für jede/n, die / der sich für römische Geschichte und Politik im Allgemeinen interessiert. In seiner Trilogie erzählt Harris nüchtern, aber sprachlich immer brilliant, kurzweilig und abwechslungsreich vom Aufstieg und Fall Ciceros im antiken Rom. In Hinsicht auf die dramatis personae gelingt ihm eine sehr glaubwürdige, weil gründlich recherchierte Zeichnung der Figuren. Sei es Cicero selbst, dessen Widersacher Verres, seine Ehefrau, sein Sekretär Tiro oder irgendeine beliebige andere historische Person in den drei Romanen - all seinen Figuren verleiht Harris eine solche Tiefe, dass man durch die Lektüre glaubt, sie wirklich kennengelernt zu haben. Harris gelingt es auf beeindruckende Weise, vermeintlich staubige und langweilige Geschichte, mit der man vielleicht schon einmal durch den Latein- oder Geschichtsunterricht in Berührung gekommen ist, durch die Mittel der Literatur lebendig, spannend und gegenwärtig zu machen. Ich habe diese Trilogie verschlungen! Sie gehört meines Erachtens nach zu dem Besten, was im Bereich historischer Romane geschrieben wurde.

Quite some time ago I read 'Imperium' by this author and loved every bit of it. It was the first book of a trilogy about Cicero and I found the whole histrory and context of the novel great reading. When I found 'Lustrum' the second book of the series I couldn't wait to read it and I was certainly not disappointed. It really brings Cicero to life and although I knew about who he was I know little about him, or any detail of his life. I realise that the author has taken liberties to create historical fiction but he still achieves in depicting an intrigung and multifacted character. One of the things I enjoyed most about it besides the grand sweep of Roman History was the minute detail of individual' lives and foibles, their ambitions, their jealousies and the malicious intent with which common gossip was used to manipulate and wield power. The style of writing very deliberately mimiced the style of the ancient historians, bringing back many memories of some of the writings of the historians such as Suetonius, where you were very aware that you were being served up all the gossip, but unsure of the veracity of much of the detail. The third book 'Dictator' has recently beed released and I'm looking forward to reading it. if you enjoy anything about ancient Rome you will love reading these three books.

Dico solo che è da leggere! Storia di potere.

Great reading and a page turner.

On peut aborder ce roman de trois manières: 1) comme un thriller: c'est l'histoire d'un avocat qui est prêt à tout pour accéder au pouvoir. Il y arrive mais se fait beaucoup d'ennemis et il faut attendre la dernière page, après beaucoup de retournements de situation, pour savoir qui va l'emporter. 2) comme un roman historique: c'est l'histoire de la lutte pour le pouvoir de Cicéron (c'est la suite d'Imperium mais les deux romans peuvent être lus de manière indépendante: Imperium ). On voit aussi apparaître Jules César, un intrigant de classe exceptionnelle. 3) comme un livre politique qui décrit l'ambition, l'égoïsme et le manque de scrupules des politiciens ce qui va conduire à la ruine de la république. C'est passionnant et divertissant, de plus la lecture en est facile.