![]() As a result, he is sought out by a Sicilian merchant who has been robbed, libeled and threatened with death by the corrupt Roman governor of Sicily named Verres.Īfter much begging, cajoling and persuading, the merchant eventually secures Cicero’s agreement to represent him in prosecuting the powerful governor. Cicero is a junior Senator in the Roman Senate who has already garnered somewhat of a reputation as a brilliant speaker. In this first book, we meet a young Cicero at the beginning of his career. I found this to be a pretty effective plot device for showing the supposed "accuracy" of the narrative. Tiro, we are told, invented the concept of shorthand which provides a credible basis for him to be able to transcribe everything that he sees and hears as he follows Cicero around. ![]() Anyway, the story is a fictional biography centering on the legendary orator, Cicero, as told by his private secretary, Tiro. By the way, I could have just said ancient Rome but Triumvirate is such a tasty word that I thought it needed some air time. This is the first book in a trilogy set in ancient Rome during the time of the First Triumvirate (i.e., Julius Caesar, Pompey and Crassus). Plus, as a bonus, with my headphones in, my hands were free to hold my was your classic win-win, though somebody should flog me for using that expression. ![]() Thus, I was able to listen and stay engaged in the story while organizing my library on goodreads and keeping tabs on the basketball and hockey games on TV (with the volume on mute). I did appreciate that this book lent itself extremely well to audio because the story is VERY easy to follow and the narrative is not jammed with dense exposition that would require careful reading. To put it in the shell's nut, this was good entertainment but likely won't earn a hallowed place among your list of favorites. It was a both a solid, enjoyable read and at the same time an unremarkable story that will be forgotten as quickly as my self respect inhibitions on Tequila. This book did exactly what I expected it to do. Robert Harris, the world's master of innovative historical fiction, lures us into a violent, treacherous world of Roman politics at once exotically different from and yet startlingly similar to our own-a world of Senate intrigue and electoral corruption, special prosecutors and political adventurism-to describe how one clever, compassionate, devious, vulnerable man fought to reach the top.ģ.0 stars. And Tiro-the inventor of shorthand and author of numerous books, including a celebrated biography of his master (which was lost in the Dark Ages)-was always by his side.Ĭompellingly written in Tiro's voice, Imperium is the re-creation of his vanished masterpiece, recounting in vivid detail the story of Cicero's quest for glory, competing with some of the most powerful and intimidating figures of his-or any other-age: Pompey, Caesar, Crassus, and the many other powerful Romans who changed history. Of all the great figures of the Roman world, none was more fascinating or charismatic than Cicero. The senator is Marcus Cicero-an ambitious young lawyer and spellbinding orator, who at the age of twenty-seven is determined to attain imperium-supreme power in the state. ![]() The stranger is a Sicilian, a victim of the island's corrupt Roman governor, Verres. When Tiro, the confidential secretary (and slave) of a Roman senator, opens the door to a terrified stranger on a cold November morning, he sets in motion a chain of events that will eventually propel his master into one of the most suspenseful courtroom dramas in history.
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