Hello ladies and gentlemen, I would like to ask you about your favorite books, having the action set in antiquity, and perhaps recommend some. If I remember correctly, the only one I started reading (and apparently lost the book itself) was Raffaello Giovagnoli's Spartacus (Spartaco). It was many years ago, for some reason I didn't finish it but I can't remember if I liked it or not. I see Giovagnoli wrote a series of historical novels set in ancient Rome. I would like something set in Roman Empire or Greece. It can lack scientific/historical accuracy - but not 100% - for example I started learning about French history after reading some Dumas and Zevaco novels, of course they are 90% fiction but they are based on historical events.
Pompeii by Robert Harris is both enthralling and historically accurate. IMHO, one of the best novels set in ancient Rome. Imperial Governor by George Shipway concerning the Boudiccan revolt is superb. The classic I Claudius by Robert Graves is not to be missed as well.
We've had similar questions before, here's a thread with lots of good suggestions (including my own): https://www.cointalk.com/threads/the-novel-and-your-collection.367559/
+1. This thread contains a lot of good recommendations. Personally, I can recommend the Roma Sub Rosa series by Steven Saylor. You can think of these as Raymond-Chandler-style detective novels set in the late Roman Republic, written by a trained classicist with remarkable literary talent. They make for a gripping read and are at the same time well-researched and considerably more clever than your typical "historical novel." Mary Renault wrote some high quality fiction set in ancient Greece. The Last of the Wine is a very good start. Marguerite Yourcenar's Memoirs of Hadrian is by all rights a modern classic, albeit a somewhat forgotten one. In my eyes, this is a must-read book that goes way beyond mere entertainment fiction. About the same applies to Robert Graves I, Claudius and Claudius the God, Gore Vidal's Julian, as well as Walter Pater's Marius the Epicurean.
I noted all your suggestions, thank you, and also bookmarked the previous thread, I haven't noticed it. For the moment I'll give Giovagnoli a second chance (i have the ebook but I prefer normal books, I hate it when I can't find one) and of course I, Claudius since everybody agrees it's a masterpiece. But I'll see what can be found from the other suggestions.
I don’t have any suggestions for Roman/Greek era, but I know this novel ‘Ponniyin Selvan’ set in 10th century Chola empire about the adventures of Raja Raja before he became the king! https://www.amazon.com.au/Ponnis-Beloved-Translation-Krishnamurthys-Ponniyin-ebook/dp/B07XMG768X
As I posted elsewhere, I love these whodunnits set in Roman Britain during the reign of Hadrian. This one features a denarius on the cover and the murder mystery involves a fouree counterfeiter as a character.
There have been some very fine novels published over the last few years recasting the events of the Trojan War. I have noted your condition that there be at least some historical basis; whilst the Homeric poems describing the War are, of course, largely rooted in mythology archaeological evidence does show that Troy was destroyed in war twice, if not three times, before 1,000 BCE so there does seem to be a historical kernel of truth underlying the stories. I hope this is sufficient for you because the books mentioned below are really worth reading. Pat Barker's 'The Silence of the Girls' tells the events of Homer's Iliad from the perspective of women captured during the war. It was recently included in a 'best novels of the 21st century' list and I wouldn't argue with that conclusion, it's brilliant. Margaret Atwood's 'Penelopiad' is also great, revisiting the Odyssey from the perspective of Odysseus's left-behind wife, Penelope. Madeline Miller's best-selling 'Song of Achilles' is in similar vein. All of these authors have clearly done a great deal of research and in addition to the action that you seek give a vivid impression of life in Ancient Greece.
For those who prefer a bit of Irish in their fiction, there is the Sister Fidelma mysteries set in the 7th century, at a time when Catholic priests were allowed to marry. Peter Tremayne is the knowledgeable author of this series, and I learned a lot about early Celtic history and law.
Has anyone mentioned the Alexandrian Trilogy by Mary Renault? If not I definitely recommend it. Happy 2021 one & All, J.T.
I haven't read them, but I must say that I loved The King Must Die and The Bull from the Sea (about the life of Theseus, the legendary conqueror of the Minotaur and first king of Athens) as much as any historical novels I've ever read.
I enjoyed reading as many Renault books as I could find quite a few years ago. Perhaps time to now re-read. J.T. Addendum: You may want to add to that the Cadfael Chronicles by E. Pargeter...nothing like a medieval murder mystery or two.
I actually am not as fond of various Ancient Novels, rather I like reading the history. Here is a good book I picked up in Hong Kong several years ago that I am finally getting around to read. It is pretty good, discussing the inventiveness of China. Many inventions preceded the West by several hundred years, or over a thousand years. The Genius of China: 3,000 Years of Science, Discovery, and Invention Revised ed. Edition by Robert Temple
If you want to go in the mythology direction, here's a work that is funny and poignant that I am sure you will enjoy: And, now that I think of it, one more:
I haven't read the Walter Pater book, but I concur in your recommendation of the others. I would suggest trying to read the Saylor novels in order, not for any reasons of plot but because I think the most recent ones aren't quite as good. Another recommendation along the same lines as Graves and Vidal: Augustus, by John Williams, which won the National Book Award the year it came out. See https://www.nyrb.com/products/augustus?variant=1094929261 . Memoirs of Hadrian is not a book for someone who wants a lot of "action," but I still thought it was excellent. Yourcenar is indeed largely forgotten in the USA, but of course is still quite famous in France. I was always curious about Yourcenar, because my mother was her student at Sarah Lawrence, and became friends with her. I have a couple of letters she wrote to my mother.
