Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
I loved this book--though it only covers the early part of Cicero's life. But it's not only a fascinating look at Cicero, it gives what seems to me a balanced (as well as absorbing) picture of Pompeii, Caesar, Cato, and the rest of a bunch of remarkable people.
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“To be ignorant of what happened before you were born is to remain forever a child.” - Cicero
Imperium retells the story of political antics in Ancient Rome through the life of Marcus Tullius Cicero, told compellingly from the perspective of his slave Tiro.
Cicero is known as an orator and politician. This book centres on Cicero’s defence of Rome against a plot to overthrow it by Julius Caesar, culminating in Cicero’s election as consul.
This is an excellent historical retelling. Through telling the story from Tiro’s perspective, Harris is able to deftly weave in real historical records of events and fills in the gaps to tell the story of the complex political dynamics of the era.
Tiro himself is a dynamic character - he was a slave, but was educated with Cicero (at the master’s request) and became Cicero’s secretary. When Cicero granted Tiro his freedom, Tiro continued to work for Cicero. Tiro was a vastly intelligent man, and invented shorthand, which we still use today. He also helped Cicero with writing the speeches he is so famous for.
I really loved this book, but I think it has to lose a star as it lacks criticism of Cicero, beyond Tiro's unspoken disappointment about not being freed yet.
I really loved this book, but I think it has to lose a star as it lacks criticism of Cicero, beyond Tiro's unspoken disappointment about not being freed yet.
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Massively entertaining. Will surely fascinate anyone with an interest in Ancient Rome and its political milieu.
challenging
informative
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Slavery, Torture, Violence, Murder, Colonisation
adventurous
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found this good, but not great. Certainly, I learned a lot about Cicero and about Rome and I will go on to learn more about Caesar’s rise to power (in book 2). For some reason, I didn’t find it very exciting or enjoyable, with exceptions for some chapters.
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
informative
tense
medium-paced