List of fiction set in ancient Rome explained
Historical novels arranged by the period of their setting
Rome as a Kingdom
If you know of works set in the pre-Republican era, please expand this section.
- Founding Fathers (1959) by Alfred Duggan. Originally titled Children of the Wolf, this novel tells the story of King Romulus and the founding of Rome through the eyes of a variety of characters who come to the new city.
- Roma (2007) by Steven Saylor. According to the author's website, the book covers part of Rome's early history.[1]
Early Republic (before 264 BC)
If you know of works set in the Early Republic, please expand this section.
- Roma, published March 6, 2007, by Steven Saylor. According to the author's website, the book covers part of Rome's early history.[1]
- The Etruscan by Mika Waltari. Part of the story is set on the first few years of the Republic.
- Traitors’ Legion (Ace G-532,1963) by Jay Scotland, a swashbuckler about a disgraced legion, set in Hannibal's time.
Middle Republic (264–133 BC)
If you know of works set in the Middle Republic, please expand this section.
- Africanus, el hijo del cónsul
- Las legiones malditas
- La traición de Roma
- Of Merchants & Heroes, published 2008 by Paul Waters. Set at the end of the 3rd century BC, about the life of a fictional Roman called Marcus. In the novel Marcus becomes involved in the war against Philip V of Macedon, which was led by Titus Quinctius Flamininus, who later became Consul and is a major character in the story.
- "Salammbô", published 1977 by Gustave Flaubert. 240 BC. The novel is set before and during the Mercenary War, an uprising of mercenaries in the employ of Carthage in the 3rd century BC.
- "The Shield of Rome", published 2011 by William Kelso. 216 BC. The novel is set during "Rome's finest hour" after the battle of Cannae when Hannibal threatens the very existence of the Republic.
- "The Fortune of Carthage", published 2012 by William Kelso. 207 BC. The novel is set during the 2nd Punic War and covers Hasdrubal Barca's attempt to link up with the Carthaginian army of his brother Hannibal.
- "Rome: Destroy Carthage", published 2013 by David Gibbins. 146 BC. The novel was written to promote the strategy game "Rome 2 Total War" and is set during the 3nd Punic War and covers the siege and utter destruction of Carthage.
Late Republic (after 132 BC)
- Viriato by João Aguiar (late 2nd, early 1st century BC, Viriathus)
- The Bow of Heaven (2011) by Andrew Levkoff, a novel of events leading up to the battle of Carrhae, and the triumvir responsible for one of the greatest defeats suffered by Republican Rome, Marcus Licinius Crassus
- Young Caesar (1958) by Rex Warner
- Imperium and Lustrum (novel) by Robert Harris, the first two volumes of a trilogy of fictionalized biography told by his slave, later freedman, Tiro depicting Cicero's rise to the consulship in 63 BC and subsequent role in the final days of the Republic.
- A Pillar of Iron (1965) by Taylor Caldwell, a fictionalized biography of Cicero.
- Imperial Caesar (1960) also by Rex Warner
- The Ides of March (1948) by Thornton Wilder, culminating in Caesar's assassination.
- Caesar, Antony by Allan Massie
- Freedom, farewell! by Phyllis Bentley.
- The Roma Sub Rosa series by Steven Saylor is set in the later years of the Republic and the beginning of the Augustan period.
- Roma, published March 6, 2007, by Steven Saylor. According to the author's website, the book covers part of Rome's early history.[1]
- The Emperor Series (2003-2013), by Conn Iggulden, Julius Caesar's life
- The Last King: Rome's Greatest Enemy (2005) by Michael Curtis Ford. The career of Mithridates VI (134-63 BC)
- The Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough. Beginning before the birth of Julius Caesar to after his death, it details the self-immolation of the Roman Republic.
- Spartacus by Howard Fast
- Spartacus by Lewis Grassic Gibbon
- Three's Company (1958) by Alfred Duggan. The career of Lepidus, triumvir with Octavian and Marcus Antonius after the death of Julius Caesar.
- Winter Quarters (1956) by Alfred Duggan. Two Gauls in the time of Julius Caesar, one of whom is under a curse from the Mother Goddess, whose worship he finds throughout the Roman world.
- The Conquered by Naomi Mitchison (1923). Gaul & the Gallic Wars 1st century BC
- Beric the Briton: A Story of the Roman Invasion (1893) by G. A. Henty
- Imperial Caesar (1960) also by Rex Warner
Early/High Empire (27 BC to AD 192)
- Someday Never Comes by Mk Kayem[2]
- An Imaginary Life by David Malouf. A fictional account of the poet Ovid's exile from Rome.
- The Last World by Christoph Ransmayr. Another Ovid-related novel.
- The Quest For the Lost Roman Legions by Tony Clunn, Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, with his account of his discovery of the battlefield
- Persona Non Grata, Terra Incognita, Medicus and Caveat Emptor, a series of mysteries featuring the "reluctant sleuth" Gaius Petreius Ruso by Ruth Downie, set around 120 AD.
- Three Legions series by Rosemary Sutcliff set in Roman Britain c. 130 AD. The three novels consist of The Eagle of the Ninth (1954), The Silver Branch (1957), and The Lantern Bearers (1959). The three were first collected in one volume as Three Legions in 1980.
- Empire published August 31, 2010, by Steven Saylor. The book follows two families through Rome's Imperial history, from the reign of Augustus to the reign of Hadrian. The sequel to Roma.
- Vespasian series by Robert Fabbri. The series details the early career and rise to power of Vespasian.
The Julio-Claudian Dynasty
Books about early Christians or Jesus include:
- (1880) by Lew Wallace; famously made into a film starring Charlton Heston; set in the reign of Tiberius in Judaea, the Mediterranean, and Rome. Epilogues carry the story into the reign of Nero
- I Am a Barbarian (1967, written 1941) by Edgar Rice Burroughs; the fictionalized memoirs of Caligula's slave.
- A Voice in the Wind (1994) by Francine Rivers; the story of Hadassah, a Christian slave taken from Jerusalem and taken to Rome in the time of Titus and his father Mark of the Lion Trilogy book 1
- An Echo in the Darkness (1995) by Francine Rivers; the continuing story of Hadassah and Marcus. Mark of the Lion Trilogy book 2
- As Sure as the Dawn (1995) by Francine Rivers; the continuing story of Atretes. Mark of the Lion Trilogy book 3
- The Robe (1942), by Lloyd C. Douglas, set in the same period as Ben-Hur; like Ben-Hur, more famous as a film.
Books about Claudius or set in his reign include:
- I, Claudius (1934) and its sequel, Claudius the God (1935), by Robert Graves. The classic and influential dramatised account of the life of the emperor Claudius, made into a popular TV series (see below).
- The Eagle series by Nigerian-born British novelist Simon Scarrow. The first book Under the Eagle (part of the Eagle series) was published 2000 by Simon Scarrow. Story of Roman invasion of Britain, featuring a young Vespasian. Other books in the series include The Eagle's Conquest (2001 set in 42 AD (introducing Boudicca at the end); When the Eagle Hunts (2002) set in 44 AD. Other books in the series include The Eagle and the Wolves (2003), The Eagle's Prey (2004), The Eagle's Prophecy (2005), The Eagle in the Sand (2006), and the forthcoming Centurion (January - 2008).
Books set in Nero's reign include:
The Flavian Dynasty
The Nervan-Antonian (Ulpio-Aelia) Dynasty
Middle Empire (AD 193–293)
- Family Favourites (1960), by Alfred Duggan; a tale of court life under the teenage emperor Elagabalus, as recounted by his personal bodyguard
- The Unconquered Sun by Ralph Dulin, follows the life of the emperor Aurelian and his wife
- Warrior Of Rome series by historian Harry Sidebottom, takes place in the years 238 to 264, mostly from 256 to 264, six books so far published
- Iron And Rust also by historian Harry Sidebottom, takes place before the Warrior Of Rome series
Late Empire: West (AD 293–457)
Byzantine Empire (AD 457–1453)
- Anna of Byzantium, 1999
- Bélisaire
- Belisarius series by David Drake and Eric Flint
- Count Belisarius (1938), by Robert Graves, set in the 6th century, in the reign of Justinian
- The Dancing Bear (1972), by Peter Dickinson. Young adult.
- Justinian, a novel, by H N Turteltaub (Harry Turtledove), August 1998
- The Palaeologian Dynasty. The Rise and Fall of Byzantium
- Roma Eterna (2003), by Robert Silverberg
- A Struggle for Rome (1876), by Felix Dahn
- Tirant lo Blanch (finished posthumously by Martí Joan de Galba, published 1490), by Joanot Martorell
- Up the Line (1969), by Robert Silverberg
- Strategos: Born in the Borderlands (2011) by Gordon Doherty
- Strategos: Rise of the Golden Heart (2011) by Gordon Doherty
- Strategos: Island in the Storm (2011) by Gordon Doherty
Unknown period
Detective fiction
Science fiction/time travel novels
Alternate history
The following alternate history novels are set in fictional universes where Rome's struggle with Carthage went differently
The following alternate history novels are set in fictional universes where the Roman Empire never fell, and has endured to the present day:
- Romanitas (2005), by Sophia McDougall
- Rome Burning (2006), sequel to Romanitas, by Sophia McDougall
- Roma Eterna, a 2003 novel by Robert Silverberg
- Warlords of Utopia by Lance Parkin
- Gunpowder Empire by Harry Turtledove
- The Aquiliad (1983), by Somtow Sucharitkul. Circa 50 AD. A light-hearted novel in which Roman legions discover America, battle the Aztecs, encounter Big Foot, and drive off flying saucers.
- Oebis (2002), by Scott Mackay. Romans return to a modern-day Earth to retake it from alien invaders who exiled them centuries ago and imposed a strange form of Christianity.
- The Germanicus trilogy, a collection of books by Kirk Mitchell.
- Emperor (2006), by Stephen Baxter. After a Celtic chieftain obeys an ancient prophecy, and sides with the invaders, the history of Roman Britain takes a different path. First in a series.
- INCEPTIO (2013) first in the ten book Roma Nova thriller series by Alison Morton where a remnant of the ancient empire has survived into the 21st century and is led by women.
Comic books
- The Adventures of Alix (1948–now) series by Jacques Martin of which some titles are set in Rome and the Ancient World. This series has a spin-off, called The travels of Alix, that gives illustrated information on famous places and empires of the Ancient World during the Roman Era.
- Astérix (1959–now) series by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations). A tiny village in Gaul holds out against the Roman Army, and its doughtiest warriors meet all the famous Romans.
- Murena (1997–now) series by Jean Dufaux and Philippe Delaby
- Le Fléau des Dieux (2000–2006) series by Valérie Mangin and Aleksa Gajic. Science fiction set in a remote future
Movies
See main article: article and List of films set in ancient Rome.
Plays
Television
Video games
See main article: article and List of historical video games.
| Video game | Year | Platform | Score[3] |
|---|
| 2013 | Microsoft Windows, Xbox One | 60 |
| 2013 | Mac, Microsoft Windows | 76 |
| Roman Empire | 2013 | Microsoft Windows Phone, Microsoft Windows | 76 |
| 2011 | Microsoft Windows | 50 |
| Gladiator Begins | 2010 | PSP | 59 |
| Tournament of Legends | 2010 | Wii | 45 |
| | Microsoft Windows | 72 |
| Cradle of Rome | | Nintendo DS, Wii | 63 |
| 2008 | Microsoft Windows, Mac | 73 |
| Imperium Romanum | 2008 | Microsoft Windows | 63 |
| Caesar IV | 2006 | Microsoft Windows | 74 |
| 2006 | Microsoft Windows | 67 |
| Glory of the Roman Empire | 2006 | Microsoft Windows | 66 |
| 2005 | PlayStation 2 | 56 |
| 2005 | Microsoft Windows | |
| Legion Arena | 2005 | Mac, Microsoft Windows | 65 |
| Shadow of Rome | 2005 | PlayStation 2 | 75 |
| 2005 | PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox | 74 |
| Nemesis of the Roman Empire | 2004 | | 74 |
| 2004 | Microsoft Windows, Mac | 92 |
| Gladius | 2003 | GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox | 82 |
| Praetorians | 2003 | Windows | 78 |
| 2002 | Windows | 82 |
| 2002 | PlayStation 2, Xbox | 67 |
| Catechumen | 2000 | Windows | |
| Nethergate | 1999 | Mac, Windows | |
| 1998 | Microsoft Windows | |
| Caesar III | 1998 | Mac, Microsoft Windows | |
| The Settlers II | 1996 | Mac, MS-DOS, Nintendo DS | |
| 1996 | Windows | |
| Caesar II | 1995 | Mac, MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows | |
| Walls of Rome | 1993 | DOS | |
| Caesar I | 1992 | Amiga, Atari ST, DOS | |
| 1992 | Amiga, DOS | |
| Warrior of Rome II | 1992 | Mega Drive, Sega Genesis | |
| Warrior of Rome | 1991 | Mega Drive, Sega Genesis | |
| 1990 | MS-DOS, Amiga, Mega Drive | |
| Legions of Death | 1987 | Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum | |
| Annals of Rome | 1986 | Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, ZX Spectrum | |
| Legionnaire | 1982 | Apple II, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64 | | |
Works inspired by Roman history, or by works of fiction and non-fiction about Rome
Science fiction
- Empire of the Atom, by A. E. van Vogt, translates Graves' novel about Claudius(above) into a science fiction context.
- The Foundation series by Isaac Asimov, about the fall of a galactic empire, is derived from Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
- Dominic Flandry series by Poul Anderson, a space empire similarly inspired by Gibbon's history (and by Asimov) is decaying and about to collapse into a Long Night of barbarism; a heroic secret agent fights to stave off this fate.
- Julian Comstock by Robert Charles Wilson, about a post-apocalyptic America transformed into a neo-Roman Empire, and a high born youth who, like Julian the Apostate, fights the power of the Church.
- Tarzan and the Lost Empire by Edgar Rice Burroughs, a surviving fragment of the Roman Empire is discovered hidden in a corner of 20th century Africa.
- In Philip K. Dick's VALIS ancient Rome is superimposed over the present (California in the 20th century) and the far future world of The Android Cried Me a River to reveal "the Empire" – a supra- or trans-temporal constant. Furthermore, it is often repeated that the empire never fell. Also the novel's protagonist is described as living in two spacetime-continua with one of the personalities presently living in ancient Rome. Ancient Rome is also described as to breaking through into the modern world and "real time" is speculated as to having ceased in 70 AD with Roman times still being present.[4]
Comic books
- Leading Comics - in the 1940s, a series called "Nero Fox" (about a talking animal named Nero Fox, who was emperor of Rome) was published as a backup series in this comic title.
- Trigan Empire was a Science Fiction comic series telling of adventures on the planet Elekton with many similarities to the Roman Empire
See also
External links
Notes and References
- http://www.stevensaylor.com/ Saylor, Steven. "Steven Saylor website". Retrieved May 16, 2007
- Web site: Someday Never Comes, an Ebook by M.K. Kayem.
- http://www.metacritic.com/ Metacritic Score
- Book: Dick. Philip K.. The VALIS Trilogy. December 2011. HarperCollins . 978-0547867731. 21 July 2015.
