The second round of the aedile elections takes place on the Field of Mars Marcus Cicero is victorious against all the odds.

I know it’s fiction, but the facts are there: the pillaging of Sicily by Verres, the attempted coup by Cataline, the manoeuvrings of Crassus, Pompey and Caesar, and then finally (for Cicero) the short lived Antony and Octavian pact. stars—Harris has the rare gift of using a compelling fictional narrative to breathe new life into the well-trodden history of the final days of the Roman Republic. The first sees Cicero take on a corrupt governor of Sicily as he builds a case against the man and the reader is introduced to the brutality of Roman law and punishment (“miles and miles of crucifixions”) and the showdown in the courtroom. Still, I have mixed feelings about the blurb claim on the front cover, that it is ”one of the great triumphs of contemporary historical literature”: if you open it believing that you’ll probably be disappointed. To fund his case and also his aedile election campaign, Cicero is obliged once more to borrow money from Terentia.The occasional scene perked up my interest: mostly anything with Caesar, and Harris did surprise me in that regard. There is a conspiracy to take down the Republic and create an absolute ruler, an Emperor, which we know will be Julius Caesar, and so there is endless discussions over elections, bribing voters, legal discussions of ruling, and so on that become the main focus of this second part. But the path to becoming the famous orator we now know is strewn with dangerous men who would see a high-minded lawyer dead in a ditch to get what they want. By the end, Cicero's soaring oratory is the only force left against those powers moving to snuff out Roman freedom for ever. A wonderful way to learn about Ancient Rome, Cicero, and all the people and events that impacted Cicero's life .

Other kindle readers may also find too late that there is a glossary and cast of characters at the end. Whilst staying at the family farm, news arrives that Rome is threatened by pirates and Cicero is invited to attend a council of war held at Pompey's country estate. At Books2Door, we believe that reading is a fundamental skill that every child should have to help improve their vocabulary, grammar, and critical thinking skills.

A theatrical adaptation of the trilogy by Mike Poulton was performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company in the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon in 2017, and transferred to the Gielgud Theatre in London in 2018. For anyone who like me in his youth read the Catilinarian Orations in Latin, in particular the book dedicated to that struggle is a very amusing and pleasing read.

This would normally be a turnoff right from the get-go, as I prefer as a reader to get right in the head of the main protagonist instead of viewing them through a filter, but Harris’s use of Tiro is very effective. Je moet je hoofd er echt bijhouden want door de vele personages, gebeurtenissen en politiek gekronkel raakte ik de draad soms even kwijt.Still, Harris’ portrait of Cicero remains captivating and convincing and he brings Ancient Rome to life very skilfully.