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Out of gainful employment as the American educational system phases Latin out of the curriculum, a teacher devoted to the classics retires to a small Italian town to live out his days among those that share his fondness for the ancient tongue. An accidental discovery by his dog leads to an unearthing of a series of ancient documents, each preserved masterfully and serving as lost records belonging to Gaius Asinius Pollio, a historian and officer under the great Caesar. Using these records, the fictional protagonist named after the author himself translates and weaves a tale of the great Roman general that offers a more personal insight than the average history book.
Grounded firmly in historical facts, this book follows Caesar's conquests and exploits, beginning with his life at age 18 to his death on the Ides of March, 44 BC. Caesar's rise to power is briefly established before the bulk of the narrative follows the end of his Civil War conflict with Pompey the Great and the time he and his men spent in Alexandria. Resolving that city's own Civil War between Cleopatra and her brother, Ptolemy XIV, Caesar is enamored by the Hellenic tradition and the magnificent scope of the city and its amenities, as well as the charms of the queen of Egypt. In pursuit of knowledge, romance, and the expansion of Rome, Caesar spends much time in Alexandria, quelling the uprisings of the people and seeking to reverse injustices done to his fellow Romans.
Caesar returns to Rome victorious and more popular than ever, though the conservative old senators who disapprove of Caesar's liberal actions are growing increasingly intolerant of the general. As Caesar's progressive policies and military victories make him tremendously popular among the majority of Romans, his enemies are quickly plotting his demise. Trying to keep his enemies closer than his friends, Caesar's efforts take him across Italy, to Africa, and then Spain as he leads his soldiers against those who seek to defy him, despite the growing cadre of senators-turned-assassins waiting for his return to Rome. The story ends as history tells it, with Caesar's last appearance in the Senate before embarking to new frontiers for the European world, and his assassination by the group of his enemies who can tolerate his actions no longer.
Though this is strictly speaking a work of fiction, the bulk of the story is rooted in fact, has plenty of research behind it, and even includes quoted speeches by Cicero. What makes it fictional is that it attempts to add a third dimension to Caesar by filling in the gaps between what history accounts for and the daily doings of a man in a position of supreme power. Readers will see Caesar as a contemplative, intellectual, compassionate man, with a black sense of humor and a motivation not to cement his own legacy, but to make Rome as great as it could possibly become.
The author, a retired attorney, is no doubt familiar with his fair share of Latin, and that passion for the language, history, and culture translates into taking well-known historical accounts and adding humanity to them. Caesar's conquests and absolute victories are balanced by his humility, making him a natural protagonist. Even in those ancient times, this book paints Caesar ultimately as a civil servant, who despite rising to dictatorship and absolute rule is interested solely in the elevation of his country and its people. The tragic ending is all too familiar for history buffs or fans of Shakespeare, but also has its own unique twist in this book.
Purists of history may have their nitpicks about the minor liberties taken by the author in terms of dialogue or fictional entertainment, but the attention to historical detail and the research put into this story should cleanly balance against most of those concerns. Aside from being a quality read, the author has created a tale that is still politically relevant as it is historical, in that it presents the reader with a man granted among the greatest of powers, and yet he uses them responsibly and carefully. The balance of fact and fiction make this book fascinating and engaging simultaneously, bringing a man over 2,000 years old new life after so many years.
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