The Gates of Rome
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| First edition cover | |
| Author | Conn Iggulden |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Series | Emperor series |
| Genre(s) | Historical novel |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Released | 6 January 2003 |
| Media Type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 416 pp (first edition, hardback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-00-713689-7 (first edition, hardback) & ISBN 0-00-713690-0 (paperback edition) |
| Followed by | The Death of Kings |
The Gates Of Rome is the first novel in the Emperor series, written by author Conn Iggulden. The series is historical fiction following the life of Julius Caesar.
[edit] Plot introduction
The first book in the series introduces two young Romans: Gaius (Gaius Julius Caesar), son of a senator and born of noble-blood, and blood-friend Marcus (Marcus Brutus), son of a high-class prostitute (Servilia Caepionis).
[edit] Plot summary
It tells of the harsh realities of life in the Ancient Rome, not only for the nobilitas but also for the slave population, who revolt and kill Gaius' father during a siege on their villa.
As the two boys begin their careers (Gaius as a senator and Marcus as Legionnaire), a political war is being played out in the senate, between two powerful Generals: Cornelius Sulla and Gaius' uncle Gaius Marius.
[edit] Literary significance & criticism
At times, Iggulden drifts away from historical accuracy for the purposes of storytelling, although he does explain his reason in an Historical Note at the end of the book. His main defence is that we don't have enough historical information especially of Caesar's childhood but still he makes huge compromises. For example in his book Caesar is the only child, when actullally he had 2 sisters and brother.
The tagline on the front of the paperback version of Gates of Rome read:
"If you liked Gladiator you'll love Emperor" - Sunday Times
This loose association with the hugely popular film Gladiator, along with excellent reviews, helped Gates of Rome reach number two in the Sunday Times Best-seller list.
