Fiction set in the Roman empire

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The following article Fiction set in the Roman Empire lists all works set in the Middle and Late Roman Republic and in the (Western) Roman Empire but not those set in the city of Rome or Byzantium.

The article lists works only from the Middle Republic when the city-state of Rome began to expand over Italy.

Contents 1 Historical novels listed in chronological order 1.1 Middle Republic 1.2 Late Republic 1.3 Early/High Empire (27 BC to 190 AD) 1.3.1 The Julio-Claudian Dynasty 1.3.2 The Flavian Dynasty 1.3.3 The Nervan-Antonian Dynasty 1.3.4 Middle Empire (191 AD to -- AD), when Diocletian splits the Empire 1.4 Late Empire: West (-457 AD) 1.5 Late Empire: Byzantine (-457 AD) 2 Unknown period 3 Detective fiction 4 Science fiction 5 Science fiction/time travel novels 5.1 Alternate universe fiction 6 Comic books 7 Works inspired by Roman history, or by works of fiction and non-fiction about Rome 7.1 Science fiction inspired by Rome or works about Rome 7.2 Comic books 8 Movies 9 Plays 10 Television 11 Video Games 12 See also 13 References 14 External links

[edit] Historical novels listed in chronological order

[edit] Middle Republic

If you know of works set in the Middle 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 Republican history.^[1]

No works, apart from Saylor's Roma, are known to be set partially or wholly in the Middle Republic. Books about Hannibal, such as David Anthony Durham's Pride of Carthage (2005), do feature Romans from the Middle Republic.

[edit] Late Republic

• Spartacus by Howard Fast
• Spartacus by Lewis Grassic Gibbon
• The Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough.
• The Emperor series by Conn Iggulden, is more alternate history than fictionalized biography in some respects.
• Young Caesar (1958) by Rex Warner
• Pro Caelio by Stephen Ciraolo, possibly based on Cicero's famous speech Pro Caelio defending a friend on various charges.
• Imperium (novel) by Robert Harris, showing Cicero's rise to the consulship in 63 BC; a fictionalized biography told by his slave, later freedman, Tiro
• A Pillar of Iron (1965) by Taylor Caldwell, a fictionalized biography of Cicero.
• Imperial Caesar 1960) also by Rex Warner
• The Ides of March by Thornton Wilder, culminating in Caesar's assassination.

Julius Caesar (play) (16th century) by Shakespeare

• The Last King: Rome's Greatest Enemy (2005) by Michael Curtis Ford
• The Conquered by Naomi Mitchison (1923) Gaul & Gallic Wars 1st century BC
• Beric the Briton: A Story of the Roman Invasion by G. A. Henty (1893)
• The Education of Julius Caesar: A Biography, A Reconstruction by Arthur D. Kahn Schocken Books, New York 1986

[edit] Early/High Empire (27 BC to 190 AD)

• Legion by William Altimari set during the reign of Augustus Caesar, takes place in 11 B.C. battle of the Lupia River
• Centurion: A Novel of Ancient Rome by Peter W. Mitsopoulos set during the reign of Augustus Caesar, takes place in 9A.D., battle of Teutoburg Forest
• The Eagle of the Ninth series by Rosemary Sutcliffe (1954) set in Roman Britain c130 AD
• 68 A.D. by D.G. Bellenger
• The Wall by Paul Tilbury (2007) an account of a soldiers' life in the garrison manning Hadrians' Wall.
• Let the Emperor Speak: A novel of Caesar Augustus by Allan Massie, Doubleday & Company, Inc., New York, 1987 (First published in Great Britain in 1986 by the Bodley Head as AUGUSTUS).

[edit] The Julio-Claudian Dynasty

• Caesar, Anthony, Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula and Nero's Heirs by Allan Massie.

Books about early Christians or the Christ include:

• Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (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
• The Robe (1942), by Lloyd C. Douglas, set in the same period as Ben-Hur; like Ben-Hur, more famous as a film.

• I Am a Barbarian (1967, written 1941) by Edgar Rice Burroughs; the fictionalized memoirs of Caligula's slave.

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:

• Quo Vadis (1895/1896), by Henryk Sienkiewicz set in the reign of Nero in 64 AD.
• A. D. 62: Pompeii by Rebecca East
• A Song for Nero (2003) by Tom Holt, writing as Thomas Holt.

[edit] The Flavian Dynasty

• The Last Days of Pompeii by E.G.Bulwer-Lytton
• Pompeii by Robert Harris, set in the reign of Titus. A film is forthcoming in 2008.

[edit] The Nervan-Antonian Dynasty

• Medicus (2007) by Ruth Downie; debut in a mystery series concerning a military doctor stationed in Britannia.

[edit] Middle Empire (191 AD to -- AD), when Diocletian splits the Empire

• Helena by Evelyn Waugh; follows the quest of the Empress Helena, a Christian and the mother of Emperor Constantine to uncover the remains of the cross upon which Christ was crucified.
• Mémoires d'Hadrien by Marguerite Yourcenar
• Following Hadrian: A Second-Century Journey through the Roman Empire by Elizabeth Speller
• The Last Legion: A Novel by Valerio Massimo Manfredi; fictionalized story of the emperor Valerian and what might have happened to his surviving retinue.
• The Water Thief (2007) by Ben Pastor; in 304 AD the historian to Diocletian investigates the death of Antinous, Hadrian's favored male consort.

[edit] Late Empire: West (-457 AD)

• The Young Julian by Thomas J., Ph.D. Hairston
• Julian (1964 by Gore Vidal, fictionalized biography of the emperor Julian who tried to revive Paganism
• Eagle in the Snow (1970) by Wallace Breem; set in Britannia and Germania in the late 4th and early 5th Century; features a Mithraic Roman general.
• Titus Andronicus (play) (16th century) by Shakespeare, based on a fictional Imperial Roman general fighting the Goths.
• Gods And Legions: A Novel of the Roman Empire (2002) by Michael Curtis Ford
• The Sword of Attila: A Novel of the Last Years of Rome (2005) by Michael Curtis Ford
• The Fall of Rome: A Novel of a World Lost (2007) by Michael Curtis Ford

[edit] Late Empire: Byzantine (-457 AD)

Other books about the Byzantine empire and the Crusades are listed under fiction set in Byzantium

• Count Belisarius (1938), by Robert Graves, set in the 6th century AD, in the reign of Justinian

[edit] Unknown period

• Avventura nel primo secolo by Paolo Monelli
• The Roman (1964) by Mika Waltari
• The Door in the Wall, The Key, The Lock by Benita Kane Jaro
• Sand of the Arena by James Duffy
• The Nero Prediction by Humphry Knipe
• In the Army of Marcus Batallius by David M. Ross
• Gods and Legions: A Novel of The Roman Empire by Michael Curtis Ford
• The Quest For the Lost Roman Legions by Tony Clunn
• Three's Company, Winter Quarters, Conscience of the King, The Little Emperors and Family Favourites by Alfred Duggan
• Domitia & Domitian by David Corson
• Games of Venus by Sylvia Shults
• The Flames of Rome by Paul L. Maier
• Antonia by Brenda Jagger
• The Tribune: A Novel of Ancient Rome by Patrick Larkin
• Hadrian's Wall: A Novel by William Dietrich

[edit] Detective fiction

• The Roma Sub Rosa series (1991-2005) by Steven Saylor, starts with Roman Blood (1991); the books cover the period 80 BC to 48 BC.
• The Marcus Didius Falco series by Lindsey Davis, starts with The Silver Pigs; set in the reign of Vespasian.
• The SPQR series by John Maddox Roberts.
• The Germanicus Mosaic series by Rosemary Rowe - set in Roman Britain.
• The I, Claudia series of novels by Marilyn Todd featuring her picaresque heroine Claudia Seferius
• The Publius Aurelius series by Danila Comastri Montanari
• The Eagle series by Simon Scarrow
• The Marcus Corvinus series by David Wishart
• Roman Justice: SPQR: Too Roman To Handle, by Anne Hart
• The Roman Mysteries young adults' detective/drama series by Caroline Lawrence
• The Caius Trilogy by German author Henry Winterfeld: Caius ist ein Dummkopf (Caius is an Idiot); Caius geht ein Licht auf (Caius has an Inspiration), and Caius in der Klemme (Caius in a Fix). The first part was published in English with the alternate title Detectives in Togas. The second was published in English with the alternate title Mystery of the Roman Ransom.
• The Third Princess: A Septimus Severus Quistus Roman Mystery by Philip Boast

[edit] Science fiction

[edit] Science fiction/time travel novels

• Caesar's Bicycle (1997) (Timeline Wars series) by John Barnes
• Household Gods (1999), by Judith Tarr and Harry Turtledove set in the reign of Marcus Aurelius

[edit] Alternate universe fiction

The following alternate history novels are set in fictional universes prior to the present day.

• Lest Darkness Fall (1939 by L. Sprague de Camp; time-travel and alternate history set in 535 AD.
• Agent of Byzantium by Harry Turtledove set in an alternate 14th century with no Islam.
• Hannibal's Children and its sequel The Seven Hills by John Maddox Roberts

The following alternate history story is set in a fictional universe prior to the present day

• "Delenda Est" (1955) by Poul Anderson; now available in Guardians of Time (1960 and 1985) editions); Rome defeated by Carthage in the Second Punic War and what follows.

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
• The Germanicus trilogy, a collection of books by Kirk Mitchell.
• Orbis (novel) (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.

[edit] Comic books

• Asterix series by René Goscinny (stories) and Albert Uderzo (illustrations)

[edit] Works inspired by Roman history, or by works of fiction and non-fiction about Rome

[edit] Science fiction inspired by Rome or works about Rome

• Empire of the Atom, by A. E. van Vogt, translates Graves' novel (above) into a science fiction context
• The Foundation series by Isaac Asimov is derived from Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.

[edit] Comic books

• Leading Comics - in the 1940s, a series called "Nero Fox" (about a funny animal fox 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

[edit] Movies

• Quo Vadis - U.S. 1951 director Mervyn LeRoy
• The Robe - U.S. 1953 director Henry Koster
• Demetrius and the Gladiators - U.S. 1954 director Delmer Daves (sequel to The Robe)
• Jupiter's Darling - U.S. 1955 director George Sidney, based on a play by Robert Sherwood
• Ben-Hur U.S. 1959
• Spartacus - U.S. 1960 director Stanley Kubrick
• Cleopatra - U.S. 1963 director Joseph L. Mankiewicz
• The Fall of the Roman Empire - U.S. 1964 director Anthony Mann
• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum - U.S. 1966 director Richard Lester
• Satyricon - Italy 1970 director Federico Fellini
• Caligula - U.S. 1979 director Tinto Brass
• History of the World Part 1 - U.S. 1981 director Mel Brooks
• Gladiator - U.S. 2000 director Ridley Scott
• Quo Vadis - Polish/U.S. 2001 director Jerzy Kawalerowicz, remake of 1951 film

[edit] Plays

• Joseph Addison
  • Cato
• Albert Camus
  • Caligula
• Henrik Ibsen
  • Emperor and Galilean
• Ben Jonson
  • Sejanus, His Fall
• Heinrich von Kleist
  • Die Hermannsschlacht
• William Shakespeare
  • Titus Andronicus
  • Julius Caesar
  • Antony and Cleopatra
  • Coriolanus
  • Cymbeline
• Robert Sherwood
  • The Road to Rome (1927), on which a little-known 1955 film Jupiter's Darling was based.
• Stephen Sondheim
  • A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

[edit] Television

• I, Claudius
• Mystery Science Theater 3000 (part of season 8)
• Up Pompeii!
• The Roman Holidays
• Rome
• Spartacus miniseries by Robert Dornhelm (director)
• Pompeii: The Last Day a dramatized documentary
• Julius Caesar minisieries by Uli Edel

[edit] Video Games

• Rome: Total War
• Rome: Pathway to Power
• The Caesar video games series
• Centurion: Defender of Rome
• Legion Arena
• Circus Maximus: Chariot Wars
• Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance
• Spartan: Total Warrior

[edit] See also

• Fiction set in Ancient Greece

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Fictional Rome
• The Detective and the Toga - Roman mysteries