The October Horse

For the ancient Roman ritual, see October Horse.
The October Horse

First UK edition cover
Author Colleen McCullough
Country Australia
Language English
Series Masters of Rome series
Genre Historical novel
Publisher Century
Publication date
7 November 2002
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages 608 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN 0-7126-8056-X (first edition, hardback)
OCLC 59462504
Preceded by Caesar
Followed by Antony and Cleopatra

The October Horse is the sixth novel in Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series.

Plot introduction

The book begins with Gaius Julius Caesar's Egyptian campaign in Alexandria, his final battles with the Republicans led by Metellus Scipio, Cato the Younger, Titus Labienus and the brothers Pompeius in Africa and Spain, and ultimately Caesar's assassination on the Ides of March by Marcus Brutus, Gaius Cassius and the Liberators. The latter stages of The October Horse chronicle the death of Cicero, the emergence of Octavian and his battles with Mark Antony, and conclude with the Battle of Philippi.

Explanation of the novel's title

For more details on this topic, see October Horse.

The title of the book comes from a peculiar chariot race in Rome on the Ides of October, after which the right-hand horse of the winning team was sacrificed to the Roman gods. Then two teams, one from the Subura and the other from the Via Sacra, competed for the Horse's head. Julius Caesar, figuratively the best war horse in Rome, represents the October Horse in this novel.

Characters in The October Horse

Notable historical figures

Release details


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