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Reference Books & Recommended
Books on Rome
All of the books listed have been used in preparing this
site. I personally own and have read (unless otherwise noted) every book listed here. If you are interested in
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Books on Ancient
Rome
Rome, the Biography of a City, Author - Christopher
Hibbert
  Authors Note: "Although this book is intended to be an introduction to
the history of Rome and of the social life of its people from the days of the Etruscan kings to those of Mussolini,
I have tried at the same time to make it, in some sense, a guide book." This is an excellent book covering
Rome's 3000 year history.
The Chronicle of the Roman Emperors
 This book gives a reign by reign record of the rulers of Imperial
Rome from Augustus to Constantine. It contains timelines with visual guides to the length of each reign and the
main events that occurred. Genealogical trees and over 90 sidebars and special features ranging from Nero's Golden
House to Diocletian's Palase. 328 illustrations, 111 in color, maps and battle plans, cutaway diagrams of imperial
monuments.
The Penquin Historical Atlas of Ancient Rome - Christopher
Scarre
 Clear graphics and informative text, this atlas gives a fine overview
of Roman history from the emergence of the first city-state in the eighth century BCE to the rise of Christianity
a 1000 years later. Contains over 60 full color maps and over 80 illustrations in color and black and white.
Myths of the Greeks and Romans - Michael Grant
 A fascinating study of the great myths of the ancient Greeks and
Romans and their impact on the creative arts through the ages. Contains over 60 illustrations. Michael Grant is
one of the world's greatest classical scholars.
The Roman conquest of Italy - Jean-Michel David,
Antonia Nevill
 How did Rome begin? This is an account of the turbulent centuries
in which the forces of Rome subdued the peoples of Italy and created by the end of the first century BC, a unified
Italian state of Roman citizens. The book opens with a description of the peoples of Italy at around the end of
the 4th century BC.
Books on Modern Rome
Eyewitness Travel Guides:Rome
 Part
of the popular Eyewitness guides. This book gives section by section detailed information and descriptions of one
of the greatest cities on earth. The illustrations are fantastic.
Baedeker's Rome
 Baedeker
guides have over 150 years of experience in travel information guides. This particular book gives concise descriptions
of the city. The information is easy to find as it is listed in alphabetical order.
Knopf Guide Rome
 Knopf
guides are unique. They contain information not found in other travel guides. Particularly interesting is the flora
and fauna of a city. The illustrations are really beautiful.
Historical Fiction set in Ancient
Rome
If you like mysteries, you'll love Steven Saylor's series.
There are currently 7 books in the series. It really helps to read them in the order they were written, although
it is not imperative for you to do so. I have read the first five. The historical accuracy is wonderful. If you
want to be entertained and learn about ancient Rome, read these books. They are listed in order of publication.
I will quote excerpts.
Roman Blood
 On
an unseasonably warm spring morning in 80 BC, Gordianus the Finder is summoned to the house of Cicero, a young
advocate and orator who is preparing for his first important case. His client is an Umbrian landowner, one Sextus
Roscius, accused of the unforgivable: the murder of his own father.
Arms of Nemesis
 South
of Rome on the Gulf of Puteoli stand the splendid villa of Marcus Crassus, Rome's wealthiest citizen. When the
estate overseer is murdered, Crassus concludes that the deed was done by two missing slaves, who have probably
run off to join the Spartacan slave revolt. Unless they are found within five days, Crassus vows to massacre the
remaining 99 slaves. To Gordianus the Finder falls the fateful task of resolving this riddle from Hades.
Catalina's Riddle
 When
Gordianus the Finder deserts the fierce intrigues of Rome for domesticity on an Etruscan farm, his brilliant patron,
the orator Cicero, draws him back with a curious proposal: keep Catilina, Cicero's radical rival, under a watchful
eye. Reluctantly Gordianus complies, and soon, despite himself, becomes attracted by the notorious populist politician.
The Venus Throw
 On
a chill January evening in 56 BC, two strange visitors to Rome, an Egyptian ambassador and a eunuch priest, seek
out Gordianus the Finder whose specialty is solving murders. But the ambassador, a philosopher named Dio, has come
to ask for something Gordianus cannot give, help in staying alive. Before the night is out, he will be murdered.
A Murder on the Appian Way
 Torchlight
flickers on elegant marble walls. The sound of a mob echoes in the streets. The year is 52 BC and the naked body
of Publius Clodius is about to be carried through the teeming streets of Rome. Clodius, a rich man turned rabble-rouser,
was slain on the most splendid road in the world, the Appian Way. Now Clodius's rival, Milo, is being targeted
for revenge, and the city teeters on the verge of chaos.
The House of the Vestals
 It
is Ancient Rome, and Gordianus the Finder has a knack for finding trouble. Stalking about the city's twisting trails
looking for clues and finding bodies, Gordianus has had his share of misadventure with nobles and slaves alike.
Known to many as the one man in the ancient world who can both keep a secret and uncover one, Gordianus has stories
to tell.
Rubicon
 This
is Rome in the grip of civil war. Just as news arrives that Julius Caesar, having conquered Gaul, has crossed the
Rubicon and has taken the city, Gordianus the Finder encounters a corpse in his own home. The strangled victim
is Numerius Pompeius, a cousin of the proconsul Pompey the Great.
This is the Masters of Rome series by Colleen McCullough. I
have only read the first one. But I own the rest and look forward to reading them as soon as I have some time.
Again, they should be read in the order they were written. The research and historical accuracy is phenomenal.
They are listed in order of publication. I have used the synopsis from the books.
The First Man in Rome
 It is New Year's day of 110 BC, and two of the latest in a long line
of noble mediocrities are assuming the coveted mantle of consul. But among those watching are two very different
men, men whose vision, ruthlessness, and courage will force shattering change upon the Roman Republic. One of these
two men is Marius, a wealthy rustic barred by his low birth from grasping his prophesied destiny, to become the
First Man in Rome. The second is Sulla, handsome and debauched scion of an impeccably aristocratic house. The First
Man in Rome will fascinate readers with its richness and accuracy of historical detail, a fitting background for
characters who are themselves historic.
The Grass Crown
 The
career of Gaius Marius, victorious general and six time consul of Rome, is in decline. But the aging Marius seeks
an unprecedented seventh consulship, setting him at odds with the brilliant, tormented Lucius Cornelius Sulla,
once Marius's valued right-hand man, now his most dangerous rival. Against a backdrop of civil war, massacre, and
conspiracy these two men vie for political dominance, and must also contend with forces that threaten Rome's very
survival: rebellion in the neighboring Italian states and the machinations of a barbaric Eastern conqueror.
Fortune's Favorites
 The
events of Fortune's Favorites are dominated by the last years of the great general Sulla, and by Pompey, the young
scion of an enormously powerful rural family. This is the story of Sulla's return from exile, his installation
as dictator, and his startling self-imposed retirement. It details the rise of Pompey, who designates himself Magnus
("the Great") at the age of 22, and determines then to leapfrog over the traditional milestones to Roman
political pre-eminence by any means necessary.
Caesar's Women
 Caesar's
Women is the story of Gaius Julius Caesar's rise to prominence in his world, beginning with his return to Rome
in 68 BC as he prepares to dominate a new battlefield, the Roman Forum. The wars he fights within it are waged
with words, plots, schemes, and metaphorical assassination. Today's ally may be tomorrow's foe; everything shifts
and changes within this political arena. But Caesar sets out to prove that he is the master of this battlefield
too, one he shares with other men whose names have lasted down the centuries, names like Cicero and Pompey the
Great.
Caesar
 It
is 54 BC Gaius Julius Caesar is sweeping through Gaul, crushing the fierce, long-haired warrior-kings who stand
in his way. His victories in the name of Rome are epic, but the leaders of the Republic are not pleased, they are
terrified. Where will the boundless ambition of Rome's most brilliant soldier stop? He must be destroyed before
he can overthrow the government and install himself as Dictator.
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