This book is about the youth of Gaius Julius Caesar and Marcus Brutus. They grow up together, sharing a deep friendship, and getting into trouble as a pair. As they grow older, Gaius' father hires a famous ex-gladiator to train them, which he does with plenty of abuse. When the ex-gladiator wounds Gaius, it is Marcus who takes revenge.
Gaius' father is killed in a slave revolt, and Gaius assumes his adult name of Julius. He goes to his uncle for help, and the two boys become more involved in Roman politics. Julius lives a life of luxury, while Marcus leaves Rome to join a legion. It ends after a battle defending Rome itself; which, of course, Julius is involved in. The ending then sets up the next book in the series.
As a novel, it's an excellent book. There's warfare, politics, romance, and intrigue. Iggulden has created a very believable world. If you have studied the period you will doubtless find inaccuracies, but for the average reader it gives a convincing impression of what life in Ancient Rome might be like. The two main characters are perhaps the best part of the book. Both are human, well-rounded characters that it is easy to grow attached to. They grow during the book, from boys to men, and it's fascinating to read how that happens - for example, I got a little shiver down my spine the first time Gaius called himself Julius Caesar!
However, there are some significant historical inaccuracies, and if you have any knowledge of this time period you may find them off-putting. In real life, Brutus was 15 years younger than Caesar - instead of being almost brothers, there have been suggestions that Caesar was Brutus's father! And although Brutus's mother was Caesar's mistress, she was not a prostiture as claimed in the book. Several dates of events have been changed, Caesar's siblings don't exist, and timelines have been shifted around to suit Iggulden's plot.
I would recommend, unless you will be bothered by the historical accuracy. If you would be, I think you might find this book impossible to enjoy.
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The Gates of Rome (Emperor)
The first volume of a sequence of novels about Julius Caesar, The Gates of Rome is at its
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best in its scenes of gruelling training in swordplay and dirty fighting. Iggulden's Caesar is more or less fated from the start by his circumstances to be a gift...
best in its scenes of gruelling training in swordplay and dirty fighting. Iggulden's Caesar is more or less fated from the start by his circumstances to be a gift...
