Literary Rome - Republic and Empire • March 2020 - Page 2

sun surfer · 03-05-2020, 12:31 AM

Ah, okay. Sorry, I hadn't checked the availability on some of the ones I didn't nominate.

Bookworm_Girl · 03-05-2020, 12:37 AM

My third nomination is another book that I already own and someday intend to read! Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff.

From Goodreads:

Quote:

The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer brings to life the most intriguing woman in the history of the world: Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt.

Her palace shimmered with onyx, garnets, and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Above all else, Cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator.

Though her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world. She was married twice, each time to a brother. She waged a brutal civil war against the first when both were teenagers. She poisoned the second. Ultimately she dispensed with an ambitious sister as well; incest and assassination were family specialties. Cleopatra appears to have had sex with only two men. They happen, however, to have been Julius Caesar and Mark Antony, among the most prominent Romans of the day. Both were married to other women. Cleopatra had a child with Caesar and–after his murder–three more with his protégé. Already she was the wealthiest ruler in the Mediterranean; the relationship with Antony confirmed her status as the most influential woman of the age. The two would together attempt to forge a new empire, in an alliance that spelled their ends. Cleopatra has lodged herself in our imaginations ever since.

Bookworm_Girl · 03-05-2020, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sun surfer

Ah, okay. Sorry, I hadn't checked the availability on some of the ones I didn't nominate.

Thanks for sharing your other ideas! They were inspirational certainly. They were very interesting and worth considering for my never-ending TBR list.

Bookworm_Girl · 03-05-2020, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sun surfer

Fire From Heaven by Mary Renault (about the young Alexander)

Mary Renault is another author on my TBR list that I intend to read someday. Thanks for highlighting this one. It looks good!

sun surfer · 03-05-2020, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

Thanks for sharing your other ideas! They were inspirational certainly. They were very interesting and worth considering for my never-ending TBR list.

Definitely! I was already preparing them to post when I saw your reply about having a hard time finding nominations so I thought I'd go ahead and post just in case it helped. I know for me I like seeing everyone's nominations and ideas and enjoy looking into all of them.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

Mary Renault is another author on my TBR list that I intend to read someday. Thanks for highlighting this one. It looks good!

Yes, I've also wanted to read her for a long time now too; specifically I've had The Charioteer on my list for awhile but many of her books look good.

sun surfer · 03-05-2020, 09:25 PM

Nominations are complete and voting is now open!

Voting will close exactly four days from this post.

Each person has EIGHT votes to use.

Bookworm_Girl · 03-05-2020, 11:18 PM

An interesting selection. It is going to be a very unique month with this topic!

drofgnal · 03-06-2020, 06:03 AM

I've read Steven Saylor's Roma, which was quite good. He's well versed in Roman history. I also thoroughly enjoyed Quo Vadis. A great book I read as an Easter selection a few years ago.

AnotherCat · 03-06-2020, 04:56 PM

I went through quite some mental gymnastics trying to come up with nominations for this one. I thought first of the classical writers hoping to come up with something very readable similar to how Spinnenmonat's A True Story by Lucian last year was. But everything I looked at was either very long, read clunkerly, and most fictional were in verse (which I steer clear of

).

Then there were things like the Iliad and The Odyssey which, while older stories, were (I think) first written down during the Republic era but which version, verse or prose, or which of the myriad translators who have had a go at them.

I remembered really enjoying Lloyd C. Douglas's The Robe and The Big Fisherman many years ago (they are on my list for a reread, one day

) and I think The Robe was one of the most popular novels ever last century but even though I am not religious myself I thought the tie in during the life of Jesus may have been a bit touchy.

So took the nasty short cut of basing my nominations on the movies and TV versions I had seen (and which were on my reading list).

But the total list looks very interesting; choices, choices, choices.

AnotherCat · 03-07-2020, 07:28 PM

From me:

2 I, Claudius - Robert Graves
2 Cleopatra - Stacy Schiff
2 Agrippa’s Daughter - Howard Fast
1 Salammbô - Gustave Flaubert
1 Spartacus - Howard Fast

sun surfer · 03-08-2020, 12:44 AM

I've sampled them all and, per usual, I don't have a strong preference nor any I don't want to win. I guess I'm a little hesitant of the longest ones after we just had a month with a long selection, but I surprised myself and have already finished that one, so I think I'm up for tackling whatever this month.

My decision on what not to support is twofold. There are two Fast books, so I decided I'd choose one of those to not receive a vote. Also, I'm familiar with the Spartacus story, although if it wins I'll be happy to read the book. I'm also familiar with Julius Caesar but I haven't read Shakespeare in forever and have never read this one (though I've seen it performed) and I've been wanting to get back to reading him at some point. I'm also somewhat familiar with Cleopatra but only on a very surface level- mostly her time with Mark Antony and Caesar and her famous ending. So, it'd be interesting to actually read about what her entire life was like.

As for Spartacus, I've seen the old film, as well as some of the 21st century television series. The film was 50 years before the series, yet the Spartacus of the series sadly passed away before the Spartacus of the film (although Mr. Douglas has, of course, passed not that long ago now too).

1 to The Eagle of the Ninth
1 to Roman Blood
1 to I, Claudius
1 to Quo Vadis
1 to Salammbô
1 to Agrippa's Daughter
1 to Julius Caesar
1 to Cleopatra

sun surfer · 03-08-2020, 03:06 PM

It's noticeable to me that while we didn't nominate anything written during the Roman Empire or Republic, we did nominate books from eight(!) very diverse decades.

Also while I love all our topics, it's interesting to see a month here or there where the nominations end up more thematically cohesive so thanks to astrangerhere for the idea and AnotherCat for the topic.

Bookworm_Girl · 03-08-2020, 03:25 PM

I will do my research today on the choices and post my votes later. I don’t have any strong preferences.

Bookworm_Girl · 03-09-2020, 01:41 AM

Here are my votes:

2 I, Claudius - Robert Graves
2 Cleopatra - Stacy Schiff
2 Agrippa’s Daughter - Howard Fast
1 Roman Blood - Stephen Saylor
1 Salammbô - Gustave Flaubert

sun surfer · 03-10-2020, 12:42 AM

Et tu, March?

Initial voting is complete and we have a three-way tie between:

-I, Claudius
-Agrippa's Daughter
-Cleopatra

Run-off voting is now open!

Voting will close exactly TWO DAYS from this post.

Each person has TWO votes to use.

If the run-off ends in a tie, the selection that received all its votes first will win.

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03-05-2020, 12:31 AM	#16
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44637926 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	Ah, okay. Sorry, I hadn't checked the availability on some of the ones I didn't nominate.

03-05-2020, 09:25 PM	#21
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44637926 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	Nominations are complete and voting is now open! Voting will close exactly four days from this post. Each person has EIGHT votes to use.

03-05-2020, 11:18 PM	#22
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,871 Karma: 36507503 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	An interesting selection. It is going to be a very unique month with this topic!

03-06-2020, 06:03 AM	#23
drofgnal Wizard Posts: 1,228 Karma: 7838248 Join Date: Dec 2009 Device: Ipad Pro/Kindle Oasis 3/iPhone 13 Pro Max	I've read Steven Saylor's Roma, which was quite good. He's well versed in Roman history. I also thoroughly enjoyed Quo Vadis. A great book I read as an Easter selection a few years ago.

03-06-2020, 04:56 PM	#24
AnotherCat .... Posts: 1,547 Karma: 18068960 Join Date: May 2012 Device: ....	I went through quite some mental gymnastics trying to come up with nominations for this one. I thought first of the classical writers hoping to come up with something very readable similar to how Spinnenmonat's A True Story by Lucian last year was. But everything I looked at was either very long, read clunkerly, and most fictional were in verse (which I steer clear of ). Then there were things like the Iliad and The Odyssey which, while older stories, were (I think) first written down during the Republic era but which version, verse or prose, or which of the myriad translators who have had a go at them. I remembered really enjoying Lloyd C. Douglas's The Robe and The Big Fisherman many years ago (they are on my list for a reread, one day ) and I think The Robe was one of the most popular novels ever last century but even though I am not religious myself I thought the tie in during the life of Jesus may have been a bit touchy. So took the nasty short cut of basing my nominations on the movies and TV versions I had seen (and which were on my reading list). But the total list looks very interesting; choices, choices, choices.

03-07-2020, 07:28 PM	#25
AnotherCat .... Posts: 1,547 Karma: 18068960 Join Date: May 2012 Device: ....	From me: 2 I, Claudius - Robert Graves 2 Cleopatra - Stacy Schiff 2 Agrippa’s Daughter - Howard Fast 1 Salammbô - Gustave Flaubert 1 Spartacus - Howard Fast

03-08-2020, 12:44 AM	#26
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44637926 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	I've sampled them all and, per usual, I don't have a strong preference nor any I don't want to win. I guess I'm a little hesitant of the longest ones after we just had a month with a long selection, but I surprised myself and have already finished that one, so I think I'm up for tackling whatever this month. My decision on what not to support is twofold. There are two Fast books, so I decided I'd choose one of those to not receive a vote. Also, I'm familiar with the Spartacus story, although if it wins I'll be happy to read the book. I'm also familiar with Julius Caesar but I haven't read Shakespeare in forever and have never read this one (though I've seen it performed) and I've been wanting to get back to reading him at some point. I'm also somewhat familiar with Cleopatra but only on a very surface level- mostly her time with Mark Antony and Caesar and her famous ending. So, it'd be interesting to actually read about what her entire life was like. As for Spartacus, I've seen the old film, as well as some of the 21st century television series. The film was 50 years before the series, yet the Spartacus of the series sadly passed away before the Spartacus of the film (although Mr. Douglas has, of course, passed not that long ago now too). 1 to The Eagle of the Ninth 1 to Roman Blood 1 to I, Claudius 1 to Quo Vadis 1 to Salammbô 1 to Agrippa's Daughter 1 to Julius Caesar 1 to Cleopatra

03-08-2020, 03:06 PM	#27
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44637926 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	It's noticeable to me that while we didn't nominate anything written during the Roman Empire or Republic, we did nominate books from eight(!) very diverse decades. Also while I love all our topics, it's interesting to see a month here or there where the nominations end up more thematically cohesive so thanks to astrangerhere for the idea and AnotherCat for the topic.

03-08-2020, 03:25 PM	#28
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,871 Karma: 36507503 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	I will do my research today on the choices and post my votes later. I don’t have any strong preferences.

03-09-2020, 01:41 AM	#29
Bookworm_Girl E-reader Enthusiast Posts: 4,871 Karma: 36507503 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southwest, USA Device: Kindle Oasis 3; Kobo Aura One; iPad Mini 5	Here are my votes: 2 I, Claudius - Robert Graves 2 Cleopatra - Stacy Schiff 2 Agrippa’s Daughter - Howard Fast 1 Roman Blood - Stephen Saylor 1 Salammbô - Gustave Flaubert

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03-10-2020, 12:42 AM	#30
sun surfer languorous autodidact ✦ Posts: 4,235 Karma: 44637926 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: smiling with the rising sun Device: onyx boox poke 2 colour, kindle voyage	Et tu, March? Initial voting is complete and we have a three-way tie between: -I, Claudius -Agrippa's Daughter -Cleopatra Run-off voting is now open! Voting will close exactly TWO DAYS from this post. Each person has TWO votes to use. If the run-off ends in a tie, the selection that received all its votes first will win.