Ancient Roman Fiction

If you want to discover the captivating history of Romania and Vlad the Impaler, then pay attention.

Captured centaurs and satyrs, incompetent seers, people who suddenly change sex, a woman who remembers too much, a man who cannot laugh—these are just some of the colorful characters who feature in the unforgettable stories that ancient Greeks and Romans told in their daily lives. Together they created an incredibly rich body of popular oral stories that include, but range well beyond, mythology—from heroic legends, fairy tales, and fables to ghost stories, urban legends, and jokes. This unique anthology presents the largest collection of these tales ever assembled.

Cleopatra lies asleep. Harmachis looks down at the most gorgeous woman he had ever seen. For a moment, Harmachis aches with grief because he has to kill a thing so lovely! This novel, first published in 1889, is an adventure story set in the Ptolemaic era of ancient Egypt. The Egyptian priesthood attempts to overthrow Queen Cleopatra in order to drive out the Romans and restore Egypt to a golden age.

This reissue of the 1919 classic combines the immortal stories from Homer's Iliad and Odyssey into one glorious saga of heroism and magical adventure. Beloved by generations, Padraic Colum's masterful retelling of these epic adventures is remarkably fresh, consistently spellbinding, and unmatched for its richness and poetry.

'Impressive to an astounding extent' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review 'Impossible to put down' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review 'A fascinating story: authentic, action-packed and full of humour' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review 'The bone crunching, blood letting and all our fury of ancient warfare is...

Step into a world of adventure, bravery, and wonder with this captivating collection of mythology for kids! Perfect for young explorers aged 8-12, this book brings together the timeless tales of Greek, Norse, and Egyptian mythology in one exciting volume.

It is 50BC and Caesar winters with his legions in the north - all Gaul conquered but a triumphant return to Rome denied him by the senate who seek his blood. Yet unrest stirs in unknown lands, as the tribes of mountainous Aquitania rise under a terrifying new leader and drive out their Roman occupiers. Marcus Falerius Fronto, exiled from Rome, seeks out his former commander in an effort to build a future and soon finds himself in command of a most unusual legion with a remit to restore peace in Aquitania.

In all of Roman history there was never a more turbulent year than A.D. 69, the ill-omened "Year of the Three Emperors". By some miracle, the greatest historian of the age, Tacitus, was able to chronicle those momentous events in a work he called The History. In its pages are some of the most memorable events of Roman history described in some of the most intensely passionate prose ever devised.

From Sunday Times best-selling author Ben Kane comes a collection of short stories.

A bloody revolt by a North African prince and a plot to seize control of Rome are the subjects of two short masterpieces of ancient history by the illustrious Roman chronicler, Sallust. He could not have chosen two more dramatic episodes in the long history of this city.

*LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 CAROL SHIELDS PRIZE FOR FICTION* An epic, boundary-pushing tale of five young women rebelling against an era that relies on their submission, from the acclaimed author of Etta and Otto and Russell and James. During the golden age of the Roman Empire, five girls enjoy a...

Hannibal was a great and skillful general who defeated the Romans at Trebia, Lake Trasimenus, and Cannae, and all but took Rome.

Honor is secondary to survival. Reeling from their losses at Callinicum, the Roman army has repulsed the Persians from Mesopotamia, but at horrendous cost. Belisarius’ improbable triumph at Dara is cast aside by a vengeful legate, condemning Constantinople’s vaunted general to ignominious imprisonment. With his last order, Belisarius pleads with Varus to lead the army to safety and to bring peace to a shattered land.

After years of service to Rome, Quintus Sertorius has exchanged the bloodshed of the battlefield for the tranquility of his farm. He dedicates himself to his pregnant wife with the same vigor he displayed in the legion. But soon the bells of war toll again, and there is nowhere in Italy safe from its destruction. As rebel armies close in, Sertorius realizes his wife and child are in danger. The fate of his homeland is at stake, and he cannot ignore the call to arms.

The Meditations are a series of private reflections written in Greek by a Roman emperor immersed in the administration of an empire beset by wars on its frontiers and natural disasters in its interior. It is the work of a great man seeking philosophical and spiritual solace in the midst of human chaos and uncertainty. This beautiful piece of ancient literature has been the companion of many leaders over the centuries who turned to inner reflection in times of unrest. Its Stoic philosophy has been much admired and emulated.

Gibbon's masterpiece on Rome is a monument of literature and a model of modern historical research. There has never been anything quite like it since its publication between 1776 and 1788. Although some of Gibbon's views are considered controversial today, there is no doubt that his research and patient devotion to scholarship produced one of the most valuable and renowned histories of all time.

From the international bestselling Valerio Massimo Manfredi, Wolves of Rome is a historical thriller about two brothers and the betrayal of Teutoburg Forest that devastated the Roman Empire. This is a must read for fans of Simon Scarrow, Ben Kane and Conn Iggulden. Bound by Blood. Divided by an...

“Mr. Wilder has brought to his character the warmth which was totally lacking in the Caesar of schoolbooks and Shakespeare, and in his hero’s destruction there is the true catharsis.”—Edward Weeks, Atlantic First published in 1948, The Ides of March is a brilliant epistolary novel of the...

A.D. 165: The empire of Rome has reached its pinnacle. Universal peace - the Pax Roma - reigns from Britannia to Egypt, from Gaul to Greece. Marcus Aurelius, as much a philosopher as he is an emperor, oversees a golden age in the city of Rome. The ancient Pinarius family and their workshop of artisans embellish the richest and greatest city on earth with gilded statues and towering marble monuments. Art and reason flourish. But history does not stand still. The years to come bring wars, plagues, fires, and famines. The best emperors in history are succeeded by some of the worst.

There is only one thing missing in Dulcia’s life - a husband. At least, that is what others would have her believe. But she feels the absence of something else - her father. Half slave and half noble, Dulcia has existed alongside him her entire life, just out of reach. Everything changes the day she arrives home to news of her betrothal. The problem is her heart already belongs to someone else. Nero is trying to make something of himself. Raised on the streets of Rome, he understands that family is a privilege, not a given.