The One with Conspirata

144. Title & Author: Conspirata by Robert Harris (340 pages)

Genre: Fiction--Historical Fiction

Completed: 24 May 2010

Summary & Review:

On the eve of the commencement of his consulship, Roman orator and politician Cicero is summoned to a grisly scene: a young boy murdered as a human sacrifice in honor of a pact to murder the new Consul. As the months of his leadership of Rome pass, Cicero detects conspiracy after conspiracy attempting to both kill him and end the Roman republic. Yet, even with these open threats coming at him from every angle, Cicero is most concerned with the quiet, ruthless ambition of a young senator named Julius Caesar.

This book is a sequel to Imperium (#6), which was the first book I read by Robert Harris and was a big reason he became my favorite contemporary author. Once again, like Imperium, this was an excellent mix of a modern day political thriller and a history lesson on the Roman republic. Harris was able to weave a gripping story while staying within the binding framework of the actual historical events. And, as always, Harris' prose was well above par.

I was blown away by the story of Cicero's consulship and the years following it that Harris related in this novel. Perhaps because Harris is a current author he purposefully highlighted the similarities between our day and antiquity, but I couldn't help but draw parallels between the two periods, especially in the figure of Caesar. He was ambitious and ruthless and used any and all means to advance his agenda, no matter the cost. He disregarded the Roman constitution and paid no mind to the legality, or lack there of, of the laws and statues he enacted. He manipulated the populace and gained their widespread support through welfare tactics, offering them bread and land as he slowly leeched their liberty from them. Sounds too familiar for my liking.

Rating: 9.0