Recommendations for historical fiction set in Roman/Greek world?

Hi, I'm compiling a list of reading suggestions for my classes (I'm a Classics teacher) and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations. I teach girls 11-18yrs. Thank you!

Mary Renault, especially The Praise Singer, a fictionalized account of the life of Simonides. I think Fire from Heaven, about Theseus, is more generally known and popular, but I like The Praise Singer because it is such a good account of how poets worked and wrote(sang) in Athens' golden age.

H.N. Turteltaub's Menedemos and Sostratos series is really good. Not sure about the age limit -- I know the 18 year old will enjoy it.

Over the Wine Dark Sea
The Gryphon's Skull
The Sacred Land
Owls to Athens

Hm, first one doesn't want to load. :|

I second the recommendation of Mary Renault's books, and also recommend Steven Saylor's Gordianus the Finder series.

Small correction:

Fire from Heaven is the first of Renault's novels about Alexander.
The King Must Die and The Bull from the Sea are about Theseus.
The Mask of Apollo involves Plato's Academy and Greek theatre.

Not that Mary Renault is
one of my favorite authors or anything. :-)

Robert Graves's I, Claudius, of course.

Nix on Turtledove. A hack, IMHO, although my experience is restricted to Worldwar: In the Balance. He was a decent Byzantinist, however.

>#5-- jeez. you are right about Fire From Heaven. What was I thinking? What I like about The Praise Singer is that it is about a historical person, not a mythological one. Another possibility might be Song of Kings by Barry Unsworth--a pretty excellent interpretation of the last days of Troy. Although Achilles seems like a total psychopath in the book. And for some complete fluff about Roman society, you could always try Robert Harris's Pompeii.

Off the top of my head...

I enjoyed The Spartan by Valerio Massimo Manfredi. It makes an interesting comparison to the film 300 as well as comparison to Herodotus.

I also second I, Claudius but I'll have to think about anything else.

Perhaps Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar?

I loved the two Gillian Bradshaw books I read, The Sand-Reckoner (about Archimedes) and The Beacon at Alexandria (about a girl who runs away from home and disguises herself as a eunuch to become a doctor).

I also agree with the Mary Renault recommendation, though The King Must Die is my favourite of hers.

I really like Colleen McCullough too, but her books aren't appropriate for the younger end of that age range (I first read her books when I was 13, though).

The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George is also good, and she also wrote a book about Helen of Troy that I haven't gotten around to reading yet. Her books are very thick, but I was 14 when I read The Memoirs of Cleopatra and really enjoyed it.

I don't know if they are still available, but Christa Wolf wrote two novels set in or inspired by mythological Greece: Cassandra and Medea. They are feminist in approach. She's a great writer.

I was thinking Colleen McCullough too, Zoe. Definitely for those at the upper end of the age range, though.

Adele Geras has written Troy and a sequel Ithaka; they are children's books so would suit the younger part of your age range.

For that age range, how about some ancient historical mysteries:

Silver Pigs, Venus in Copper and Shadows in Bronze by Lindsey Davis

Try the Age of Bronze comic series by Eric Shanower. It's the story of the Trojan war in a style that might be very accessible for your students. Shanower has done a great job with his research, especially on the costumes and the decorative objects in the background of scenes, so it might be worth it to single out specific frames and talk about the drawings.

The first two books (each of which includes, I think, 8-10 comic book volumes) are already out, and the third comes out this July.

Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield is an excellent novel about the Spartan defence of Thermopylae against the Persians.

I am not sure what are your aims and objectives for this reading. Are you looking for a rattling good yarn to spur interest in the classical world or are you looking for easily readable material to provide cultural context?

If you are looking for context, you might like to consider Peter Parsons' City of the Sharp-Nosed Fish which is about to be released in paperback. It provides an amazingly vivid picture of what the lives of the Greeks in the city of Oxyrhynchus were like under Roman rule. Parsons is Professor of Papyrology at Oxford and has spent his entire working life deciphering the Oxyrhynchus papyri - however, this book is aimed at general readers with an interest in the social history of the ancient world and much of it is couched like a guided tour of the city. There are no obtrusive footnotes even though endnotes provide chapter and verse for every factual assertion.

I think your students will be delighted to have such a vivid and human picture of their lives - and be surprised just how familiar their hopes and fears were. I was tipped off about this book by its review in New Statesman - this excerpt gives a flavor of what to expect:

"Much of the excitement of Parsons's book derives from the astonishingly contemporary feel of much of the material. A little boy, Theon, writes to his parents: "If you don't take me with you to Alexandria, I won't eat, I won't drink, so there." A correspondent named Akulas writing from cosmopolitan Alexandria admits he is missing his puppy, Soteris, and worries about her "since she now spends time by herself in the country". There is gossip about politicians consorting with rent boys, complaints about tax and death duties, even some muttered anxieties about the growing influence of Alexandria's Jewish lobby. And then there are the horribly contemporary religious fanatics, running around Egyptian city centres trying to lynch and assassinate writers and freethinkers, and to destroy idols and temples - though, in the fifth century, these fanatics were not Islamists, but early Coptic saints like St Cyril and his monks, "that black-robed tribe who eat more than elephants, sweeping across the country like a river in spate ravaging the temples".

I wasn't disappointed. This book has the bonus of covering both Greek and Roman culture with a dash of Egyptian thrown in.

Thank you everyone for your contributions so far - they have been very useful and I have now ordered a few of the books. I'm familiar with Mary Renault and I'm a big fan of hers, but there are lots here that I wasn't aware of.

The aim of this list is just to encourage my students to develop their interest in Classics outside their homework and lessons, so anything that is well-written and informative.

I run the site. I get to vote twice! I Claudius. But seriously, I wish I'd read it when I was a teenager. The BBC miniseries is also excellent, with extra points for Patrick Stewart with a full head of hair.

The Roman Mysteries series by Caroline Lawrence is about four children who solve mysteries in ancient Rome. The first in the series is The Thieves of Ostia. It would suit the lower end of the age range.

Do you think Lindsey Davis is suitable for the younger ones? I was having a leaf through Silver Pigs this morning and noticed a reference to rape and Falco being quite lecherous!

Since these are girls you might try When we were Gods:A Novel of Cleopatra by Colin Falconer preferably for the older girls about Cleopatra coming to power and finding were way among Romans and Roman politics.

#21 sarahelliot: They are probably more appropriate for the older end of your specified age range. Perhaps 16 and up. Of course, it also depends on the maturity level of the readers.

Yes ! Marguerite Yourcenar' {Mémoires d' Hadrien} are very fine. But, in order to give interest to young people, I suggest dectective novels such as
* {Meurtres sur l'Agora}, Calmann-Lévy, 1995 Claude Mossé,
* and from Jean-Gérad Imbar et Bernard Braquin {L'Homme de Feu}, Carrère, coll. «Histoire Noire», 1987
or others you can see here or, for Roam, here with Danila Comastri Montanari's Publius Aurelius Status.

What about John William's Augustus? Suitable for the older students. It covers some of the same ground as (I, Claudius) and does not suffer unduly for the comparison. It won the National Book Award the year it was published.

Warning on Mary Renault: she's EXTREMELY misogynistic. Would be a good point to discuss with your students. I remember reading her as a undergrad and thinking it was odd that a female author would take so many swipes at women. She was widely read at Bryn Mawr not only for the historical settings of the novels (big classics and classical archaeology departments) but because she was a lesbian. And yet as far as I recall none of her novels with homosexual themes have female protagonists.

Surprised no one's mentioned it:

Soldier In the Mist
Soldier of Arete

by Gene Wolfe

Saw Harry Turtledove mentioned earlier, so I know SF writers aren't taboo...*grin*.

> 26

as far as I recall none of her novels with homosexual themes have female protagonists.

The Praise Singer has a significant lesbian character, though she's not the protagonist. Also, The Friendly Young Ladies and other of her early, non-historical novels have lesbian protagonists.

>28 Thanks, lilithcat. I should have said, none of her historical novels. I forgot about The Praise Singer, though. I'm going back almost 30 years here - the ol' synapses don't fire the way they used to.

i greatly enjoyed A God Strolling in the Cool of the Evening by Mario de Carvalho about a Roman prefect trying to maintain order in a city during a declining Roman empire with a rising middle class and new, fractious groups like the Christians.

For your younger students you might want to consider some of Rosemary Sutcliffe's works, especially The Eagle of the Ninth and The Lantern Bearers. I think I was that age, or possibly a bit younger, when I first read them.

I'd like to second the Gene Wolfe Soldier in the Mist books.

And Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Firebrand is a good story about the Trojan War from Cassandra's point of view.

Goddess of Yesterday by Caroline B. Cooney is great for young girls, and follows the adventures of a girl who is in the midst of the Trojan War. The story teaches about inner-strength and endurance, and the young girl ends up playing a pivotal role in the outcome of the war. A lot of the "facts" are skewed, so if you've got an extensive background in Classics you should keep an open mind when reading this. However, it was written by Cooney, so your girls will eat it up!

Destiny's child- Gaius Julius Caesar by D.J.Anley It is written specifically for teenagers/young adults and is historically acurate fiction- charting the early life of Caesar up to the point he joins the legions, which tends to be the point children are then told about Caesar and his later adventures, yet his early life, entwined with the great general, Marius and Sulla, is an incredible story. The book covers many adolescant themes too,as Caesar and his 2 friends struggle to grow up in their Roman world but at the end, one should come away with a greater knowledge of ancient Rome,and a much better understanding of what happened to make Caesar into the adult we are all told about in history. The book is available through Amazon, Browns etc. The website is destinyschild-gaiusjuliuscaesar.com and will tell you more about the book and characters.

>35 Egad, sir or madam! What cheek!

;-)

As the newest member of this group might i suggest the Margaret Doody books.

They cross genres in that they feature the philosopher Aristotle as a detective!

The most recent book in the series is "The Eleusinian Mystery". the novel explains the Great Mystery religion with a background of a murder investigation with charges of profaning the Eleusinian Mysteries. Other books in the series feature themes such as the Athenian attitudes to Alexander the Great.

Also by lyndsey davis is her life of Vespasian "Course of Honour".

Pilate's Wife by Antoinette May
Julian by Gore Vidal
Priestess of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

Mine, too! I even have some of her early, English novels, though I haven't gotten them added yet.
sL

The Athenian Murders by Jose Carlos Somoza
The Walled Orchard - Tom Holt.
Helen of Troy by Margaret George
Colleen McCullough's Song of Troy.
Pompeii by Robert Harris
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
Achilles - Elizabth Cook
Hope these will do for starters.

What about the new series for young adults by Rick Riordian? There are three in the series. Lightning Thief, Titan's Curse, and Sea of Monsters. These are all good books and young adults really like them. They are retellings of the epic Greek stories about Perseus. They are about a young man named Percy Jackson who is really Perseus.

Donna Gillespie has written two books about a female gladiator. They are titled Light Bearer and Lady of Light. I read the first one years ago and really liked it. It has everything from evil Druids to evil Romans. The right blend of action, history, sex, and suspense to be a rousing good read.

I just started reading Lightning Thief and I love it. Fun and witty retelling of the myths that I'm sure the kids will love (the younger ones, at least).

The Rick Riordan books are great - one of my year 7's lent them to me! I've added them to the list.

I just read Colleen McCullough's First Man of Rome, book one in her 7 book Master's of Rome series. It was fantastic! I do plan on reading the rest, though it may be awhile since there's so much I'd like to read. The series starts with Marius and Sulla and ends with Antony and Cleopatra.

#47 Onara - you're in for such a great ride with these books. I loved them and have read them all (except the last two) twice over. Sulla is fascinating, but Julius Caesar is the one that really steals the show! *swoon* One of my favorite characters is Caesar's mother, Aurelia too. Have fun!

I know these aren't really books, but the BBC has a children's television series called "Roman Mysteries" which would be particularly good for the younger year levels. It's about a group of Roman youngsters in Ostia. The characters are about 12 years old so it should be suitable for that sort of age group.

You can also find some listings for children's/young adult books set in ancient times on Amazon http://home.amazon.com/Childrens-Young-Historical-Fiction-ancient/lm/R3E3N8N8EID...

Good luck!

For those who like mysteries there is Mary Stewart's Touch Not the Cat. This mystery has a dual setting - modern times and Roman Britian. It is an oldie. I think I read it at least twenty years ago, but I still remember it.

to #47

The Master's of Rome series is wonderful! I have read the first three and loved them. I learned more about the late Roman Republic from them than I learned in the classroom.

For those who are fans of this series. McCullough has said that she is going to stop writing them. She is almost blind and has to dictate the words to a secretary. This has slowed the writing down considerably. She says that because she can't read she can't do the research necessary to produce historically accurate works.

The Roman Mysteries are books by Caroline Lawrence - very enjoyable and popular with students - even those not doing Latin.

Add a third for Saylor. Everything from the historical correctness (not obtrusive but instructive) to the elegant plots to the little touches that make you feel it really could have happened that way insure this author's longevity. And, I believe that they are all in paperback.

i concur with I Claudius as a prime choice, though i find there are a lot of books i have never heard of and would love to get a hold of!! the detective stories, silver pigs etc are good, but i'm not sure if best for this age group. maybe. there is also a series, the title of one being Aristotle detective. it might be good to choose renault's the king must die for the aegean world, something classical, and then i claudius for the roman.
there are very few for the bzantine period which in my opinion is too often ignored in the west, but i can't remember any titles at the moment. will add them when i do.

the athenian murders by jose carlos somoza is quite a good book, but not i feel for your age group and has a rather odd, violent view of ancient athens. not that ancient athens was the pristine white rational city of neoclassicism, but...

I don't know if it would be hard to find these days, but Graves had another, Hercules, My Shipmate, that was more geared for the juvenile/YA crowd, if I remember correctly. John Gardner also wrote a novel in verse, Jason and Medeia.

I don't believe anyone has mentioned Gore Vidal's Julian. Although it's been years, I remember enjoying it very much. Frankly, I enjoyed it more than the Robert Graves books, probably because at the time I found the time period (late Roman/early Byzantine) less familiar and therefore more interesting.

The novel is about Julian the Apostate, who attempted (unsuccessfully) to turn back the Roman clock to paganism.

Gore Vidal's Julian is my favorite of Vidal's historical novels. Fascinating subject, Julian the Apostate. His novel Creation, in which a member of the ancient persian court travels east to india and china, was interesting also.
Please add my name to list of Robert Graves and Mary Renault fans.
Also I would like to mention The Satyricon of Petronius, as an ancient novel rather than a historical novel.

Graves also wrote Count Belisarius. Belisarius was a Byzantine (or Late Roman, depending upon your preference) military genius who reclaimed huge portions of Italy for Justinian, and whose downfall came as a result of Imperial jealousy. Unfortunately, I can't vouch for the novel, having put off reading it for years. Any opinions out there?

Edited to add:
Looking back I note that #40 beat me to the punch on Julian, and a couple of others mentioned Memoirs of Hadrian, another favorite which brings back happy memories of having read it over a Christmas holiday in England...

I've been slogging through Count Belisarius for some time. The historic facts are quite detailed, but as a historic novel it's as dry as a bone. Not his best work.

More Mary Renault, The Bull from the Sea and The King Must Die and just for fun, my own Sappho Sings

Finnish author Mika Waltari wrote a number of excellent novels set in the ancient world. My favourite was "Sinouhe the Egyptian" (his most-translated work, I think)--I don't remember if Romans and Greeks appear in it, but hey, Egypt was (or would be) part of the Greek-Roman world too.

Henryk Sienkiwiecz's Quo vadis is great too--Romans decadent, Christians ascendant, lions rampant.

Wasn't there a movie of Quo Vadis? what was it like?

I do believe it starred Victor Mature. It was cheesy in a good cinemascope 1950s kind of way. Those were probably the first words of Latin I ever learned.

I disagree with Varielle about both Count Belisarius (the book) and Quo Vadis (the movie). I loved Count Belisarius, which brought to vivid life the truly Byzantine (in both senses of the word) politics and bizarre way of life in 6th century Byzantium. Belisarius was a true hero whose downfall was brought about by his misplaced trust in Justinian, who could never shake the belief that the people preferred Belisarius over him, especially after the Nika riots of 532. If anything, Belisarius was far more qualified to be emperor than Justinian, but remained loyal to Justinian to the bitter end. He was even called out of retirement to save Justinian from an invasion of Huns in 559 and was blinded and beggarized for his trouble. Please read this book as well as the other great historical novels by Robert Graves, Hercules my Shipmate, I, Claudius, and Claudius the God.

Victor Mature appeared in The Robe and its cinematic sequel, Demetrius and the Gladiators, but not Quo Vadis.

Wife to Mr. Milton is also one of Graves' best. I stand corrected, it was Robert Taylor in the original movie version of Quo Vadis. (They do look a bit alike in sword and sandals). It was redone in 2001.

I do think the story of Belasarius would make a great movie. Has it been done before? Noble, honorable soldier undone by scheming politicians, seems like modern times.

While I agree that Vidal's Julian is good, I also found it to be rather dry reading (and I would think especially so for the intended audience -- girls ages 11-18). #62 mentioned Waltari's Sinuhe: The Egyptian, which is a good suggestion because Sinuhe also takes a trip to Crete where he bears witness to the collapse of the Minoan civilization (in a symbolic way), and it is the sort of book that I think could appeal to YA readers. Steven Pressfield Last of the Amazons might be of interest, too.

This is great- I've been looking for good roman historical fic ever since I watched both seasons of ROME in under a week earlier this month, but even my favorite bookstore was unable to recommend any to me......to my great frustration (I think they are going down hill)

I'd like to add a recommendation for 'Till We Have Faces by CS Lewis - a retelling of the Cupid and Psyche story from the point of veiw of Psyche's sister. I think it would be quite appropriate for the teen aged crowd.

God, I despise Pressfield.

I just bought Aristotle Detective by Margaret Doody. Another detective novel set in Ancient Greece (Athens again). I doubt if I'm going to love it half as much as The Athenian Murders but I'm hopeful. By the way (not to mention right off topic) if anyone else has now read The Athenian Murders and is wondering about trying some more Somoza, I have also just read his latest novel The Art of Murder and I can honestly say it was very nearly as good, if not AS good as TAM. Clever, clever stuff though nothing whatsoever to do with Ancient Greece.)

ETA Okay - I could have sworn this was the thread where I'd raved on and on about The Athenian Murders but I don't think it is now. I also just saw where someone else had recommended the Arostotle books. Apologies to all - I've just got back from Greece - put it down to too much sun!

I have no fondness for Pressfield either. It seems that people either love his books or hate them. I think it's his frequent anachronistic approach which troubles me the most. Or maybe it's the fact that in his ATG books his Alexander has less personality than a wooden effigy. :-)

I've only read Last of the Amazons by Pressfield, so I haven't developed any strong feelings about his novels yet. In this case, he's writing about a legend that bleeds into history, so I think some creative license is acceptable and certainly has entertainment value. It's been a few years since I read it, so my memory isn't quite fresh, but I remember giving it 3 out of 5 stars. It was interesting, and I didn't regret reading it, but it wasn't without a few issues. I don't think characterization is his strength, and I remember thinking the alternating PoVs was a bit awkward. However, he did enough interesting things with the legend to keep me engrossed. I've been on the fence as to whether I want to try his other books.

I was terribly disappointed by The Virtues of War. I had heard such great things about it, but found it to be lacking.

Stephanie Plowman's very readable The Leaping Song gives a fair idea of Athenian politics in the time of Themistocles, and on into the Persian invasion. It covers the stand of Spartan King Leonidas at Thermopylae, and the 480 B. C. Greek (largely Athenian) naval victory at Salamis.

Eagle in the Snow: A Novel of General Maximus and Rome's Last Stand
by Wallace Breem

Also, as a matter of interest, asked at a public lecture for his favorite work of historical fiction, Simon Schama cited Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar

Books set in classical times, but belonging to genres other than that of 'historical novel', may sometimes give us useful insights into aspects of Græco-Roman culture. As always, the reader should check up on the novelist's academic qualifications before quoting him/her too enthusiastically, but in my view the thoroughness with which a writer has researched the background for a novel is darn near as important as their academic track record.
After all, so much historical data is readily available today to anyone who makes the effort to find out.
Example: the graphic picture of slimily corrupt C3rd AD Roman bureacracy - almost oozing off the pages - in Chelsea Quinn Yarbro's Roman Dusk.
Okay, so it's a vampire novel - does this really matter?

I dunno if these are already on here, my apologies if so.

Some Greco/Roman historical fiction that I personally enjoy are:
Pandora by Anne Rice (yes its a vampire novel but set in the years of the Roman Empire when Egyptian worship of Isis was spreading)
The Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradley (this is more mythological fiction but the author certainly did some research on Greek/Asia Minor customs while writing this)

Holy thread resurrection, Batman!

I've actually been sort of half-heartedly looking for some good historical fiction myself, but I'm always weary about it crossing the line without saying so. For instance, I used to read a lot of "alternate history" books, but with those you at least know from the outset that it's all fake, and if you know what really happened, you can appreciate the differences.

With regular historical fiction, I'm always afraid that they'll introduce elements of history that aren't real, and I'll somehow remember this stuff as "fact", x2 if the novel features actual historical characters. One thing I love about the novels I HAVE read though, is how they sort of "give you a feel" for the time that sometimes regular non-fiction just can't capture or relate for you.

Like I said though, I haven't personally read very many. In fact, the only couple I can think of off the top of my head are Wallace Breem's books: "Eagle in the Snow" and "The Legate's Daughter." The majority of the "speaking characters" in each are make-believe, and even the historical ones are either people who aren't super well-known historically, or at least, the author doesn't make them say anything that would have any profound influence on history or anything, hehe.

I have just published the historical fiction book called (The Actor King) set in the year 117C.E. If you are still looking, let me know and I'll send you a copy to see if it would fit your needs.
Check it out on http://lornacahall.com

Ooooh, looks good, lornacahall! I'll look for it.

Here's a compilation that I'd found some time ago -
http://www.rebecca-east.com:80/books.html

Gillian Bradshaw was already mentioned, but some of her more recent works weren't.

Cleopatra's Heir is an alternate history novel which starts with the question: what if Caesarion (Ptolemy Caesar) had somehow survived the attempt on his life by Octavian's hit men? Bradshaw creates some attractive and believable Egyptian characters, and--as often in her books--does a great job depicting a character who's suddenly found himself having to function in a more or less alien culture. (Fortunately, Caesarion's mom insisted that he learn Egyptian!) The physical settings, from the Eastern Desert to Alexandria, are vividly described. The story may have special appeal for teenaged girls, since a young Egyptian girl is a major character.
I also recommend Render unto Caesar, the misadventures of a young Alexandrian merchant in Rome. This story could also be classified as a mystery!
And finally, The Sun's Bride, out last year (I think), concerns piracy and political intrigue.
All three are suspenseful, feature likable characters, and contain an element of romance. I found them hard to put down, and I would have loved them if I'd read them in high school.

If you can find them...

The Gladiator - Arther Koestler about the Spartacus rebellion. This, rather than the Fast book which it antedates, would have made a much more interesting Spartacus movie.

There is a book centered on the Jewish Rebellion against Rome in the first century CE, the title of which escapes me. But I believe it was written by Ernest Gann. (B4 posting I looked this up: The Antagonists...which served as the basis for the miniseries Masada).

I, Claudius by Robert Graves, and the sequel, Claudius the God.

There was mention above of Quo Vadis...Victor Mature was not in that movie. Vic was in the similarly themed, The Robe, and it's sequel, Demetrius and the Gladiators.

Mika Waltari wrote several novels with similar protagonists and plots as The Egyptian as I recall. The Roman and The Etruscan each come to mind.

The Egyptian is loosely based on the ancient Egyptian text, The Story of Sinuhe the Sailor, widely regarded as the first narrative story in written form. It has been many, many years since I read the book, but Sinuhe's travels took him to Minoan Crete, Hatti, and Assyria or Babylon, if memory serves. The Cretan episode was not part of the movie, but Victor Mature was.

I remember The Egyptian - it seemed like pretty hot stuff when I was twelve. The author also combines it with the Aten cult & its overthrow, as I remember. Again, it's been many years, but I can't say I was overwhelmed by the writing! Better to try a good translation of the original Middle Egyptian folktale, which is also much shorter. Miriam Lichtheim did a bunch of translations which are serviceable and readily available, if not ravishing.

I read Waltari's Sinuhe in a French translation from the Finnish. I've never seen the English translation but I've been told that it was pretty dreadful.

Oh, don't tell me that I just bought it.

Varielle, read and enjoy! Great literature it is not, but it was and is an enjoyable, panoramic fiction. I read it whilst in high school, around the time of the film, and again in my forties; enjoyed it the second time around, too.

I concur - I read an English Translation of The Egyptian when I was about 18 and loved it - Sinhue manages to be involved in all the major moving/shaking events across that period of Egyptian History.

Well worth the read :)

cheers

Cleopatra's Daughter is set in Rome and it is a new historical fiction YA crossover by Michelle Moran. I think it would be perfect for this.

If you are still not satisfied you should post your question on a librarian group.

What about The Golden Ass? I don't know if it's really what you're looking for--it's not a historical novel, because it was written during the Classical era, and I think it deals with some unsavory material. (I read it for a class on ancient religions.)

Rosemary Sutcliff wrote a novel about Alcibiades called Flowers of Adonis, which seems to be out of print, but it's held at a number of libraries.

I wish I had gone to a high school that taught Classics!

And another thing....

There have got to be good books about the Maccabees, the Jewish Wars, early Christians, etc. I remember a book about the Maccabees from when I was a kid, but all I can recall is the cover, not the title. Does this job anyone's memory?....Oh, I got it...The Bronze Bow

>92
As a Driven Leaf by Milton Steinberg might fit the bill.

Re: Maccabees--Here are three books that came up on Google. Two are quite old. I know nothing anout them other than the info posted.

The Island of the Innocent: A Novel of Greek and Jew in the Time of the Maccabees (New York: Abelard Press, c1952), by Vardis Fisher (avail online for free at the online book page dot com.

The Hammer : a story of the Maccabean times - Church, Alfred John (19th early 20th cent.)

Furious and Free by Elmer L. Gray (1984)

Not the Maccabees but the later Jewish Revolt - you can't go past Son of a Star by Andrew Meisels covering the last Jewish Revolt against Rome led by Simon Bar Kochba.

I enjoyed the story so much that I bought and painted a Jewish Revolt army for wargaming. A friend of mine has used it in tournaments to quite good effect.

Cheers

Novel of the Jewish Wars---

The Antagonists by Ernest K. Gann

This novel is the basis for the TV miniseries, Masada.

For history of the Jewish War there is Josephus', The Jewish War. The problem is that the most available translation is from the 18th century, and is hard to wade through. I'm not aware of a really readable modern, unabridged translation..

There is in progress, too, the Josephus Project; it is literally a line by line analysis, grammatical and historical, of his writings, and far beyond what most of us (certainly me) would be looking for.

Penguin Classics have a translation of Josephus' "The Jewish War", which was done in the 1950s, and revised more recently, in the 1990s I think.

How about this:- The Green Bronze MIrror by Lynne Ellison

Karen is playing on the beach when she finds an ancient mirror buried in the sand. She looks into it, and is transported back in time to the Roman empire. Finding herself a slave, she faces many hair-raising adventures in her struggle to return to her own time.

This book was written in the 1960s when the author was 14, and was long out of print until it was reprinted last year with new illustrations by Philip Smiley

The Golden Ass by Apuleius has managed to survive the the coming of patriarchal Western social and religious dominance for 2000 years by being both wickedly funny and ultimately uplifting. The adult themes and situations might be too much for your younger students. Ultimately, this is a pro feminist work, written to advance the cause of the Great Goddess by one of her more gifted priests. Apuleius's work may be a historical novel, and a primary source together. The Robert Graves translation is the one I am most familiar with.

I have recently really enjoyed Black Ships by Jo Graham though not quite Historical because it is a rehash of the Illiad, which is fictional in the first place, it was really good about making things realistic

#100 Musereader ~ I loved Black Ships and her second novel, Hand of Isis, which is a retelling of the Cleopatra saga and has elements from Black Ships in it, though it is not a sequel per se.

I just yesterday picked up Robert Harris's newest novel about ancient Rome: Conspirata, which continues where his last novel about Cicero left off and which I think is so much better, perhaps because the characters are far more personable than they were in the first tho probably more because it's about my favorite period of the late Republican period, beginning with the Cataline conspiracy, and heavily features Julius Caesar. Already about 1/4 of the way through and really enjoying it.

Edited to fix touchstones (hopefully it worked).

Just read that Jo Graham is coming out with a new novel on May 25 called Stealing Fire. Here's the description from Amazon.com:

"Alexander the Great's soldier, Lydias of Miletus, has survived the final campaigns of the king's life. He now has to deal with the chaos surrounding his death. Lydias throws his lot in with Ptolemy, one of Alexander's generals who has grabbed Egypt as his personal territory. Aided by the eunuch Bagoas, the Persian archer Artashir, and the Athenian courtesan Thais, Ptolemy and Lydias must take on all the contenders in a desperate adventure whose prize is the fate of a white city by the sea, and Alexander's legacy."

That sounds kinda cool :-D

101 Storeetllr, I have read Hand of Isis too and it was really good, I'm looking forward to the next one even though I hadn't heard anything about it untill now.

It's been a while since I read it, so I can't vouch for its "appropriate-ness" for younger teens, but "The Love-Artist: A Novel" by Jane Alison was a great read and suits your time frame. It's about Ovid in exile.

(Link to book isn't showing up.)

List is getting quite long so a new list for older fiction? (such fiction probably won't quite do for a class at school). But let's carry on with contemporary and 20th century books here!

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Lest Darkness Fall (1939) by L. Sprague de Camp. Billed as "the novel that defined a genre," the blurb on the back reads:

"The Roman Empire had spread order, knowledge and civilization throughout the ancient world. When Rome fell, the light of reason flickered out across the Empire. The Dark Ages had begun; they would last a thousand years. Could a man from the 20th century prevent the fall of Rome? When lightning struck and he was hurled backward into the sixth century, the question became anything but academic to Martin Padway, but even forearmed with a knowledge of 20th century technology and of events to come, what could one man do? But Padway must try, lest darkness fall."

Lest Darkness Fall, in my copy, is bundled with To Bring the Light (1996) by David Drake, about the foundation of Rome. Blurb:

"Like Padway, she has been thrown into the far past by a lightning bolt, but for her, that past is the realm of prehistoric legends, legends of the birth of Rome, a time when peasants scratched out a crude, meager living in the seven hills. Just as Padway must fight against the fall of night, her fate was to struggle to lay the foundations that would bring Rome into being. Romulus and Remus are the legend: Flavia must deal with the gritty, smelly reality to bring the light!"

Finally, I should mention Threshold of Fire (1964, trans. 1993 by Anita Miller and Nini Blinstrub) by the Dutch writer Hella S. Haasse. Blurb:

"In this vivid, dynamic novel, Hella Haasse has once more brought the past to life. This time she has chosen to illuminate a crucial, yet relatively obscure period of history: it is 414 A.D. and the once-powerful Roman Empire is in its death throes - split between East and West, menaced by barbarian horders almost literally at its gates. The Emperor Honorius, an incompetent weakling, cowers in the marsh-bound city of Ravenna, where has has moved the government; he rarely 'makes entry' into Rome.

This is the brilliant canvas against which the characters in this drama interact. There is the Prefect Hadrian, a powerful official and fanatical Christian convert; there is Marcus Anicius, the pagan aristocrat who is clinging to a dying past, and there is the Jew Eliezar ben Elijah, hemmed in by his own traditions and burdened by his dark vision of the future. There is the intrigue and uncertainty of life at Honorius' court, and there are the streets and tenements of Rome, pulsating with life and with corruption."

>107 Yes, LDF is a classic of my childhood. (Of course I read it several decades after it was written!) It may be time for a reread.

It depends on your definition of "younger ones." In today's world, many are exposed to the reality of rape and other crimes and activities through TV and movies. Having read all of the Falco series to date, he seems mild compared to books aimed at young adults. As far as his being lecherous, he remains a faithful husband and loving father throughout all of his adventures.

I'm sorry you were flagged so much, obie. LibraryThing members are rather rabid about flags. Usually this is good. The community hates spam. But for my part I don't feel that an on-topic mention of your book--even one that mostly talks at us rather than to us--should be met with so many flags. I think it should be met with politeness and a firm toward conversational forms of engagement.

To that end, we hope you stick around and talk some more. A number of us are, I suspect, interested to hear about it and also about what sort of historical fiction inspired you. But drop the explicit promotion and try to pay more attention to the flow of the conversation. You may also be interested in the "Hobnob with Authors" group ( http://www.librarything.com/groups/hobnobwithauthors ), where promotion is allowed.

Incidentally, the Christianity group is doing a chronological slow-read of Paul's letters, in whatever languages people have. (See http://www.librarything.com/topic/112772 ). It might be interesting to hear your take there, as a novelist has a burden of reconstruction that a historian does not.