Roman historical fiction AFTER I, Claudius and Claudius the God?

I MUST have more!!

I have also read John E. Williams Augustus (1972), which I found to be better in many ways, but I don't know where to go next.

It doesn't even have to be fiction. I would be happy to read anything well written and evocative of the times.

I know these three are probably the pinnacle but hope someone out there knows of something similar. THANKS!

Try these by Michael Curtis Ford

1-The Last King

2-Sword of Attila

3-Gods and Legions

All are great, but the first is probably the best. There are many, many others if you're interested. Just ask.

My mom is a huge fan of Steven Saylor - he writes more or less historically accurate mysteries set in the Roman Empire... but I confess I have yet to read anything by him.

Colleen McCullough's Roman series with The first Man in Rome, The grass Crown and all the following ones.
Staring with the Roman Republic and Marius and Sulla, she proceeds to eventually narrate Julius Caesar's life and deeds.
In my opinion, the first two are excellent - well researched and documented -, the following ones a bit less, but still entertainig reading.

I picked up Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar a few months back, but haven't had a chance to dive into it yet.

twacorbies, Memoirs of Hadrian is a fantastic book, but I wouldn't define it 'historical fiction', like the other books mentioned above.
It is more of a philosophical nature. Excellent choice, though!

#6 - Ah, interesting, aluvalibri. I picked it up knowing very little about what I was getting myself in for, other than hearing good things about it. Looking forward to reading it.

'Memoirs of Hadrian' is one of my favorite books, a truly great modern novel, but I agree with aluvalibri that it's more a philosophical meditation than a historical fiction ala Claudius and co.

If you do like Yourcenar's book, you may want to check out Hermann Broch's equally philosophical although rather more poetic novel, The death of Virgil.

#8 - I definitely will marietherese. This is why I love this site (and its users)!

:-)))

Check out Lindsey Davis. A lot of her books are about her "detective" Falco, they are set in the reign of Vespasian.

The Course of Honor by Lindsey Davis is a historical novel about the life of the Emperor Vespatian and the woman he loved (not his wife). It was quite good, as are her Falco mysteries.

Caesar, life of a colossus by Adrian Goldsworthy is a non-fiction biography of Julius Caesar and far surpasses the novel Caesar by Massie for readability.

I second the suggestions for McCullough's Roman series ~ although she does romanticize (if I may use that word to denote romance as opposed to Roman) some (such as Marius and Caesar) and villifies others (such as Sulla) more than the evidence of history suggests is reasonable. Also good is the Gordianus the Finder mystery series by Steven Saylor, though I did not find his historical novel Roma to be all that compelling. For that kind of historical, I like Edward Rutherfurd who wrote Sarum and London.

You might also enjoy the SPQR mystery series starting with SPQR by John Maddox Roberts and the Corvinus mystery series by David Wishart.

Finally, there's a Historical Fiction Group on LT that has a Roman thread, as well as a Historical Mystery Group that also has a Roman thread, that you might find helpful.