Customer Reviews

The Triumph of Caesar (A Novel of Ancient Rome)(Roma Sub Rosa series) (Library Edition)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Another reviewer here opined that "The Triumph of Caesar" may be the best of Steven Saylor's Gordianus the Finder Ancient Roman "Sub Rosa" mystery novels. She might be right. At any rate, it is at least another strong entry in a strong series. Unlike so many mystery series that grow tired as the number of volumes grows, Saylor's Gordianus books remain compelling and they even get better.

The events at the end of the previous novel in the series, "The Judgment of Caesar", were sufficiently ambiguous that they could have signaled the end of Gordianus's career, but "The Triumph of Caesar" finds the detective back in Rome, in 46 BCE, on the eve of Julius Caesar's celebration of four triumphs to mark four recent military victories. But Caesar's defeat of his enemies on the battlefield has not meant the end of all of those who might wish him dead, and Gordianus finds himself drafted by Caesar's wife into attempting to uncover a possible conspiracy against the Dictator, a task Gordianus is willing to undertake because it has already cost the life of a friend.

Steven Saylor has a particular knack for creating vivid and realistic characters, even secondary and minor figures, who have the breath of life, and are not memorable only because they are quirky caricatures. Saylor seems to genuinely care about the fates of these characters (some of them are fictional creations, but others are drawn from historical sources) and he causes his readers to equally care. Although the world of Gordianus the Finder is often filled with sorrow, loss, and woe, Saylor unfailingly conveys a sense of fundamental humanity, where salvation and redemption are found in love and friendship. His "Sub Rosa" books are worth reading not only as good mysteries, but also as simply good novels.

This may be the best of the Gordianus mysteries. It is absolutely gripping. Intending to savor it over a couple of days at least, I read it in one sitting. Calpurnia, Caesar's wife, has been troubled by evil omens and asks--or rather, demands--that Gordianus find the person who is plotting against Caesar's life. Is saving Caesar's life a worthy project? Gordianus is not so sure, and in any case, he wishes to live a life of peace, so he refuses the commission. But the previous "detective" on the case, an old friend, has been killed, and Gordianus is drawn into seeking justice for the crime, and, in the process, finding out who, if anyone, is plotting against Caesar's life. In his investigation, he must meet and interview many historical figures--Cicero, Brutus, Cleopatra and her sister, Arsinoe, Antony, and Vercingetorix, the defeated leader of the Gauls. Remarkably, Saylor brings these figures vividly to life.

The novel is informed by a depth of compassion for human beings living in a brutal times that is rare in an historical mystery. It engages your emotions and makes you truly care about the characters. This is a truly special novel which works well as a mystery and also transcends the genre.

This is the weakest entry by far in what was once an excellent series. Gordianus died in the last novel (or it sure seemed like it), and his resurrection in this new effort is woefully incomplete. He stumbles through the entire mystery, with other folks, or luck, supplying the partial discoveries required to advance the plot. He has essentially nothing to do with the final resolution either. Perhaps Steven Saylor is trying to hand the reins off to Gordianus's children, so the series can extend out to Octavian or so. At any rate, not at all the Finder we fell in love with.

I'm a huge Steven Saylor fan, and couldn't wait to read Triumph of Caesar. However, I am disappointed with this latest novel. Readers will miss seeing any examples of Gordianus' intelligence and personality. We know that Gordianus is aging, but this novel makes him seem almost doddering! He is never actively involved in the pursuit of this "mystery." He is just sort of wandering around Rome as clues appear; things happen around him, but he doesn't do anything. The plot is so much fluff...all omens and last minute "insights. Should I mention there is also an abundance of references to homosexuality? A little over the top this time around, Steven! Perhaps it's time for a new lead character!

Steven Saylor returns to the Roma Sub Rosa series for his twelfth volume featuring Gordianus the Finder, a private eye in Rome around the end of the Roman Republic. This volume finds the now 64-year-old Gordianus returned from Egypt and, as always, rubbing elbows with people several levels above his pay grade.

On the eve of Caesar's long-delayed four Triumphs, Gordianus is hired by Caesar's wife, Calpurnia, to investigate what she fears is death plot against the dictator. Gordianus reluctantly takes the job and sleuths his way across Roman society - we meet Cicero, Caesar, and Mark Antony, as well as numerous lesser known Romans, such as Fulvia (with her sights set on Antony), the young Octavius (later and better known as Augustus Caesar), and a playwright named Laberius. Gordianus also interviews Vercingetorix, the imprisoned leader Gallic chieftain awaiting his imminent execution, Cleopatra, in town for the Egyptian triumph with her young son Caesarion, and her defeated sister Arsinoe who is slated for execution.

Saylor weaves a page-turner mystery with fascinating details of Roman political and social life (including the development of the Julian calendar). Highly recommended.

I should have realized this book would be a letdown. It arrives just a year after Saylor's wonderful (and lengthy) "Roma." Quickly returning to his successful Roma Sub Rosa series, he elects to have Gordianus spend his time interviewing, sometimes brilliantly, several of the Big Names in town for a set of public "triumphs" being held by Julius Caesar. But not all of these folk are registered at five star hotels. Some live in captivity, a few of those in degrading filth, and all are intended serve the Dictator as public victims, a tradition within the "triumph" genre. Gordianus' sessions with the doomed are especially compelling. So far, so good.

But the decision develop character allows no time to develop a complex plot. Caesar's wife Calpurnia believes her husband to lie in grave peril, a state from which only the Finder can rescue him. Receiving her daily directions, Gordianus trudges from interview to interview, inevitably asking himself if This could be The One, and always reminding us that it's never The One you think it is. Brutus? Nah ... Cleopatra? Too obvious, and yet it's never The One ... And on and on.

But if you haven't spotted The REAL One by page fifty you're not trying very hard. The motive is transparent, and the clues lie about like spilled tea leaves. Worst, the conclusion is so un-Gordianus as to leave us wondering if he really did die back there in Egypt. Or maybe just should have.

I loved this character and his entourage through many thoughtfully entertaining adventures. Thus isn't any of them.

Thee are a number of mystery writers whose work is set in ancient Rome: Saylor is easily the best of these. The city of Rome and Italy is his forte. You get an excellent sense of the city, the social life, and the political intrigues: the "whodunit" aspect is secondary to the historical flavor. There are mysteries, and usually murders, to be sure, but it's the people, the characters, the details, and the flair for writing that make Saylor's novels so good. In the series you'll learn about the forum, and whether it was good luck or bad luck to have pigeon droppings land on your head while orating, you'll learn about voting procedures, and you'll learn in this novel about the dreaded Carcer and the Tullianum prisons.

Triumph of Caesar (which should really be Triumphs of Caesar--since there were 4 here) involves Gordianus and his family in murder, in dealings with Caesar, Calupurnia, Cleopatra, Antony, and others. Saylor's Judgement of Caesar, set in Egypt, was not as engaging as this--as noted, it's a return to Rome, which is Saylor's strength.

If you're new to the series, there's plenty of more delightful reading--novels and short stories--a great way to learn Roman history. You'll also enjoy Saylor's Roma--an episodic novel about Rome from it's earliest days (Gordianus is not present here). These are also books that you can happily return to every couple of years: ordinary mysteries are less amenable to this, since you know the solution. But with Saylor's novels, the solutions to the mysteries are just a part of the enjoyment. This is historical fiction at its best!

I've followed the career of Gordianus the Finder ever since Steven Saylor first introduced him to us in Roman Blood. Every one of his investigations has been intriguing and worthwhile, but I find those set in the city of Rome itself particularly interesting because the Roman Empire's capital makes such a fascinating backdrop. Thus I was very happy to find Gordianus back home in Rome for this adventure.

Julius Caesar has finally gained power as Dictator of the Roman Empire. Turmoil continues to bubble along under a surface calm, and Caesar's position is still far from secure. As Caesar plans a series of triumphs to celebrate his many victories, his wife Calpurnia fears for his life and calls in Gordianus to investigate. Gordianus interviews many prominent Romans and works hard to determine whether a conspiracy exists and who is involved.

The unraveling of the story is fascinating to follow, and as always with a Steven Saylor work the reader has the additional benefit of learning a great deal about the politics and personalities of Rome at a pivotal moment in its history.

Gordianus complains several times during this adventure of his advancing years, but I trust he will continue to delight us and educate us with more stories in the future.

A Disappointing addition to the Gordianus series. As always well researched and well related on Caesars triumphs but the plot is weak and transparent. We all thought Gordianus was dead after his last book maybe he should have been.
There is hope that Diana his daughter will take over, and liven things up in the future. She needs to.

I had been looking forward to reading "The Triumph of Caesar" for almost a month now, and on the whole, I enjoyed this latest Gordianus the Finder installment. It possessed most of the ingredients necessary for an enjoyable read: a good storyline, wonderfully realised characters that truly captured the imagination, and was full of brilliant historical bits and colour that kept me riveted to the pages. But in spite of all these glowing pluses, there was one small negative: the book wasn't always as suspenseful as it should have been.

Having recently returned from Egypt with his wife, Bethesda, Gordianus has been keeping a very low profile, content to enjoy his waning years in the bosom of his family. But summons from Calpurnia, Julius Caesar's wife, soon puts an end to his early retirement. Having triumphed over Pompey, and having set Egypt on the road to stability under Cleopatra, Caesar has finally retuned to Rome, having been recently appointed dictator, in order to savour the rewards of his triumphs. But Calpurnia, haunted by dreams foretelling Caesar's death, is frantic that someone jealous of Caesar's successes or out for revenge, may be out to kill Caesar. She had hired another, a friend of Gordinaus, Hieronymus, to investigate her fears, but Hieromymus has been murdered and his body left the body on her doorstep. And so she's turning to Gordianus, hoping that he will succeed where Hieronymus failed. Saddened by his friend's death, Gordianus agrees to take the case in order to expose Hieronymus' murderer. But how seriously should he take Calpurnia's fears? Is she just being hysterical or is there substance to her anxieties? Hieronymus' death would seem to imply that Calpurnia is right to be afraid about a conspiracy against Caesar and yet she seems to be in the thrall of a charlatan of a soothsayer. Vowing to discover who Hieronymus, Gordianus once again finds himself treading the path he thought he had given up once again...

I've read the other glowing reviews for "The Triumph of Caesar" and while I agree that it is a good read, well written and utterly compelling, I have to say that, for me, this is really not the best entry to the series -- I think the best two installments are still "Roman Blood" & "Arms of Nemesis." "The Triumph of Caesar" was wonderfully crafted, filled with wonderful historical details, but the sad fact is that for much of the book, the air of suspense and tension was sadly lacking. Things definitely picked up in the last five chapters of the book, when Diana, Gordianus' daughter, joined in the investigation -- so much so that I rather wished that she had started helping her father earlier in the book! And that is actually my only criticism of this installment, that the suspense was somewhat lacking. In everything else -- the compelling storyline, brilliantly fleshed out characters, colour, pageantry, atmosphere and historical detail, "The Triumph of Caesar" delivered in spades. I particularly appreciated the poignant manner in which Saylor conveyed through Gordianus, the enormity that the never-ending wars had caused, and that Saylor had given Godianus a voice that authentic without sounding anachronistic. I cannot fully express how tired I am of coming across 'Roman' investigators that sound like modern street toughs! All in all. "The Triumph of Caesar" was a good read. It may not be the best in the series, but it was an enjoyable and rewarding one nevertheless.