Caesar's Women

Ms McCullough has done a profound historical research in order to write her "Roman Saga" started with "The First Man in Rome" (1990), continued with "The Grass Crown" (1991), "Fortune's Favorites" (1993) and "Caesar's Women" (!1995). She delivers an accurate picture of the late Roman Republic, bringing to life historically characters with amazing detail. The author follows and reveals step by step all the intricacies of that rich and complex era. Does this mean that the book is boring? By no means, Ms McCullough is able to show daily life, dressing, feeding, religious rituals, political and social structures in a magnificent fresco and at the same time construct an engaging story that will trap the reader for hours. The story starts in the year 68 BC after Sulla's death. Pompeius Magnus, Julius Caesar and Marcus Crassus consolidate finally in triumvirate and defy Cato, Bibulus and the Senatorial Party. There are two major interesting issues described in this volume: Caesar's political growth thru ten years, giving the reader a complete picture of less known aspects of his life. Second issue is feminine characters are brought into limelight. They are strong, willed, some beautiful, some cunning and most of them determined to succeed. They are all true Roman Matrons. As in preceding volumes Ms McCullough continue extrapolating and giving wonderful explanations to odd issues as why Clodius hated so many contemporaries; why and when Caesar and Cicero started fencing and growing enemies. Last but not least the author has drawn beautiful busts of the main characters; detailed maps of different ancient scenarios where action takes place and very complete glossary. I advise reading the first volumes of the series, but even if you don't do it, you may start here and consider it as first part of Caesar's adulthood story. I strongly recommend this book to any serious history aficionado! Reviewed by Max Yofre.

Caesar's Women is the fourth installment in Colleen McCullough's "Masters of Rome" Series. This is a series of books that follows the most colourful characters who made the Late Roman Republic such a fun and exciting time and place to study. In her first book, "First Man in Rome" she charted the rise, rise and rise of Gaius Marius. This was followed by "The Grass Crown" which concentrated on Sulla, the man who displaced Marius and became Dictator of Rome. In "Fortunes Favorites" we followed the early career of Gaius Julius Caesar as he struggles to grow up in a Rome torn asunder by Marius and Sulla. Here, in Caesar's Women, we see Caesar in the full flush of his political career, his year as Aedile when he gave the best Games in Rome, and his subsequent elevation to Pontifex Maximus, followed by his Praetorship, Governance of Spain Province and election as Consul. His relationship with Crassus and with Pompey is developed beautifully, as is his love hate relationship with Servilia and the bethrothal of his daughter first to Brutus and then to Pompey. Catilina, Cicero and Clodius in particular provide excellent comic relief from the stern doing of roman politics. This series is a real joy to anyone who has studied classical history as it brings the Forum to life. But I am sure it provides just as much fun to people who have never read of these events before.

I'll admit that the title, Caesar's Women, piqued my interest in this book, but it wasn't long into the reading when I found that the object of my desire was Caesar, himself. In fact, I admit to falling madly in love with this young and vital Caesar. Colleen McCullough succeeds in drawing her readers into the mind, spirit, and body of this remarkable, God-like man, and allows us to fully experience Caesar, who charms us with his wit, intelligence, strength, and vitality. Having studied Latin and Ancient Rome, I was amazed not only at McCullough's thorough knowledge of her subject but even more by her ability to understand and depict the machinations of Roman politicians. American politicians are neophytes in comparison to the patricians and plebeians rising through the cursum romanum!Caesar's Women is a book that you cannot put down, but also hate the thought of finishing, because it is that good. Having started in the middle of the series, I have now gone backwards and read Fortune's Favourites, which I also loved, especially the last part dealing with Caesar. But I have ordered all the other books in the series, which I will read this summer. I am sure, however, that I will return to Caesar's Women when I need a pick-me-up. Such a man as Caesar may only come once in a millenium, but we can experience him as often as we like in this superb novel.

If you read this book and have not read the others in the series, you will soon be searching for them. This book represents the entire series well, in that it is lovingly and carefully written to give you an unbelievable look into life for the big wigs of Roman civilization and some rulers of other parts of the Mediterranean. Others have written excellent reviews of this book, I mearly want to share that if you like this book, and I believe you will, you will get hooked on the series. I can't wait for The October Horse, the latest installment in the Masters of Rome series, due out near December 2002.

Caesar's Women is a phenomenal achievement. Never have I read such thoroughly researched historical novel that left me breathless and never wanting for it to end. I did not know that this book is in a series (the fourth one) when I started it, but it did not confuse me one bit. Although some characters and events seem in need of a background, which I intend to get by reading the prequels, the book is amazing on its own. Reading over some of the other readers' comments, I've noticed that they have complained about "soft" treatment of Caesar and the lack of focus on women. First of all, this is still fiction, so McCullough had no responsibility to treat Caesar in a realistic manner. Secondly, even the written evidence cannot be trusted for the true representation of Caesar. No one will ever know his true nature or his rationale for accomplishing and achieving what he did, so McCullough's guess is as good as anybody's. Also, since this book is still about Caesar's, if not formative, then pre-tyrannical years, he may not have been as ruthless or as psychotic as he later seemed to have become. As a Classics major, I can tell you that women in Ancient Rome are more or less unseen, unless they have extremely high profile, like Cleopatra. Therefore, McCullough did a remarkable job in gathering as much information about women as she could. Perhaps the title is not as good as it could or should have been, it still does not diminish the quality of the book. I have never encountered such impassioned and interesting writing. Not from any other writer or even McCullough herself. A must read. That said, the editing is horrible. There are numerous typos and gramatical errors.