The First Man in Rome

Oh my, there have been books that have been in my library, survived a purge, moved around the country, but are still in my library and for a reason. And complete with an autograph from the esteemed Colleen McCullough, I have just completed The First Man In Rome. In the Author’s Note, Ms. McCullough tells us that she is a one-woman band. In her words, “I have done my own research, executed the maps and drawings myself and written my own glossary.” And what a magnificent job she did. As one who doesn’t know a lot about early Roman history, this book was a joy as I was swept into a dramatic world of political intrigue, danger, wars, assassinations, devastating upheaval, and intricately passionate family alliances and rivalries.

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“The First Man in Rome was not the best man; he was the first among other men who were his equals in rank and opportunity. And to be the First Man in Rome was something better than kingship, autocracy, despotism, call it what you would. The First Man in Rome held on to that title by sheer pre-eminence, perpetually aware that his world was stuffed with others eager to supplant him—others who could supplant him, legally and bloodlessly, by producing a superior brand of pre-eminence. To be the first man in Rome was more than being consul; consuls came and went at the rate of two a year.Where as the centuries of Roman Republic passed, only the smallest handful of men would come to be hailed as The First Man in Rome.”

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The First Man in Rome is the story of Marius Gaius’s rise to power in the Roman Republic, a wealthy rustic barred by his low birth from grasping his destiny, to become the First Man in Rome. His friendship with Sulla, a handsome young man from an impeccably aristocratic house, prevented by penury from claiming his birthright. These two men were brought together by war in dark and distant lands as they battle enemies of Rome and within Rome as they pursue their quest to become The First Man in Rome. This book takes place over eleven years from 110 B.C through 100 B.C. This beautiful book is rich with historical detail, including the house of Julius Caesar and his two beautiful daughters, prominent in the storyline. It is good that this series, Masters of Rome survived my downsizing. And now I am happily off to the second book in the series, The Grass Crown.

This book blew my mind in the mid-90s. It's long, but extremely addictive reading. Until the moment I started this tome, which was recommended to me by my highschool latin and classical civilisations teacher in the ninth grade, I never fancied myself a reader of historical fiction. But this is just a grate novel in every respect. McCullough can write with equal confidence and arresting zeal about domestic, familial conflicts, or huge military campaigns involving the great Legions of Rome, and make them both seem utterly grand. I must say that I was completely glued to this novel for about a week and it was one of those experiences that made me really understand and feel the power of just how strong a novel could be, both in its vivid capturing of the Roman Republic setting and a portrayal of very dangerous but sometimes eminently likeable individuals.
And I never knew whether to love or hate some of these characters, and that was part of what made it all so fascinating. Gaius Marius seemed more noble and good-natured but there was an underlying ruthlessness about him. Sulla was somehow both alluring and repellent all at once. he and Marius seemed at their best together but at times Sulla was so devious that I got a serious case of the chills. But that's a good thing here; the bit where Sulla slowly and covertly poisons an unwanted family member
was amazing.
On a personal note that might just be TMI for some,  this is also the first time I recall being sexually aroused by literature. Not the first time I came across sex or sex scenes in literature of course, but the first time reading about someone's erotic feelings/encounter actually turned me on. Just needed to record that for history's sake.

I'm not going to bother reviewing the second book, The Grass Crown, just yet, but although I liked it almost as much, it was a real downer how unpleasant my favourite characters became in that one. Marius in particular was pretty much insane by the end and was cold-bloodedly killing people for no reason. The battle scenes in that book are remarkable though. I would challenge any male renowned for his historical war fiction like Bernard COrnwell to write battle scenes that good, and I bet they would fail.

There is something terribly reassuring about being in politics to enrich oneself. It's normal. It's human. It's forgivable. It's understandable. The ones to watch are the ones who are in politics to change the world. They do real damage, the power-men and the altruists.

I've always been hesitant about reading The First Man in Rome, Colleen McCullough's magnum opus about the Roman Republic. I just didn't know what to expect, and the size of the book (my very large hardcopy version had 700+ pages) was a little off-putting, too. However, I loved her writing in The Thornbirds and I knew that McCullough was a history buff, so I had to check the book out when I saw it in the library.

I'm glad I've read it. It was difficult to get used to the names and find out who is who at first, but ultimately the stories of the main characters develop and interlope and become quite interesting. McCullough goes into a lot detail in describing life and customs in ancient Rome - some I was familiar with and A LOT that I learned. Her attention to detail is fantastic. And, yet, she does not beat the reader over the head with explanations of the political systems, the structure of the military, or Roman history. McCullough requires some pre-existing knowledge from her readers and it makes the book very engaging - it's like a dialogue between reader and author.

In short, The First Man in Rome is a brilliant example of what historical fiction can be.

And, yet, why can I not give the book 5 stars?

Well, some of the story is drawn out way beyond what I was able to pay attention to. Yes, some parts dragged. There, I said it. What drove me nuts more than this, tho, was that there were no chapters! It was difficult at times, especially after putting the book down, where the story was at and which person the particular part was focusing on. Seriously, this structural/editing choice really got to me.

Lastly, though, as much as I admire McCullough's work here, some of the ways that the Roman paranoia of an impending invasion was portrayed almost without comment made me wonder whether McCullough, despite her love of detail, stuck to the classic Roman-is-best narrative for dramatic reasons or whether she truly subscribed to that particular historical perspective. In Thornbirds, part of the admiration I have for McCullough's work is that she challenged some of the characters attitudes - or indeed created one of the finest characters in the book to antagonize an entire religion! - whereas this is missing from The First Man in Rome. I really missed the gumption of a character of Mary Carson's quality and not even Sulla could make up for this.

Marius glared. "The worst of you - Sulla! - is that I will never know what makes you work! What makes your legs go up and down, what makes your arms swing, why you smile like a wolf. And what you really think. That I'll never, never know."
"If it's any consolation, brother-in-law, nor will anyone else. Even me," said Sulla.

The majority of the books I read are historical fiction and recently I've taken an interest in the Roman Republic time period. I did a little research on my next Roman book and picked up The First Man in Rome after reading several good reviews. My opinion of this book is extremely mixed.It has never taken me this long to read a book. It just doesn't keep your attention. At most times, it feels like I'm reading a history book rather than a novel. No one can say that Colleen McCullough hasn't done her research in the time period; so much so that that there is a 150 page glossary in the back which needs to be referenced every time you sit down to read. It seems to me that she completely breaks away from a very nice story,going on for pages describing some random part Roman culture she found interesting. It's like she is trying to teach us about Roman life first, and tell a story second. McCullough also likes to go on for an entire chapter in a POV of a character who ends up playing little to no part in the plot. My last real complaint about the books is she adds too much detail where it is not needed, as if she's detailing things for the sake of being detailed. She will go on for pages describing a garden (if I had to read another page about a "peristyle garden" I was going to rip the cover off), or how somebody kept their bedroom, yet glances over important battles in a paragraph. It's extremely frustrating to read at times, but it has it's bright spots!

There were so many times I just wanted to put the book down and move on, but I couldn't. It's a good story when she actually sticks to the plot! I needed to find out what happens! I know I complained about the huge glossary and saying that it's like a textbook; however, I learned more about this Roman time period from The First Man in Rome than I've learned in any other book of the same period. I'm glad I have read this book just for the fact I can understand other novels set in Ancient Roman so much better.

Well that was incredible. Some minor issues along the way, mostly because of the size of the novel and some of the military campaigns seemed to drag, but I loved how detailed it was for historical fiction. That's not to say it wasn't entertaining - the characters and their dynamics were great, and overall it felt so alive with the politics, day-to-day life, and so on. The glossary, maps, pronunciation guides and illustrations make me appreciate it more and more. It can be a bit intimidating and confusing at times (especially with names) so my advice is to definitely consult these resources!

A must-read if you are interested in the Roman Republic. I'm so excited to work through the later books once I've had a bit of a breather. I've always loved this period of history, especially when Caesar joins in. (At this point he's just a baby haha.)

4,5⭐

Primer volumen de la serie de seis novelas, que la autora dedica a la fase final de la República romana. Para mí es relectura. En su día me gustó, aunque con algunos peros. En la actualidad mi percepción sigue siendo la misma.

Dice la sinopsis:
El primer hombre de Roma inicia la gran saga que Colleen McCullough ha dedicado a la antigua Roma. Colleen McCullough nos traslada a los primeros siglos de la civilización occidental y traza un espléndido cuadro de la Roma republicana. La historia se inicia en el año 110 a. C. con dos ambiciosos personajes, Mario y Sila, cuyo único y decidido objetivo es llegar a ser el primer hombre de Roma. El primero es un plebeyo de mediana edad, enardecido por la confianza en sus dotes y el enriquecimiento que ha logrado; el segundo, un joven y apuesto aristócrata corrompido por la pobreza familiar. Aquél, un militar disciplinado y soberbio, y éste, un desver­gonzado epicúreo. Mario se casa por interés para favorecer su carrera política, y Sila, por amor. Ambos pugnan en este primer episodio por el poder y la gloria. Mario y Sila, dos hombres con una misma ambición convertirse en el primer hombre de Roma.

Mis impresiones.

La novela abarca el periodo comprendido entre los años 110 a.c y 101 a.c. Se desarrolla en diez capítulos de bastante extensión titulados con el nombre de los cónsules electos del año en curso. Es una estructura interesante que nos permite situar los acontecimientos en el tiempo con bastante precisión. La novela da comienzo diecinueve años después de la muerte de Cayo Graco (el menor de los dos hermanos Graco). La facción de los optimates del Senado parece haber ganado la batalla a los populares. Es entonces cuando surgen en la vida pública las figuras de Mario y Sila. En esta entrega la autora narra el ascenso de Mario, sus seis primeros consulados, propiciados por la necesidad de que defendiese a Roma frente a la amenaza germana, y la relación que mantuvo con Sila, cuando colaboraron juntos en el ejército pese a sus diferencias políticas y de clase.

La trama se centra ante todo en los tejemanejes políticos de esos años. Es exhaustiva en este punto. Lo prioriza sobre los acontecimientos bélicos. Por supuesto que las campañas militares y las principales batallas como Arausio, Aquae Sextiae, Vercellae, etc, están ahí, pero resueltas cada una en pocos párrafos.
Lo acontecido a nivel político lo da a conocer por varias vías, siendo su preferida a la hora de aportar datos la correspondencia ficticia que Cayo Julio César (el abuelo del famoso Julio César), Publio Rutilio y otros mantuvieron con Mario cuando este se encontraba en campaña.

La ambientación y la documentación son de nota. Ni un pero que ponerle. Como es habitual en el género, novela los hechos y rellena los huecos. Al final del libro la autora nos indica las licencias que se ha tomado con algunos personajes y el porqué de hacerlo de ese modo. Incluye igualmente la relación de los personajes (imprescindible para no perdernos), y un glosario detallado de términos.

Los personajes son sobre todo reales, Mario, Sila, los Cayo Julio César, abuelo y padre del que pasó a la posteridad, Marcia, Aurelia, las dos Julias tías de César, Yugurta, Quinto Cecilio Metelo el Numídico, Saturnino y Glaucia, un jovencísimo Sertorio. etc, etc.

La novela termina con un Mario, que tras su sexto consulado ha sufrido un ictus y tiene que descansar un tiempo retirado de la vida pública. Aunque conozco la continuación, no tardaré en seguir con la relectura de la serie.

¿Y los peros?

Es demasiado prolija en datos a la hora de contar todo lo relativo a los acontecimientos políticos acaecidos durante los diez años que relata. Incluso a mí, que me fascina la política de este periodo de la historia de Roma, me ha parecido excesivo. La autora ha realizado una labor sobresaliente de documentación, sin embargo, no es necesario contarlo todo. Colleen McCullough no ha escrito un ensayo o un libro de historia sino una novela. En los dos primeros casos se debe ser exhaustivo, pero en una novela es preciso filtrar.

En conclusión. Primera novela de una serie de seis, que en su momento me fascinó y que me ha vuelto a gustar en la misma medida. Es de lectura muy recomendable para todos aquellos a los que les apasione la historia de Roma, siempre y cuando tengamos en cuenta que es prolija en datos.

This book is just...a collosal achievement. The Thornbirds is just "eh" for me, her take on P&P made me really appreciate her as a skilled author and storyteller...but THIS book makes me revere and idolize her as one of the best authors in existance.

This is an almost 1000 page book about the ancient Roman senate, and I was addicted to every single word. How awesome is that? I was terrified to start it, when I glanced over the almost 300 page glossary, all I could think was "man, what if I'm not smart enough to read this?" I shouldn't have worried! All you have to do is trustingly place yourself in McCullough's hands, and her book will entertain as well as inform. She made this story so captivating that I was on the edge of my seat more than once-over such things as a massive grain shortage and the passing of a bill to grant basic Roman citizens (the 'Head Count') land.

These people with their 3 and 4 word ridiculous names will quickly become real people, and by the end you'll feel like you've been reading about them for years.

Totally awesome.

This should have been a series that I salivated over - there are seven volumes, each 1000 pages, and they cover one of the most interesting and turbulent periods in Rome. I've been listening to Mike Duncan's The History of Rome podcast, and I've just made it through the ~7 episodes about Marius, Sulla, and the rise of Caesar. It's a period that I can't believe hasn't been written about more - you don't have to make up any of the drama!

Unfortunately, this book really dragged for me. I've never read Colleen McCullough, and I don't think I'd pick her up again; her style doesn't work for me (too many exclamation points), and at this point the characterizations seem a bit simplistic. I got about 200 pages in and wasn't enthralled by any of the characters. I know that Sulla is meant to be a dark hero in this one, but I didn't find his basic characteristics particularly appetizing.

The timeline is also stretched out quite a bit, which makes sense given the scope of the book. However, that coupled with the endless Roman names meant I was frequently confused. I'm no stranger to large casts of characters and epic-length novels, but this one made me tired.

In the end, I've decided to stop reading books that I don't love, and I feel like 200 pages was enough to give me the sense that I wasn't going to like it all that much. Anyone is welcome to convince me otherwise, though!