This is one hell of a monster of a book. Not only because of the page count, which is over 800 pages, but because of the sheer volume of information that you’re provided with. Even though I was thoroughly interested by the subject matter, it did get to be a bit overwhelming at times because of the amount of names and storylines. It was a bit difficult to keep track of sometimes. But I did thoroughly enjoy it despite that, I just needed to put it down sometimes and let my brain absorb. What I enjoyed most was how historically accurate the story was, the author put in an incredible amount of research and it really shows!

A distanza di quasi trent'anni rileggo questo capolavoro di romanzo storico, in cui la Storia di Roma che va dal 110 a.C. al 101 a.C. viene narrata in maniera estremamente fedele, ma romanzata in modo tale che il lettore si trova non soltanto avvinto, ma addirittura catapultato nel mondo romano, senza alcun bisogno di ricorrere a reminiscenze, studi o saggi di storia romana per comprendere il funzionamento dell'amministrazione pubblica o i vari costumi, e anche senza scadere nell'infodump.
In questo primo volume dell'imponente opera di McCullough il protagonista è Caio Mario, ma è evidente che sia le sue gesta militari e politiche e le sue riforme, sia la sua vita privata sembrino voler preparare il terreno per il vero First Man in Rome (è questo il titolo originale del romanzo), Caio Giulio Cesare, che qui compare un attimo, appena nato, ma di cui possiamo apprezzare l'ascendenza: il nonno Caio Giulio Cesare come lui, che ebbe la lungimiranza di accasare la figlia Iulia con un uomo nuovo, un campagnolo italico che non sapeva di Greco, ma che divenne quel Caio Mario che fu sette volte console di Roma e che consentì alla sua famiglia di fare un balzo in avanti in politica; poi il padre, il secondogenito Caio Giulio Cesare (nella famiglia il nome del primogenito era Sesto, il che vuol dire che anche il nonno di Cesare era secondogenito), che sposò l'equivalente romano di Elena di Troia, Aurelia, desiderata da tutti i rampolli della nobiltà patrizia, e che, al contrario di Elena, era dotata di un enorme buonsenso. Aurelia sposa Caio Giulio Cesare per amore, ma la sua dote servirà all'acquisto di un'insula nella Suburra in cui andare ad abitare, di cui lei sarà la proprietaria e l'amministratrice, affiancata dalle fedele schiava Cardixa. Questo sarà il luogo in cui Giulio Cesare nascerà e crescerà, e che influenzerà e amplierà il suo punto di vista su Roma e sul suo futuro.

New all-time favorite! And I'm stoked there are several more volumes in this epic historical saga. How fascinating history can be

I'll keep this brief, a lot has already been said in the other reviews. The book does a decent job if you're interested in this fascinating period of the roman revolution. However, summarizing; it's over-long, the beginning (100+ pages) it's very disorganized, the narrative tricks get really old (the use of letters to cover historical and plot gaps is extremely annoying), the coverage of battles is minimal, the ending stretches far too long. On the upside, the senate scenes are good and convincing, some of the characters are well developed, specially Sulla, and the Glossary is helpful (although better would have been a prose that doesn't require one). At some point in the novel one feels that the author is tired and just wants to get the job done.

If this series had ~300 pages, I would probably keep going despite its many defects, because it's still an entertaining way to get acquainted with this history. At ~1000 pages each volume, I doubt it.

It surprises me that lots of reviewers have called this the best historical novel they have read. Robert Graves' "I, Claudius" comes to mind as a much better example of a great one. Now I look forward to read Santiago Posteguillo's "Africanus, el hijo del consul" which according to most reviews is a fantastic historical novel.

Rome is a never ending fascination for me. Politics, power plays, forceful characters, guiles,deception and many more of those lip smacking delicacies of a republic drunk on its own power. Personally, my interest was fired by their supremely capable and organized armies, a very vocal governing system and that colossus of a man named Julius Caesar. The first man in rome however predates Caesar and begins way before his birth.

One thing to this novels credit isthe large amount of research that would have gone into producing this tome. The author gives us a magnifying glass to look at the Roman republic. The reader is treated to Rome's megalomania and pride which oozes even through the eyes of a beggar on the city streets. Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornellius Sulla form the two contrasting characters who look longingly at grasping the elusive grass crown of power over Rome. Gaius Marius is an in-the-face,blunt soldier and a general who takes his army from one victory to next while Sulla is an enigma : a man with the sexual instincts of a bull elephant in heat but with a razor sharp mind and intellect that would rival the most Machiavellian of politicians. He is truly a man to behold and with the other books in the lineage by McCullough, I think there is more to be heard about him.

Be sure to have a lot of time to spend for this book, it is by no means an easy read. At some places it even resembles a soap opera but skipping over those pages you get treated to that political cauldron that Rome was. The soap operatic parts are probably the only down sides I could find in the book. Not exactly to defend the book but when you paint a portrait on the lives of men and women on the grand scale against the backdrop of a stunningly fertile civilization, things do get dramatic at places.

Recommended...

I finished...what a sense of accomplishment! I had wanted to start McCullough’s Rome series for the longest time, but was scared to death of it because I knew nothing of the time period and then there’s the massive size of this book. Peeking at the first few pages and seeing the character names would send my head spinning. Names like Spurius Postumius Albinus and Quintus Lutatius Catulus, and if three names isn’t enough, then throw in Lucius Caecilius Metellus Dalmaticus Pontifex Maximus (yes, I know his position is thrown in there too), and I would just put the book back on the shelf. Then one day I see on my feeds that my friend Anna has shelved it. Before either of us fully realize what we have committed to, at least that’s how I felt, we are doing a buddy read. That was just the push I needed to tackle this tome. And those complicated names, don’t worry about them. I soldiered on and before I knew it I was on a first name basis with these characters.

I’m giving it 4 stars. There is a lot of information here and I feel like I have a better understanding of the time period but there were times when I felt like I was being subjected to too much information! For example, Marius (remember- I’m on a first name basis, I won’t be writing out full names) is off fighting battles quite a lot of the time. The author uses letters between Marius and Rufus to keep the reader and Marius up to date on the political happenings in Rome. These letters were really just info dumps and my eyes tended to glaze over. I didn’t understand a lot of the politics and it just didn’t hold my attention.

There is a lot I liked in this book. Not only do I understand how the naming works, but these characters are so well done. I feel like I really know them. The “Terrible Trio” of Jugurtha, Rufus and Marius, the Julius Caesar family, Aurelia, and the best of all, Sulla (he’s so bad that he’s great). There are so many well drawn characters that I just can’t go into them all, very well done. I also enjoyed learning all the bits about life in ancient Rome. Living in an insula, essentially an apartment building, was fascinating and so was the landlord. That creepy Tarpeian Rock, it really existed! I even enjoyed the military campaigns in northern Africa and the Gold of Tolosa. Then there are the German tribes, like Teutones and Cimbri, that threaten invasion. Sulla really shines on the military campaigns, he gets these ideas that are genius!

I’m still a little confused about time progression. I don’t know if their years are the same as years as we know them. I think back to the start of the book when someone, it might have been Marius, said he was 47 years old and next year he would be 57. I had to let statements like that go. Overall, I recommend this book to any fans of historical fiction. I’ll definitely be reading the next one, The Grass Crown.
Buddy read comments are here:
https://www.goodreads.com/read_status...

Somehow I picked this one up at the wrong time; it just didn't click with me for some reason. Too dense and impenetrable for me. I did enjoy a two or three volumes later in the series but was turned off by this particular one.

I'm giving it 4 stars, but I'm not sure it doesn't deserve 5. So I might change it later.

It doesn't really matter though. What matters is that this an epic work. Not only does it tell the tale of 2 up and coming men in Rome, Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla, it also gives you an in depth explanation of the workings of social and political Rome. You'll learn a lot about the political system, social climate, agriculture, and the structure of past Rome, and Italy. Even some Celtic and German.

This is all fascinating, but does require you to pay attention. It's a lot! McCollough does hand you all the explanations in a glossary, and with a bit of effort you will get the hang of it. Just don't expect to fly through the book. I didn't mind this.

Filled to the brim with military strategy, political manoeuvres and backstabbing, murder, and love or the lack thereof, the best parts of this book where whenever we followed Sulla closely. A fascinating human being that you're not sure you should be rooting for, but at the same time you can't look away.

This series is made up of quite a few monsters of books, and I'm looking forward to reading them all if they're anything like The First Man in Rome.

Образец качественной исторической прозы. Крутые мужики и их женщины в римской Поздней Республике вершат свой cursus honorum.

DNfing for now, not based on quality but because I desperately need to take a break from ancient Rome. I read so much Sallust last semester that this book feels like homework. But I will absolutely be back to try again, maybe in a month or two.

Pese a que las descripciones de las batallas no son, a mi parecer, lo suficientemente sangrientas ¿por qué? y a que esto es muy largo (se está quejando la persona que leyó un fanfic con igual número de palabras hace unos días sin siquiera protestar. Saludos), diría que este libro es… interesante, sí.

Episodios notab— err… no, no. Intentémoslo otra vez.
Escenas y demás:
*La campaña de cartas a Roma promovida activamente por Cayo Mario.
*Cayo Mario, anunciando su nuevo plan de reclutamiento ante el Senado: buena manera de desatar el caos, esa.
*El incidente de los caracoles, que acabó provocando la caída de la fortaleza del Muluya.
*Todas, todas las condecoraciones de Cayo Mario: santo carajo. A mí… me impresionaron, sí.
*Marco Aurelio Cota, informando al Senado sobre la aniquilación sufrida a manos de los germanos: triste, ese momento.
*El motín contra Catulo César: no se habla del motín. Eso. No. Sucedió.

Cayo Mario proviene de una familia rica, nació para mandar y es un ex pretor.
Cayo Mario es originario de Arpinum, no lo suficientemente romano según los propios romanos y en serio, en serio, comprende que ya es demasiado mayor como para aspirar a algún cargo prominente.
Y, sin embargo, hay algo en él que le dice —le asegura, le grita— que, de darse la oportunidad adecuada, él ¡él! podría convertirse en El "primer hombre de Roma "…

Cayo Julio César sabe que es el patriarca de una familia respetada, distinguida y a la cual ama. Él también sabe y acepta que no es adinerado, que los años le han ido pasando factura y que debe, urgentemente, asegurar el bienestar económico de sus hijos.
Y si tendrá que dar en matrimonio a una de sus hijas y adoptar al futuro esposo con el fin de lograr tal objetivo… se hará. El hombre elegido —Cayo Mario— no parece ser cruel, de todos modos… y la posibilidad de que Mario llegue a conseguir grandes cosas gracias a su apoyo está ahí, de verdad…

Lucio Cornelio Sila es un hombre casi totalmente pobre, nada influyente y que vive rodeado de borrachos, charlatanes y mendigos.
Lucio Cornelio Sila es un noble patricio (y no precisamente el primero de su estirpe), con derecho de nacimiento al consulado mas sin fortuna para ejercerlo y entiende, entiende, que deberá esforzarse si es que quiere obtener poder y respeto.
Ahora, si tan solo la hija de César dejara de complicarle la vida… ah bueno. De todo se puede sacar ventaja, supone…

I will certainly be reading more in this series. History has a way of coming alive in this one. This is historical fiction of the best kind.