Segundo libro de la saga sobre Roma, donde Sulla, Marius y Caesar coinciden en tiempos convulsos, con la revuelta italiana, el inicio de la guerra del Este y la muerte de Marius al inicio de su séptimo período consular.

Another sparkler from Mccullouch, though not quite as cohesive as the previous. Now, I do have my reasons for feeling this is 4* not 5*. Firstly, this again is an incredibly long read, full of twists and turns and the adventures of both war and senate, yet... yet, I do feel parts could have been reduced, less verbose, and there's so much here, and much possible action we don't see that would bring a more human element into the picture that I know it could be separated into two books with a very clear demarcation.
Secondly, the emphasis being on Sulla, I want to feel more of his psychopathy: there's no reason a person is that way, they just are. They can fake emotion, and many do so successfully, but though it's very much implied in the book (and will be later), there seems to be a lot of attempts to give him more colour and emotion when, to be honest, the reader would probably appreciate more attempt at trying to understand that psychopathy and show his attempts at aping normal human emotion (he can't hate, love, appreciate, empathize, get angry - well, unless it's synthesized, and because of all this he certainly can't understand others. Only ape the emotions they show.)
There are many times McCullough has him feeling things, and my inner demonic critic is screaming no no no, but as my crminological knowledge and obsessions are more acute than most - I watch a lot about serial killers and have both a-level and BA in Criminology, then I know I'm not the normal reader in these terms!
A little nitty-picky, of course, and if I would have written his character in a different way, the fact remains that I haven't. So an armchair critic is no kind of critic at all. If you're emotionally stable it's hard to write a character who isn't, but McCullough does a great job, even excepting the whole emotion thing. Who knows, I may be wrong, and he may have just been a damaged man needing affirmation. It has been known!!
The writing in this book is as superlative as in the previous, and though it could be split, the whole effect is astounding - her books in this series are the most comprehensive there are, even now, decades after release. No writer has covered the democracy of the Romans in such details. The fall of Roman democracy is one of the most amazing and interesting times, with all these 'warlords', which technically they were, and the only future was Augustus and his thinly disguised dictatorship, admittedly the kid gloves kind, and though we think today's western society is a democracy, just look at who makes the laws and rules in society and think clearly, as those 35 tribes do so remind me of the British voting system, but on a larger scale. The only difference being our tribes only vote people they don't know into positions where they have virtual complete control, whereas the Romans' actually voted on all laws: makes the reader think about our own society, if looked at this way, and find the parrallels and similarities therein.
McCullough has a grasp on this, I can tell, and maybe her books should be a lesson to anyone not wanting to read the actual history: be careful who you give power to. Very careful xx

Probablemente la lectura que más trabajo me supone valorar.
Generalmente, un libro de esta envergadura pero de una temática que me apasiona, me suele llevar entorno al mes y medio, y este en cambio… ¿De donde salen entonces las 5 estrellas? Seguramente, tras la lectura del primer libro de esta saga hubiese debido hacer una pausa y cambio de temática para su correcta reflexión, pero no lo hice y preferí simplemente alternarlo con otro tipo de lecturas. Así que, bajo estas circunstancias trataré de explicar mi valoración.
En esta novela, nos encontramos con un punto de vista diametralmente opuesto al que Posteguillo ha puesto de actualidad(Roma soy yo y Maldita Roma). Continuamos en la tumultuosa República Romana, pero nos hallamos ante una construcción de la personalidad de cada uno de los muchos protagonistas, que difiere en gran medida de lo que tanto este último autor como la gran generalidad nos han tratado de imbuir. Por ejemplo, encontramos a un Sila mucho más humano(al menos en sus orígenes), un Cayo Mario mucho menos inmortal y, sobre todo, al aún pequeño pero ya indomable Julio Cesar que trasmite un aire a… ¿Sila?. Si bien, lo cierto es que ante todo, aunque sigo echando en falta más desarrollo bélico, nos encontramos ante una reconstrucción de la sociedad romana simplemente majestuosa.
Ante esta visión estructural, me gustaría terminar con la pregunta que al menos yo me he hecho, (que probablemente sea la mejor explicación posible al porqué de mi valoración): ¿Es esta visión de la autora en torno a los protagonistas, la más fiel a la desconocida realidad?.
Supongo que nunca lo sabremos, pero lo cierto es que el punto de vista que entiendo que trata de transmitir, de que ni los buenos son tan buenos, ni los malos son tan malos, quizá, siempre sea el más adecuado ante cualquier contexto histórico o contemporáneo. Quizás.

Continuación de "El primer hombre de roma" La corona de hierba (en inglés, The Grass Crown) de Colleen McCullough. retoma la trama poco después del El primer hombre de Roma.
La novela se centra en Lucio Cornelio Sila y Cayo Mario, ambos personajes claves de la época que se emparentan en situaciones totalmente diferentes con los las híjas de Cayo Julio César, padre del Julio César que conocemos.
Es increible la exactitud histórica de la novela, lo grande de esta serie es que asistimos a un curso de historia romana que resulta de los más entretenida, ya que presenta en forma novelada todos los pormenores de la época siguiendo una trama que entreteiene mientras ilustra.


Cayo Mario y Lucio Cornelio Sila cenan juntos con sus esposas, y discuten la amenaza que representan Mitrídates VI del Ponto y Tigranes II de Armenia. que van a declarar la guerra al imperio en el marco de una guerra civil que Roma entre sus amotinados aliados italianos a los que se denegó la ciudadanía romana pese al intento de Marco Livio Druso de asegurarles la ciudadanía, terminando con su asesinato.

Mario y Sila, logran aplastar la rebelión interna. Mario sufre un segundo infarto y se retira de la guerra. Sila, salva a sus tropas y se le entrega ("corona de hierba"), máximo honor que solo se dio en pocas ocasiones en tiempos de la República.

Ya resuelto el problema con los italianos Mario y Sila traman la venganza frente a Mitrídates y Tigranes, discuten quién debe liderar las legiones en el Este.
Mario, envejecido y desacreditado como político necesita gloria y reconocimiento por lo que piensa que sólo él tiene el talento y la capacidad necesaria para derrotar a los reyes orientales aliados.
Sila por su lado piensa que su viejo mentor no desea hacerse a un lado y quiere evitar la oportunidad de Sila de eclipsarlo.
El Senado, considerando la edad de Mario y su mal estado de salud apoya a Sila, quedando los dos en discordia.
Los comicios romanos rápidamente se convierten en una fuente de conflicto político entre los dos hombres que culmina con la marcha de Sila sobre Roma. Y a Cayo Mario a perseguir séptimo consulado, que logra obtener seguido de una serie de infartos que casi lo vuelven loco.

Se describe la infancia de Julio César y Catón el Joven, así como los primeros momentos de las carreras militares de Pompeyo y Cicerón (quien fue nombrado como cadete por Pompeyo Estrabón) en la guerra social: y el injusto juicio y exilio de Publio Rutilio Rufo, falsamente acusado de extorsión, expulsado de Roma, y bienvenido por una fiesta callejera en su honor en la ciudad de la que se le acusó de saquear.


Como dije, la serie se convierte en una auténtica cátedra de historia romana, los hechos fueron reales pero las tramas son noveladas de una forma espectacular, pero como dije en mi primer reseña, no serán novelas del gusto de todos.

I don’t write reviews.

Ambition. Political ambition. Ambition for power. Ambition to become the greatest man in Rome. Ambition that will not allow another to outstrip one’s ambition or gain more than one has or will gain. Ambition to be remembered forever. Often equal ambition to ensure others won’t be remembered, and certainly not remembered as greater man.

Auctoritas. Dignitas. Paterfamilias. Imperium. Patrician or Plebian. First class knight or senator or just a member of the Head Count of Rome. Imagine being in the dangerous position where you cannot be questioned, even when your policies and military failures lead to the destruction of your people and soldiers. Imagine another dangerous position where you cannot question at all. You can speak up and be killed, or stay silent and watch those you love die.

I cannot understand. Oh how I try! McCullough’s writing transports me directly into the minds of these men, yet I cannot understand. These men are enigmas, which is positively fascinating. Even though their ambition and hubris lead to their ultimate demise, I love to watch. I found myself feeling for these personalities. Whether I felt for good or bad.

McCullough brought history to life. Her maps are really helpful in this book: Italy of the Social War, the areas of Rome’s Asia Province, the Mediterranean countries (some, allies and others, enemies), King Mithidrates’ expansion and following war against Rome, and the routes taken by the generals during these wars.

***Note on the audiobook version***
This book is 1200 pages which would be over 40 hours long. The one available is severely edited down into a 6 hour story. I recommend reading the real complete version.

Ok, I can admit it - I'm an ancient Rome junkie, and Colleen McCullough is my dealer. Nobody - not even the venerable Robert Graves, or Marguerite Yourcenar, can write a crackling, entertaining AND factually nails-on story of Ancient Roman politics, history and characters like McCullough. Thanks to her books I can describe the difference between a praetor and a consul, and understand that great Roman leaders didn't just start with Julius Caesar. This book mostly covers the period of the dictator Sulla's rise to fame, the twilight of the great Gaius Marius, and the early childhood and adolescence of both Julius Caesar and Pompey Magnus.

Politics, strategy, cunning and bribery: this is the life of the Roman government during the years 98-86 BC and at the heart of it is Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla. After reading the first book in this series I was expecting Marius to quickly ascend to the consul position for a record seventh time quickly, but it slowly built to a crescendo of action. The scene was set for the battles between the Italians against Romans, with Rome hampered by political bickering and Italy hampered by disorganisation. Just when events start to settle, enter Sulla.

Worth a read if you want one of the best, most in-depth insights into Roman life.

Favourite quotes:

“Let us hope so, Lucius Cornelius. Because on the day that Gaius Marius enters a Senate half full of Italians, he’ll be the First Man in Rome again. And consul a seventh time.”

“Gaius Marius! The straightest, the most honorable man Lucius Decumius knew. What has Lucius Sulla said years ago? That even when he took a crooked path, Gaius Marius trod it straightly.”

“”Not-done-yet…Seven-times.” Sulla reared back as if Marius had risen from the couch and struck him. Then, even as he scrubbed his palm across his own tears, he uttered a shrill little paroxysm of laughter, laughter ending as abruptly as it had begun. “If I have anything to do with it, Gaius Marius, you’re done for!”

This heroic endeavour by the brilliant Colleen McCullough, rests snugly amongst the likes of the Count of Monte Cristo and the Grapes of Wrath. Yes, The Grass Crown is that good.

This is the second instalment of a series of books covering the late Roman Republic, say around 100-80 BCE. We are still some decades before the first Roman Emperor, Augustus, takes the throne in 27 BCE. But this book covers the period of a crumbling, corrupt, decaying, ultra-violent, civil war ridden Republic, run by a Senate full of bickering, desiccated or bloated Patricians, lording it over the unwashed masses – or as McCollough refers to them, the Head Count.

The two main characters here, as in the first book, The First Man in Rome, are Gaius Marius and Cornelius Sulla – the former being a great general and the latter his reliable accomplice. This second book follows on from their audacious warmongering in Germania and Africa to new fields afresh trying to keep the Republic in order. Their main theatres of activity are in the East (where Turkey, the Black Sea, Iran, and the Middle East are now) and Italy itself with the brutal Civil Wars, the main cause of which was the lack of citizenship rights for the people living in Italy who weren’t granted Roman Citizenship. The King in the East, Mithridates is one of the most interesting, capricious and violent characters you’ll ever come across, by the way.

This series makes Game of Thrones look like Sesame Street, albeit a very violent version of Sesame Street. Perhaps with Bert and Ernie impaling Big Bird (who was so bloody annoying anyway) and The Count finally revealing his tricks with numbers (which weren’t that clever anyway if you think about it) were just a guise to relieve Grover of 2 litres of his blood behind the garbage bin.

Anyway……Marius is really THE Man – he was Consul Seven times. Now, Consuls were the people who ran the show. After the Romans decided they didn’t like to be subject to the tyrannic rule of Kings, they created a system whereby two Consuls were voted in by the Patricians, two – to ensure there was a counterbalance to combat tyranny. These guys called the shots. Marius was a superstar general and extremely wealthy and would think nothing of directing his soldiers to slaughter whoever was in in his way – Numidian, Cappadocian, Italian, Roman, military or civilian, young or old, it didn’t matter.

Marius’ sidekick for much of the first book was the dashingly good looking, incredibly buff Sulla. This man was equally as brutal, and a rake of the highest order. He treated the women in his life abysmally, lover, wife, daughter – you name it, he was a bastard. Well now Sulla emerges from Marius’ shadows.



Marius, was known for his luxurious eyebrows, they're almost dripping off his forehead here



The dashing Sulla

This is historical fiction at its best. Marius and Sulla going at their enemies and each other is one of the best rivalries of all time. The research McCullough must have done would have been colossal. She includes maps of actual battles (containing so much detail, I had to go full nerd, and study them with my magnifying glass), plans of buildings, places such as the forum and a 100-page Glossary at the end. Yes 100 pages dripping with delicious Republic of Rome facts. Oh, this was heaven on a stick!!

There are countless characters from all over the Republic in this story and sometimes I went nuts trying to remember ‘who was who’ – but a bit of patience and hard work here and there really paid off. The reader also must digest names like Quintus Varius Severus Hybrida Sucronensis, for heaven’s sake, it was enough to make me want to eat my own head!!

In amongst the bloodletting there was an equal amount of political shenanigans. I really enjoyed this aspect, it might not be for everyone, but it did illustrate just how complicated the Republican political system was. Really, us humans haven’t change at all.

Oh, there is a bonus here because we see the real Julius Caesar as a young boy grow up, he was the nephew of Marius, he even spent considerable time helping him recover from one of his numerous strokes. You couldn’t make this stuff up!!!!!

I’ll shut up now, I’ve said so little about the story you probably know less about it than before you read my review BUT it’s that big, so vast – I wouldn’t know where to begin.

5 Stars

Triumphant

The Grass Crown brings Sulla, Marius, Gaius Julius Caesar and the entire Roman world to life in a way that no other writing does. It brings perspective to the atrocities of the time as to how and why events happened as they did. As this is a work of fiction, of course there are liberties taken with events, and everything else, but overall it is a fabulous interpretation of the Sullan and Marian Era. I have been a fan of this series for many years and I read and re-read them fairly often. I gives me a great deal of food for thought when I read real historical accounts of that life and times. Highly recommend.

I gave up on it. There are wonderful parts interspersed with really long boring parts... The boring parts won. =(

Colleen McCullough has such a way of bringing history to life. The Grass Crown, the second book in her Masters of Rome series, picks up where The First Man in Rome leaves off, continuing to follow the careers of Gaius Marius, still pursuing that unprecedented 7th consulship, and Lucius Cornelius Sulla, desperately seeking a reputation of his own beyond that of Gaius Marius' right-hand man. McCullough also introduces King Mithradates VI Eupator of Pontus and King Tigranes II (the Great) of Armenia and the beginnings of their conflict with the Roman Republic. As detailed and in-depth as McCullough's handling of these events is, I never found myself bored or skimming through passages. On to Fortune's Favorites!

I've always found the Italian Civil War very confusing. I still find it very confusing, but I think I understand it a little better now.