The First Man in Rome

Written by Colleen McCullough

Narrated by David Ogden Stiers

"The First Man in Rome was not the best man: he was the First among other men who were his equals...To be the First Man in Rome was something far better than kingship..."

In the first century B.C. at the height of the Roman Republic, two men set their sights on becoming the First Man - the Roman more respected than any other. Marius, a heroic man of strength and means, lacks the noble blood to contend for the First Man, but overcomes his common status when he marries into the patrician house of Caesar. Sulla, a pleasure-seeking aristocrat without money of his own, is transformed by his ambitions into a fierce and daring warrior. Together the two men will shape history as they are thrust into a raging storm - engaging in deadly political contests and waging far-off wars for a state battling to hold on to its enormous power.

Rich with unforgettable characters and unerring historical accuracy, The First Man in Rome is a vivid tale of power, treachery, and a great Republic hurtling towards civil war...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Oct 1, 1990
• ISBN: 9780743548960

Colleen McCullough

Colleen McCullough is the author of The Thorn Birds, Tim, An Indecent Obsession, A Creed for the Third Millennium, The Ladies of Missalonghi, The First Man in Rome, The Grass Crown, Fortune's Favorites, Caesar's Women, Caesar, and other novels. She lives with her husband on Norfolk Island in the South Pacific.

Reviews for The First Man in Rome

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Long but very interesting. I enjoy learning history this way, through historical fiction. Most of the characters are based on fact -- she just filled in the blanks and put the words in their mouths. I am enormously impressed by the amount of research she put into this book. I would have found it quite daunting.

[ramzartso-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book changed my life. I became a serious reader thanks to this very novel. It' so good, I've read it twice.

[jboehret_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In the first few pages, we are introduced to Gaius Julius Caesar and his family consisting of wife, Marcia, sons Sextus and Gaius Julius, and daughters Julia and Julia, more commonly referred to as Julilla (very common for Romans to name their daughters similar names and refer to them with nicknames). Gradually, through a ceremony who's purpose I cannot recall, we are introduced to the real stars of The First Man in Rome: Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla. Marius is extremely wealthy with great knowledge of military and politics, but he comes from a non-Roman family - a requirement to be apart of the political arena of Rome. His counterpart, Sulla, is a Cornelius, a well-known, high-born family with all the clout that comes with it. But his issue is that he has no money and no reputation - his drunken, now deceased father, the perpetrator. The First Man in Rome follows these two gentlemen (and their families and families' families) as the political environment in Rome drastically changes. Through two wars, a loss of thousands of soldiers and haughty tempers on the Senate, Marius and Sulla climb the ladder as best they can to be among the elite.I give all of the credit to Colleen McCullough for her astounding research into the lives of these men and the rest of the sweeping cast. Truly, she should be commended in the best of ways for her research and then successfully delivering it to the readers in a manageable, easy to digest and wonderfully worded historical fiction.For the most part, the story of the First Man in Rome is likable. One really gets to know the turmoil in Rome at this time from a political standpoint and there is so much to be taken and learned from the creators of modern day democracy. I learned so much from this book that it's hard to put into words how much I value that. But the buck stops there. The biggest problem I had with The First Man in Rome, and thus will prevent me from reading the rest of the series, is the ridiculous length of the novel. I like big books. They give the opportunity for better, more thought-out explanations and better character development. I sometimes find the stories are richer and more real this way. All of this, you simply cannot accomplish in 400 pages or less. Unfortunately, here, after 500 pages (hard-earned, mind you), I kept thinking it was almost over, that surely, it can stop here. I thought the same at 600 pages, 650 and so on and so forth. There were a multitude of places where this book could have been cut up and split into several more easily readable novels. And this feeling makes the reading painful - something reading should never do.I also found the book to be too political and a little over the heads of many readers. I dunno, but from the synopsis, I wasn't expecting there to be that much emphasis on the politics. I was expecting a little more action, a little more sex (as the Romans do), a little more violence and debauchery. What I got was a conservative speech from the podium at the House of the Senate. Bleh.This is without a doubt a character-driven book. I adored the characters, really and truly. I got to know them on a very personal level. I knew their secrets, their home lives, their innermost desires they themselves could not admit to. And they have stayed with me. One aspect of the novel that I really appreciated with relation to this character-based premise was how McCullough relayed information. While Marius and Sulla were away in Africa and then, Gaul-Across-the-Alps, Rome was scintillating and lots happened - famine broke out, senators died, women lost babies, people went crazy, etc. One of Marius' closest friends, confidants and family by one marriage or another, Publius Rutilius Rufus kept in correspondence with him. In these letters, Rufus explained all that happened in Rome with a voice that was amusing and interesting. I found this to be a really great reprieve in the novel (as these letters usually came at the end of the too-long chapters) and looked forward to the block-quote style text found between endlessly massive paragraphs.Unfortunately, character-driven books tend to not go anywhere. The plot is very slow and doesn't really follow the formula for a fiction novel. There's no rising action leading to a climax in the plot that leads to a resolution. Or maybe there was but then I'd have to say there were lots of them, hence the idea of several smaller novels. I had a real problem with this and felt as though it dragged on for no good reason.Overall, I'm glad I read this. I'm glad I stuck with it through to the end. The time and effort McCullough put into this book, and the series overall, is well worth the reading it. She really is a masterful storyteller, I just couldn't get past the length and general going-nowhere-ness.

[tess_schoolmarm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good overall historical fiction by one of my favorite authors, Colleen McCullough. However, there were so many characters and so many technical terms that I was constantly having to look them up because I was "lost."

[neferset_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love history, particularly ancient history.

The First Man in Rome is the first book in a fictional series that chronicles the devolution of Rome from republic to empire. It begins with Gaius Marius and the start of his relationship with the Caesar family.

While I found some of the military campaigning to be a bit of a drag (for others there might not be enough of it), I found it very readable and full of well researched details of period life to make me happy.

I wish that the series had begun with Gaius and Tiberius Gracchus (and maybe she'll go back and do that someday). It was a time filled with political turmoil all of which was significant in making Rome what it became.

[Igor Murawski · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful book, superbly read. However, remember that it's a heavily abridged version.

[robeik_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The first man in Rome. A very long book, even if the glossary is over 100 pages. It's a complicated book, but then again Rome was complicated. Give yourself some time, and you'll get into it. Better still, do some reading on the side on the various characters - this is not a thriller, and so learning the ending is not going to spoil the story.One let down - the maps (hand drawn by the author) - are almost useless. Seek this information elsewhere.

[trutx · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First book of the "Masters of Rome" series by this author.I wanted to learn about the fall of the Republic of Rome. This 6 books series is right what I was looking for because it covers the period I wanted to learn about, in a very accurate historical fiction fashion.The book series starts with this book on the year 110bc to follow the story of Mario, Sila, Pompey and most especially Cesar.

[yossarianxeno · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Browsing in a second hand book sale I came across this and bought it, though without any great expectation. It was therefore a real pleasure to read this thoroughly researched and superbly told fictional account of the political and military rise of Gaius Marius, the outsider who became Senior Consul of Rome around 100BCE. McCullough deftly weaves fiction into fact, unafraid to use her imagination where there is a gap in the historical record, but always in a way that feels consistent with the era. The drama of the period, combined with the author's skill, means the book proceeds with verve and pace despite its considerable length. The characterisation is exceptional across the many members of the novel's cast. I'd recommend this to anyone with an interest in the Roman Republic.

[karen_wells_58 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A fine imagination at work here, but two things stop it being a great historical novel: the writing is ponderous and slow, dialogue is unrealistic, and the repetitions made my teeth curl. Secondly, McCullough knows her subject but does not wear her learning lightly. It's as if she had a list of 'interesting things I know about Rome' and squeezed them all in, regardless of the brakes this put on the narrative. Overall I enjoyed it, but only just!

[nillacat · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First class research, first class recreation of an alien culture. I think she must have taken some of her insights into her upper-class political characters from Victoriana. They come across as very real people. The politics and battles are stirring, there is a little low humor and some genuinely funny scenes. The writing is vivid.

[nandadevi_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

McCullough, previously known to me by virtue of her classic 'Catholic Priest in love' pot-boiler 'Thorn Birds' (and what a novel idea - it now seems - for a priest to be attracted to one of his lady parishioners....) subsequently settled down to write some seriously good historical fiction, covering the years 110 BC through to 27 BC and the slow death of the Roman Republic. The seven volume series spans over 5,000 pages, and includes numerous appendixes detailing - among other things - an in-depth explanation of the Latin obscene words and phrases scattered throughout the text. But the real value is in the authenticity of the big and little facts that fill out the picture of ancient Rome, and if the text is a little wooden at times, the characters do their best to liven up the story with their predilection for murder, betrayal and corruption. All rather familiar themes in modern politics and commerce...

[pompeia_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this series. It's the most complicated plot I've ever found and the best part is it's actually based on history. Reading these books will tell you (almost) everything you could ever want to know of the time period from Marius to the death of Brutus - i.e. the fall of the Republic. I just wish the author had started from the punic wars or the Gracchi - then I could be in heaven much longer with each reading...

[doondeck · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This book was terrible. A silly and ridiculous portrait of Caesar and Rome.

[booksandwine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The First Man In Rome by Colleen McCullough is a door-stopper of a book. Without the 100 page glossary, it clocks in at 931 pages. The premise of the book is that it details the rise to power of Gaius Marius, also known as the third founder of Rome. There's politics, sex, and war. Really, you would think the First Man in Rome would be right up my alley and take a short time for me to read. Eh, wrong.It took me from September to December to finish the First Man In Rome. It's not that this is a horrible book or that it's not very engaging, I just didn't have the focus while student teaching to let myself be absorbed by this book. I would say that in order to really enjoy the First Man In Rome, you have to allow yourself to become wrapped up in it, you should give yourself more time to read it per night, rather than just reading during lunch breaks and sporadically. I am glad I waited until a good time for me to read the book, because too often I wind up disliking a book because I read it at the wrong time for me in my life.The characters are unforgettable. I liked the political maneuvering within the book. Much of the book centers on the senate and the tribune of the plebs and just how much palm-greasing was required to get some legislation through. There's also corruption. I loved it. Also, you've got the character of Sulla whose been through some bad shit, and also does terrible things, but somehow I'm still compelled to read more about him. The main character, Marius is fabulous. He's strong, militant, can be funny, and sort of makes me think of Russell Crow in Gladiator. Yeah, I know I shouldn't be picturing actors for characters, but really Marius and Russell Crow look the same in my mind.I feel like I learned a ton about Rome as well. I learned about the cursus honorum which is basically what you have to climb to gain power. I learned about the importance of grain to the Roman economy. Also why the tribune of plebs is important. The First Man in Rome is incredibly researched. McCullough's scholarship is impeccable.I do recommend this book if you've got the time to dedicate to it. I also think you should pick it up if you find Roman history/ancient world history interesting. Also think you might like if you are into historical fiction, or historical politics. One of my interests outside of book blogging is politics. I mean, obviously I'm not going to try and convert you all to my political ideology, but if you do find that sort of thing interesting, by all means check this book out! While reading the First Man In Rome, I recommend drinking wine of course! What sort of wine? White riesling. It was first made by the Germans who are an important factor in this book. It smells good and tastes pretty sweet, it's definitely something I could drink glass after glass of

[ailinel-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book remains high on my list of favorite reads. First Man in Rome educates as it entertains, containing a plethora of information about ancient Roman life as well as numerous historical people, places, and events. The style is fluid, the characters dynamic, and the plot enjoyable. The book is intricate enough to encompass military storylines, political plots, social problems, class issues, and geopolitical struggles without becoming overly convoluted or losing its character. It reminds me in many ways of the best epic fantasy novels, given that McCullough builds up a society vastly different from our own and creates a world with such richness and depth that the reader falls into it until he or she can understand not only its (many) main characters, but also how the society works, thinks, feels, and lives.

[santhony_35 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is historical fiction, set in Ancient Rome, focusing on Gaius Marius "The First Man in Rome" during the period of the Roman Republic (before Julius Caesar and Augustus). McCullough weaves a very complex and detailed Rome with historically accurate terminology and cultural references that require the attention of the reader. Highly recommended for those with an affinity for the period.

[melissarochelle_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Possibly one of the largest books I've ever read. Definitely the only fiction I've ever read with a glossary! An interesting read...I will definitely read more in the series. I want to see how it all ties together with the fall of the Republic (you know, Julius Ceasar, Pompey, Octavion). The Grass Crown is next...wish me luck!

[jgolomb_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"First Man in Rome" is an extremely well written and conceptualized piece of historical fiction. McCullough has painstakingly recreated the world of the Roman Republic during the late 100s BC. Her research is in full display as she created her own maps, glossary and even pencil drawings of some of the key characters. The story is full of political intrigue, history, and character-driven drama. It's enjoyable, but will require a bit of patience to work through the multi-threaded plot lines and overwhelming amount of characters.

[surreality_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Plot: Historical novel, so it obviously follows the outline from the Jugurthan war to the end of Marius' sixth consulship. The main plot centers on Marius and Sulla, with plenty of side plots that tie well together.Characters: Excellently drawn, with enough attention even on the minor characters to make their behaviour logical. It's a large cast, and Roman naming conventions don't help much, but it is not difficult to keep them all apart. Style: Dense, even though description is relatively sparse. A lot of background information is given out, usually in epistles that can grow a bit tiring. Plus: Historical accuracy. No blunders there, what is made up or assumed is plausible. Minus: Too many maps and pictures scattered throughout the books. Map of the Roman empire, yes, map of Aurelia's house, no. Summary: A great read, but some background knowledge of the time, original Roman terminology, and locations is certainly helpful. Resorting to the appendix covers those needs, but it interrupts the reading flow.

[bookmarque · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Finally read the whole thing. Very interesting to see the class system at work before the imperial system. The patricians and the plebians and how each of them controlled a certain segment of the government. Consuls were elected by essentially electoral colleges and they were the men who carried out the projects; like wars, road building, public works etc. Marius is so pissed off because it is the noblemen who have been losing the wars and killing off the population from which the army is made up. So he does a radical thing; gets together a Head Count army which is made up of the lowborn. Prior to this, soldiers had to be men of some substance. It was believed that a man would only fight well if he had something to protect. The trouble was that this was a huge drain on the economy. If a man remained in service 10-20 years, his farm very likely ran into disrepair and no longer could sustain itself. Rich men could then buy the land very cheaply, turn out the women and children and bring in slaves to run the place profitably. When the men were discharged, they were penniless and ended up in the slums of Rome, living off the miniscule wages they could find. It was a very subtle way to keep the rich richer and the poor poorer. Because they had no new men to bring into the army, they kept the soldiers on for longer times and then even those who might have returned to working farms, couldn?t and no new sons were born to fill the new generations. It was a vicious cycle. Marius had to fight tooth and nail to get the Senate to see that the proper reward for his Head Count army would be land. They wanted to keep all the land for the privileged rich. Explanations of the influx of poor, idle soldiers descending into Rome and causing crime rates to rise and general havok did no good. Amazing snobbery.Roman women were no better off. Mostly they were sold off to husbands by their fathers so that he or his sons could have a favorable position in life. They weren?t allowed to eat with the men on couches, just chairs. They couldn?t drink. They couldn?t hold property while their husbands or fathers were alive. They couldn?t vote or have any part in political life. Unless they had ?enlightened? husbands, or could get some hold over him, they had very little freedom.An engrossing story and history lesson and a great opening salvo to the series.

[john257hopper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Probably my favourite historical fiction series. Really meaty and engrossing.

[lisamaria_c · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book in the seven book Masters of Rome series dealing with the last century of the Roman Republic, from 110 to 30 BC. At the start of The First Man in Rome we meet Gaius Julius Caesar--the grandfather of his namesake the famous general. This family patriarch marries one daughter to Gaius Marius and the other to Lucius Cornelius Sulla--two rivals for "first man in Rome." The book has a very large cast. McCullough lists 42 as "main characters" but few are really memorable years after my read. The central character in this book is definitely Gaius Marius, and this book tells the tale of his rise to power and his unprecedented six back to back consulships over the span of a decade. Sulla also comes through vividly--a complex character, sympathetic here despite his dark aspects. And their two wives, Julia and Jullila also are memorable characters in the book--as is Aurelia, the mother of Julius Caesar who is born in the last pages of the book.I have a friend who is a classicist. She doesn't just know Greek and Latin, she teaches Latin for a living and Rome is her passion. She just couldn't get into this book. I've seen some reviewers complain it can be ponderous reading, and it can be and at such an intimidating length, I'm not sure I can ever bring myself to reread it. I don't think McCullough is as good a writer as, for instance, Robert Graves, of I, Claudius. But I loved this book, a favorite among historical fiction, for how it fully immersed me in the world of the late Roman Republic over two millennium ago. More so than Graves. How it can point up the modern aspects in all different sorts of social strata, from the maneuverings of the Senate to the startling cosmopolitan world of Aurelia's insula (tenement). I think my friend perhaps knew too much about Rome, and that spoiled her for the book--it would take outstanding prose writing to entice her into a world she already knows so intimately. And I don't think McCullough gives you that--the writing itself is fairly pedestrian. This isn't the kind of book that makes me want to highlight lines or dogear pages or linger in sheer envy of the prose. But it does what really fine historical fiction does--make you feel like you've lived in a distant place and era. And it's because of this book and series that when my Latinate friend said all she wanted in her field was dignitas, I understood exactly what she meant.

[pbjwelch · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you love classical history and read some fiction, definitely launch into this first of Colleen McCullough's series of 'fact'-ition on classical Rome. I picked up the second volume in the series The Grass Crown and couldn't put it down, then had to sit on my hands waiting for the first volume to arrive (The First Man in Rome) to begin at the beginning.

Gaius Marius and Sulla come alive in this volume as in no other history of the classical period. The language is blunt (and often brunt), and so colourful yet historically accurate in its details and portrayals (OK, a little poetic license is taken but author scholar McCullough argues her positions well in the bounteous glossary at the back of the book that's worth the price of the book alone in historical information about Roman life and culture). It's the perfect book to accompany Robin Lane Fox's Classical World or David Abulafia's history of the Mediterranean (The Great Sea).

There are lots of reviews about this book, so I will not go into details. Suffice it to say it exudes literary gravitas; the story is enthralling in its detail and when you finish this book, there are five more in the series to keep you chained under your reading lamp.

[roguebelle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely engrossing. Mind, I may be prejudiced, being a huge fan of ancient Rome already, but I thought this book did a great job of making the politics of the Old Republic extremely accessible and entertaining. Marius and Sulla are dynamic, driving characters, but the background cast holds up wonderfully as well. My only real negative comment is that McCullough sometimes picks up threads only to drop them later -- but, as I've yet to read the rest of the series, it's possible those will come back into play in the next book, or later on. More attention could also stand to be paid to the women of Rome, who get a bit short-shrifted -- perhaps because of lack of historical evidence on them, but, c'mon, Colleen, that's what fiction is for!I will definitely be reading the rest of the series, and recommend this book to any fan of classical history.

[tess_i_am48 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good overall historical fiction by one of my favorite authors, Colleen McCullough. However, there were so many characters and so many technical terms that I was constantly having to look them up because I was "lost."

[jerry2book-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was always curious about the career of Gaius Marius. He was the Roman general who was the precursor to Julius Caesar. He was a new man who was resented by the Patricians. Despite the resentment, Rome had to turn to him for leadership when Rome was threatened by a massive German invasion. Prior to his command, Patrician political generals had failed to stem the German invasion. He ended up being elected consul seven times. Probably his biggest innovation was to recruit soldiers from the "landless mob" of Rome. Before he did this, soldiers had to be property owners. The downside of recruiting from the mob was the fact his soldiers were more loyal to him than they were to Rome. This would lead to his successors like Sulla and Caesar to lead armies that attacked Rome itself. It is evident from the book the author's sympathies lie more with popular causes than with the established conservative property owners. In order to obtain his land bills for his veterans, Gaius Marius has to ally with rabble rousers such as Saturnius. This alliance enables him to achieve passage of his land bills and enables him to be consul seven times. Later leaders like Pompey and Caesar will also also use similar demagogues to pass their programs. Again, this turns out to be a bad precedent for the Republic. The author certainly portrays Gaius Marius in a sympathetic light. If there is a parallel in our American history it would be Andrew Jackson, who was a war hero who was elected by the people (or mob). Certainly, the Whigs like the Roman Senate thought the election of Jackson, a popular general, was the downfall of the American republic. Of course, this is a work of fiction but the author's research is excellent. This appears to be an accurate portrayal of Gaius Marius, the Roman Senate, and Sulla. As an Ancient Rome fan, I could not be happier.