Imperium: A Novel of Ancient Rome

Written by Robert Harris

Narrated by Oliver Ford Davies

From the bestselling author of Fatherland and Pompeii, comes the first novel of a trilogy about the struggle for power in ancient Rome.

In his “most accomplished work to date” (Los Angeles Times), master of historical fiction Robert Harris lures readers back in time to the compelling life of Roman Senator Marcus Cicero. The re-creation of a vanished biography written by his household slave and righthand man, Tiro, Imperium follows Cicero’s extraordinary struggle to attain supreme power in Rome.

On a cold November morning, Tiro opens the door to find a terrified, bedraggled stranger begging for help. Once a Sicilian aristocrat, the man was robbed by the corrupt Roman governor, Verres, who is now trying to convict him under false pretenses and sentence him to a violent death. The man claims that only the great senator Marcus Cicero, one of Rome’s most ambitious lawyers and spellbinding orators, can bring him justice in a crooked society manipulated by the villainous governor. But for Cicero, it is a chance to prove himself worthy of absolute power. What follows is one of the most gripping courtroom dramas in history, and the beginning of a quest for political glory by a man who fought his way to the top using only his voice—defeating the most daunting figures in Roman history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Sep 19, 2006
• ISBN: 9780743561839

Robert Harris

Robert Harris is the author of Act of Oblivion, Pompeii, Enigma, and Fatherland. He has been a television correspondent with the BBC and a newspaper columnist for London’s Sunday Times and Daily Telegraph. His novels have sold more than ten million copies and been translated into thirty languages. He lives in Berkshire, England, with his wife and four children. 

Reviews for Imperium

[bonneyandrews_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Better than his other books. A good picture of Cicero and his life for those interested in Roman times.

[elric17_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An excellent historical fiction, actually made politics interesting, and brought to life Cicero in a manner which helps one explains his writings.

[karen_wells_58 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have read virtually all this author's books, and he just keeps getting better, both as a writer and as a teller of tales. Until Imperium I thought of Harris as a writer of high-class airport books - nothing wrong in that! - but this transcends that genre altogether. A superb, engrossing novel.

[suzemo · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Imperium, a kind of historical political thriller, is mainly about the life of Cicero (up to when he becomes a consul) through the eyes of his slave, Tiro. I really enjoyed this book, because a lot of books that take place during the Roman republic and empire tend to be centered around the military men, which Cicero is decidedly not.

I enjoyed the political intrigue quite a bit, and I like that the story was told through the eyes of his slave/freedman/secretary. While the story takes some liberties, as I would assume any historical fiction piece would do, I enjoyed looking up some of the aspects of the book to see how the book compared to known historical facts.

I look forward to the next book in the series, and other works of Harris.

[snukes-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

For a novel titled "Imperium," I found it odd that Cicero only manages to HAVE imperium for about the last six pages of the novel. I did enjoy following the story of his rise to power, though I found that I couldn't like him very much. I guess I find it hard to respect a character who is willing to change his stand or his loyalties simply to ensure his power increases. Welcome to politics, I guess. I also give credit to the author for not avoiding those personality flaws to make Cicero seem more heroic or lovable. I suppose there will be another installment, since Cicero's exploits certainly didn't end the day he attained the consulship.

[jopearson56 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed his book Pompeii more than this one, but this was pretty good, good enough for me to get through in just about 3 weeks -- pretty good for me. Interesting characters, interesting time, I love the trials and reasoned arguments!

[obsessedwithbooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I didn't think much of Harris' last book about the Roman Empire, Pompeii, so I approached Imperium with some nervousness. But this book is vastly better than Pompeii. The characters are believable, the dialogue flows smoothly and it really is an exciting read. Harris has done a magnificent job with his research and so everything is historically accurate.The book follows Marcus Cicerro (who DID exist, he isn't a fictional charcter)and his rise to absolute power in the Roman Empire, to the office of Consul (hence the title of the book which is the Latin word for "absolute power"). The story is narrated in the first person tense by Cicerro's slave and private secretary Tiro. At the beginning of the story, Cicerro is a stuttering nervous young lawyer but he is coached and tutored to be a good politician and then after marrying a rich woman, the newly confident Cicerro is elected to the Roman senate. From then on, in order to reach the ultimate office of consul, he has to be elected to two other offices first, first that of aedil and then praetor. Each time, he makes mortal enemies with the emerging power forces at the time - Pompey the Great, Crassus and then the rising force of one Julius Caeser. He has to bargain with each enemy camp to get what he wants and navigate each political minefield as it appears.What really catapaults him into the political big leagues (and what takes up a good part of the first half of the book) is his prosecution of Governor Verres, the governor of Sicily on charges of murder, theft and corruption. At first Cicerro is loath to take the case because as he says "there's no votes in Sicily" but as he investigates the case more and more, he realises that Verres has powerful backers in Rome determined to protect him and that Verres (if left unpunished) could change the political scene in Rome for the worse. So Cicerro, partly motivated by a sense of justice and mostly out of political ambition, prosecutes Verres and in the process, makes himself popular with the common people but makes deadly enemies with the Roman aristocracy...This story is very fast moving and very gripping. Once you start reading it, you'll be with the story until the end. Once you've finished the book, I recommend you then watch the HBO TV series, "Rome" which features Cicerro, Pompey, Crassus and Caeser.

[hotchk155 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Utterly superb historical fiction! The book follows the progression of Roman laywer Cicero through to the highest echelons of Roman power, as seen through the eyes of his slave and secretary Tiro (also the inventor of shorthand!). As great as Cicero's true story might be, what makes this book such a great read is the fascinating picture of ancient Roman life painted by Harris, and the rich cast of characters he assembles. Sure, it might not be everyones cup of tea, but I don't think historical fiction gets much better than this. Masterful work from Mr Harris!

[meggo_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A perfectly serviceable fictionalized account of Cicero's life and career up to the consulship, as told by his slave, Tiro. Largely historically accurate, Harris of course takes liberties to fill in the gaps and personalize the story, based largely on histories of the time and Cicero's own writings. A light amusement, this book would probably be most interesting (or perhaps most infuriating) to students of the late Roman Republic.

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

This book was about the life of Cicero as told by his loyal slave.? Parts of the story were very interesting, but there were some parts that dragged on quite a bit.? I liked the story's viewpoint because you were able to see various aspects of Roman life.

[henrimoreaux · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Imperium by Robert Harris is the fictionalised biography of Marcus Tullius Cicero as written by his slave secretary Tiro with whom he shares a bond of philosophy & intellect.Whilst it's a fictionalised biography the events in the book do follow history as it happened quite closely, just with various blanks filled in and some events spiced up.In terms of the actual work itself, it's a good book that's well written. It draws you into the world of ancient roman politics and intrigue then keeps you there turning page after page as Cicero climbs the latter and occasionally falls down a few rungs.Don't be deterred by the setting - it's an excellent Robert Harris book.

[dulcibelle · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It started off OK, but it finished sort of 'meh'. Not bad, just not all that good. Very detailed, and seemed to be historically accurate (ancient Rome is not a well-known era for me), but for much of the book there really didn't seem to be anything happening. Guess political pot boilers aren't my cup of tea. I did enjoy Harris' writing style, so will probably read others of his work at some time.

[morbidromantic · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

You know Cicero?Yes, Cicero, the Roman statesman who is known by us today as the guy who talked and talked and did a lot of stuff with law. And oh yeah, talked. You probably had to read something by him in high school or college, so you likely have pretty bad and boring memories related to the name Marcus Tullius Cicero.So when I read that Imperium by Robert Harris was about Cicero, I gave an internal groan.A premature assumption of boredom that turned out to be totally wrong.Imperium is a great book. It?s that simple. The story is told through the narrative of Cicero?s ex-slave Tiro. Tiro takes us through Cicero?s life up to the events leading into his Consulship. What Harris writes is based on truth and has some evidence to support the basics. The events Cicero finds himself a part of are quite full of power plays, intrigue, and political corruption. But to set the background, we first meet Cicero as a student of philosophy with a humble farmer background and a sharp mind and wit that has the unfortunate result of offending many of the wrong men. After his study of philosophy, we move with Cicero into his political career, where he climbs up the ladder of the state, gaining office as he becomes a champion of the people. The first half of the book involves Cicero taking on the case of Verres, a corrupt Sicilian governor who has friends in all the right places. Cicero?s way with words and luck with evidence, attributed to his cleverness, leads to a resounding victory against all odds and popularity beyond words.But not all is good with Cicero at this point? prosecuting Verres puts Cicero at odds with the aristocratic foundation of the Republic. After Verres comes the grand general Pompey (the guy Caesar chased out of Rome when he crossed the Rubicon much later) and his rivalry with Crassus. Cicero gives his support to Pompey and makes a powerful enemy of Crassus, who soon engages in vote buying at a high scale to pack the government in his favor. The plan is to arrange the government so that Crassus and Caesar will have an open door to increasing their own power. Pretty clever Crassus. Naturally, Cicero finds out about the plot and exposes them before the Senate, winning a victory for Consul at the youngest age allowed.You have a lot of big names: Pomepy, Julius Caesar, Marc Antony, Piso, Metelleus. Since Imperium is about Cicero and his dealings, these characters are supportive in nature only and come and go as the story requires. This is just as well because there are volumes written about Caesar by everyone and their grandmother. It was quite amusing to see Caesar portrayed as a horny, shady, power hungry youngster and nothing more. Oh, I respect Caesar and am quite enamored with him as most are, but the turn of character was great. Usually Cicero is the annoying old man who won?t shut up and Caesar is the charming hero. In Imperium Cicero was the hero, and a quite charming one at that. What about the politics and history? Was it dry and full of historical detail? Historical yes, but dry it was definitely not. I don?t think that this is a book for your Roman novice, though. For anyone not familiar with the various political offices, names, social classes, and Republican standards, the book may be difficult to grasp. I feel that my background in Roman history helped me a lot in reading through the book as a fluid novel rather than a pause and continue that requires a bit of Google searching to understand completely.

[alincolnnut · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The British historical novelist Robert Harris, who so famously has set novels in the World War II/Cold War era, has recently turned to the ancient world for inspiration. After a novel on Pompeii, he turns to the politics of ancient Rome with "Imperium," the story of the rise of Cicero. The first of a series of novels Harris plans to write about Cicero, the book demonstrates his political career as an up-and-coming senator in the Roman republic.Ostensibly narrated by Tiro, who was Cicero's longtime secretary and an inventor of shorthand, the book is an intimate account of Cicero's daring use of his rhetorical abilities in public trials and political deliberations. It also suggests many behind-the-scenes deliberations between ever-changing political factions, offering glimpses of other significant political figures of the time, who have prestige such that Cicero covets their support, or who are likewise fighting for the support of powerful patrons. In particular, the young Julius Caesar looms over the narrative in these years before his military glories.Like Harris' other books, it is a fascinating read, relying on a wealth of historical details to support the intricate plot. It offers Cicero as a generally likeable fellow of great potential and great ambition, relying not only on his gilded tongue but on his political cunning to advance his career. His secretary Tiro is loyal and invaluable; his wife Terentia was from a moneyed family, giving him station, but also the headaches of dealing with marrying someone from a higher class.The first half of the book focuses on a prominent political trial; the second with political intrigues over the creation of a law that allowed the Senate to name a single authoritarian leader during times of crisis (the precedent that eventually allowed Caesar to become emperor). Both are fraught with danger for Cicero -- it is clear that he is dealing with forces that could crush him and his career; these external factors effectively provide much of the narrative tension in the novel.For those poorly versed in ancient history, the book may be difficult to read: in particular it may be almost impossible to keep all of the characters straight. Those more informed will likely be more impressed. Falling in between, I found the story enjoyable, but always had the feeling I was missing out because of my lack of knowledge.

[lara335 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Gripping imagining of Cicero's politics.

[nnschiller · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Really solid stuff. Cicero's journey from "hero of the people" to "beholden to aristocratic support" is a thinly veiled stand-in for Tony Blair, but the story and the conflict are fascinating regardless. Recommended.

[marysgirl · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Imperium is the first in a trilogy of novels about the life and times of Marcus Tullius Cicero, one of Republican Rome's most famous orators. The book is narrated by Tiro, Cicero's slave and secretary, many years after Cicero's death. Tiro existed and lived to be a hundred years old. He was famous for creating a short hand that he used for taking notes and later was adopted by the Senate. There is considerable evidence he wrote a biography of his former master, but those books are lost to history. Harris gives him back his voice. From the opening pages:"Imperium?the power of life and death as vested by the state in an individual. Many hundreds of men have sought this power, but Cicero was unique in the history of the republic in that he pursued it with no resources to help him apart from his own talent. He was not, unlike Metellus or Hortensius, from one of the great aristocratic families, with generations of political favors to draw on at election time. He had no mighty army to back up his candidacy, as did Pompey or Caesar. He did not have Crassus' vast fortune to smooth his path. All he had was his voice?and by sheer effort of will he turned it into the most famous voice in the world." The story is primarily a political thriller?there is little physical action and only a scene or two in which there might be some physical danger. Tiro is a wonderful, sympathetic character?intelligent, loyal, hard-working; brave when he needs to be; and, at all times, discreet. His "voice," through Harris, is straightforward narrative with not a lot of reflection or poetry, but excellent descriptions of places and people?what you might expect from a person who spends his life listening, watching and recording.As Tiro states in the early pages, he probably spent more time with Cicero than anyone else, including Cicero's family. The famous orator comes across as ambitious, politically astute and a ferocious master of detail. Cicero married for money, so he could enter the Senate, but was a loving husband and father, writing frequently about his children and his fears for them. I liked his intelligent, abrasive wife Terentia, who on more than one occasion gave him the inspiration to do something unexpected. He stayed married to her long after he made enough money to fund his own ambitions and many people at the time wondered why he didn't divorce her. As to the plot, if you don't have some familiarity with the players and events of the times, it can become quite confusing. Harris does a good job of weaving the historical details into the narrative without boring the reader, but it still helps to have some background. There are plots within plots, shifting factions and loyalties, and the minutia of governing. Cicero walks a fine line trying not to alienate the men in power while not becoming their pawn. He successfully prosecutes an "untouchable" aristocrat who plundered Sicily, adroitly advises Pompey in his transition from army to public life, and foils the ambitious plot of some of the most powerful men in Rome to steal an election. But with all his brilliance, he still makes enemies and, by the end, when he wins the imperium he so lusts for, they are lining up on all sides to take him down. Harris does us a favor bringing this famous Roman back to the public in such an accessible story. Since Latin is no longer required in high school or college, Cicero is fading from our collective memory, which is a shame?he profoundly affected our U.S. founding fathers. Because so many of his books and letters survived, his work became canon in studying the language and his views on a balanced government suffused the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers and are reflected in our constitution. John Adams' first and most prized book was his Cicero. I recommend Imperium and will be looking forward to the next installment: Conspirata.

[whitmelb · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Tiro, the confidential secretary of a Roamn seantor opens the door to a terrified stranger he sets in motion a chain of events that will propel his master into one of the most suspensfulcourtroom dramas in history. The stranger is a Sicilian a victim of the island's governor, the Senator is Cicero, an ambitious lawyer and great orator who is determined to obtain Imperium - suprem power in the state.

[robprosser · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Robert Harris novels are always worth the wait and Imperium is no exception. Charting the rise the prominence of Cicero as written by his slave/secretary Tiro. Robert Harris' meticulous research allows him to create an utterly convincing recreation of Rome. At the same time he does not allow this to bog down the narrative. If you've enjoyed Harris' books before you'll not be disappointed in Imperium. Highly recommended!!!

[brigidsmith · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An excellent novel about the rise of Cicero. I'm interested in Roman history, and this brought one of the main historical figures to life for me.

[clurb · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A compelling look at Roman political wrangling and a must if you were forced to read Cicero at school, but I don't reckon it's quite as good as his others.

[flmcgough · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a fantastic novel; Harris vividly recreates the Roman world of the 1st century BC with remarkably engaging characters. He manages to make this story extremely approachable while keeping it from being overly predictable. I would recommend this to anyone.

[pierthinker · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Robert Harris writes historical fiction with the warp of his fictional characters and plots tightly entangled with the weft of ?real? history and he has been very successful at it (Fatherland, Enigma, etc.). His first three novels were set in the 20th century, but with Pompeii and this volume, Imperium, he has moved to the world of Ancient Rome.This is the first of a planned trilogy and does feel like it. Lots of back story and set up with not a lot of action or energy. This is definitely a political thriller rather than an action book (as were his previous efforts). Harris covers Cicero?s rise to power in this volume.Cicero is a globally known historical figure with ample writings about him and by him left for us to examine so Harris has plenty to work with.My problem with this book is that I do not particularly like Cicero. In many ways he is just another self-serving politician who will do anything to get and keep power, apparently for its own sake.This book is well-paced, well researched and describes life in Ancient Rome well. I will try the second volume when it is published, but Cicero had better do something to make me like him!

[aprilhamilton · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had just the right blend of historical information, drama, characterization and even humor. Even though the outcome of the main throughline of the plot (will Cicero achieve his goal of becoming ruler of Rome?) is known by anyone who's familiar with the history of ancient Rome, Harris manages to maintain a surprising level of suspense and excitement. Note that I "read" this book in unabridged audiobook format from Audible, and found the narration to be excellent.

[annbury_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel traces the political ascent of the Roman statesman Cicero, from an unknown "new man" who married money to start a career to a consul of Rome. The story is told by Cicero's secretary (and slave) Tiro (who is known to have written a life of Cicero, though it is now lost), and is based on Cicero's letters and orations. Harris has tried to keep the story true to history, and it is certainly consistent with what I know of Roman history. The big plus of the book, in fact, was that it taught me more about an endlessly fascinating period than I already knew. The minus is that the book is not as good a novel as it is a history. It deals with vivid characters (so vivid that they are still remembered, more than 2000 years later) but doesn't make them seem vivid. Relationships seem thin, and it's sometimes hard to keep one senator distinct from another. A terrific story, but not all that terrifically told. One thing that the book does make very clear is that there is nothing new under the sun -- Roman republican politics were at least as dominated by money and self interest as are the politics of our own day. In that regard, it underscores a valuable lesson, when you remember what followed Cicero's era; the end of the Republic and the coming of empire. If democracy becomes too much of a blood sport, it can destroy itself.

[cwlongshot · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When this book first came out, I had trouble getting into it and gave up. After learning more about Rome and Cicero, I listened to the audiobook edition and was hooked. Robert Harris is consistently good, though Enigma remains my favorite. I look forward to reading the next book in the trilogy, Conspirata.

[scott_hercher · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Interesting story, but not particularly well written. At times, Harris uses words that seem out of place -- such "high falutin" -- in a novel set in Ancient Rome.

[stbalbach_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A popular and well-reviewed historical thriller but I looked forward to it ending. Had a similar reaction to another Harris book. His style is readable, but something about it is derivative, formulaic, flat.

[lexieconyngham · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love Cicero and have read a good deal of his speeches and letters - yes, he was a pompous old fellow, but vulnerable and human, too, and very clever. This book portrays him so accurately (to judge from the work we have left) and draws the historical background so convincingly I would seriously recommend it to people starting out on classical Latin studies to give them a true flavour of the period. Lovely, well-paced, endearing and exciting.

[mbmackay · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Fictionalised fragments from life of Cicero, as told by Tiro, his slave/secretary. Great stuff.Read Nov 2006