Colleen McCullough
The fifth book in the Masters of Rome series, and my favourite thus far. (and I only have The October Horse left to read) I loved the tagline “Let the dice fly” – uttered by Caesar as he crosses the Rubicon, a crucial moment in his own and Rome’s destiny. (the translation is still being debated though)
The author is clearly in awe of Caesar, and by the time the book is finished, we’d probably be pardoned for sharing the feeling. Since she rarely tampers with history and only adds interpretations (of character motivations) we have to assume that, according to known history, Caesar was indeed a god among men! His confidence in himself is absolute, and while the author, on a couple of instances, shows the change in how it manifests itself as he grows older, and though Caesar seems to seek some validation from his peers, it is largely a “I don’t think so, I know so” stance that he takes on situations, plans and people.
The book begins in 54 BC, when Caesar is in the middle of his campaign against Britannia. A significant portion of the first half deals with his campaign against the Gauls, and his capability as a general and a master strategist is shown across various challenges that seem insurmountable. His antagonist at this time is Vercingetorix, a man who works towards a united Gaul. During this period, Pompey continues to abide by the understanding of the First Triumvirate members. But even as Caesar crushes Gaul into submission, Rome begins to become an enemy.
Events conspire to push Pompey into the boni camp, Caesar is forced to return to preserve his dignitas, and the result is a civil war. Though odds seem against Caesar in the beginning, it soon becomes clear that Pompey is not the general he used to be and his deficiencies have become a bigger liability than in the past, especially when he has a foe like Caesar. Also, he has more problems with his own camp than he’d have liked. In a series of battles, Caesar emerges triumphant, and forces Pompey to flee. The build up to the final battle is great, but unfortunately the event itself gets over in a trice.
The last few pages are dedicated to Pompey, and I really felt sorry for this character, particularly so because it was a real human being. He did have an ego and a complex that came from his origins, but he surely didn’t deserve his fate in his last few days.
The author starts building up several characters for the remaining books in the series – Cleopatra in Egypt, Mark Antony as Caesar’s trusted aide, and to a lesser extent, his successor Augustus. (Octavius) The October Horse does promise to be a good read.
