Conspirata: A Novel of Ancient Rome by Robert Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Conspirata is the second volume of the Cicero trilogy by Robert Harris. It picks up where the previous volume Imperium leaves off, after the election of Cicero as on of the consuls of the Roman Republic. The book is divided into two parts, the first covers the year of Cicero’s consulship (63 B.C.) and the second part covers the four years after his term as consul.

The next paragraph contains some mild spoilers, so you may want to skip ahead.

As you might suspect from the title of the book, Cicero spends much of his consulship battling against a conspiracy that would fundamentally alter the structure of the Roman Republic. By the end of his year as consul, it seems that he has succeeded, and Cicero is hailed as the Father of the Republic. But, perhaps the conspiracy was deeper and more far-reaching than Cicero had believed. This is the subject of the second half of this volume.

This is an interesting period in the history of the Roman Republic, for it is in this time that the “First Triumvirate” – an alliance of Pompey, Crassus and Caesar – appears. The Triumvirate’s goal is not a greater Republic, but rather to enhance their own power and wealth. The politics of the wealthy elite appealing to the masses in the street, while gaining financial and political power, is not unlike the current politics in Europe and North America. Which again shows that there is no new thing under the sun.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It’s not quite as easy of a read as the first volume Imperium. It can be somewhat confusing to keep track of some of the minor characters, though thankfully the author has provided a glossary and a list of characters. If you’re interested in this period of history, this is a good book to read, though I would definitely recommend reading Imperium first.