Empire

The Novel of Imperial Rome

By: Steven Saylor

Narrated by: James Langton

Length: 23 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Continuing the epic story begun in his <>i>New York Times best-selling novel Roma, Steven Saylor charts the destinies of five more generations of the aristocratic Pinarius family, from the reign of Augustus to height of Rome’s empire.The Pinarii witness the machinations of Tiberius, the madness of Caligula, and the decadence of Nero. The deadly paranoia of Domitian gives way to the Golden Age of Trajan and Hadrian - but even the most enlightened emperors wield the power to destroy their subjects on a whim.

Empire is filled with the dramatic, defining moments of the age, including the Great Fire of 64 A.D, Nero’s persecution of the Christians, and the astounding opening games of the Colosseum. But at the novel’s heart are the choices and temptations faced by each generation of the Pinarii. One becomes the plaything of the notorious Messalina. One becomes the lover of a Vestal virgin. One falls under the spell of Nero, while another is drawn to the strange new cult of those who call themselves Christians.

While the Pinarii struggle for survival, they also search for meaning. Some cling to the worship of the gods who made Rome great. Others explore the mysteries of astrology, follow the teachings of the wiseman Apollonius of Tyana, or celebrate the beautiful youth elevated by Hadrian to the status of a god.

However diverse their destinies, all the Pinarii are united by the mysterious gold talisman called the fascinum handed down from a time before Rome existed. As it passes from generation to generation, the fascinum seems to exercise a power not only over those who wear it, but over the very fate of the empire.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend us your ears: listen to another Novel of Ancient Rome.

©2010 Steven Saylor (P)2010 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Saylor...vividly describes how the family survives the volcanic destruction of Pompeii, the burning of Rome, and the persecution of Jews and Christians." ( Publishers Weekly)

Slow to start

I almost gave up on this but I am so glad that I didn't. It turned out to be engrossing Good narration. Loved it

Story over several generation

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes, do some which are intressted to the day to day live a roman aristocracy

What other book might you compare Empire to and why?

non

Did James Langton do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

Yes he did, but some passages are little boring

Who was the most memorable character of Empire and why?

Apollonius of Tyana which seems a be a little magic and a kind of philosoph

Read Roma then stop!

I read Roma and it was fantastic! So I read Empire. It was milk toast at best. Save your money.

Well Done.

Any additional comments?

Overall I thought it was a great title and definitely worth the time it took to listen. My only gripe (and this is minor) is that I thought it ended a bit strangely at the beginning of a reign instead of the end, but then again, perhaps the author is looking at a sequel, which I will be glad to purchase. :)

Fantastic follow-up to Roma

I'd love to see the story of the Penarii and/or the fascinum amulet go on.

Very well done!

I enjoyed this audio book production...the author Steven Saylor is one of my favorite historical fiction writers...I would probably have enjoyed a more robust, mature narrator however...such as Charlton Griffin!
Overall, a great listen and a great read! Thanks Audible.com and Mr. Saylor...keep of the good work!

4 and a Half Stars

This was a fantastic book. I enjoyed the writing, I learned a lot about Rome that will stick with me. Each emperor was distinct and so well written that I will remember them easily now. The history seemed right on. I do however like having an author's note at the end to explain what was fact and what was not. I really liked the reader as well. He was superb. If you like historical fiction you will find this book interesting. I read Roma when it came out and it was really enjoyable as well.

I came, I Saw, I Downloaded

If you could sum up Empire in three words, what would they be?

History, Rome, Power.

Who was the most memorable character of Empire and why?

As in "Roma" the Fascinus (the winged penis pendant heirloom) is my favorite. Even though it's not exactly a character.

Any additional comments?

A perfect addition to the book Roma by Steven Saylor.

Great sequel to Rpma

I have been reading / listening to a great many books on Rome and Ancient history for a presentation I plan to give in 2016. Even though this is a novel, it helped allot to set the real emperors names and dates in order in my mind so I could picture them.
The only critical remark I will make is that the main characters don't seem to have much depth as they did in Roma. But Empire was a really great book, so I strongly support reading it.

Rome comes alive

Excellent story. Very good narration. Clever weaving of a personal view, against the background of tumultuous growth of the Empire.