Conspirata

A Novel of Ancient Rome

By: Robert Harris

Narrated by: Simon Jones

Conspirata is “a portrait of ancient politics as a blood sport,” raves The New York Times. As he did with Imperium, Robert Harris again turns Roman history into a gripping thriller as Cicero faces a new power struggle in a world filled with treachery, violence, and vengeance.

On the eve of Cicero’s inauguration as consul of Rome, a grisly discovery sends fear rippling through a city already racked by unrest. A young slave boy has been felled by a hammer, his throat slit and his organs removed, apparently as a human sacrifice. For Cicero, the ill omens of this hideous murder only increase his dangerous situation: elected leader by the people but despised by the heads of the two rival political camps. Caught in a shell game that leaves him forever putting out fires only to have them ignite elsewhere, Cicero plays for the future of the republic…and his life. There is a plot to assassinate him, abetted by a rising young star of the Roman senate named Gaius Julius Caesar—and it will take all the embattled consul’s wit, strength, and force of will to stop the plot and keep Rome from becoming a dictatorship.©2010 Robert Harris; (P)2010 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Republican Rome, with all its grandeur and corruption, has rarely been made as vivid." -- Nick Rennison, The Sunday Times (London)

Excellent

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and can not wait for the conclusion. Both the story and the narrator are excellent. If you enjoy historical fiction then I would highly recommend this one, and the first one in the series (Imperium)

Excellent

This trilogy is my first look into the daily lives of Roman's. I'm enthralled and imagine I'll listen to then all again.

The House of Cards of Ancient Rome

Greatly enjoying the continued adventures of Cicero and his badass secretary. On to part three!

Great Listen for Roman History Fans

Enjoyed this book. Would love to have met Cicero. Fascinating man living in fascinating times.

Historical Fiction at Its Best

This is a wonderful audiobook--both in the story and the narration. I was bowled over by "Imperium," the first book in Harris's Cicero trilogy, and was dubious that the second book could be as good. I'm happy to say that my fears were unfounded. Admittedly, the story has a less clear moral arc and is darker than that of Cicero's rise to Consul, but that is the real difference between rising to power and wielding it. This is a more complex book, but every bit as gripping: from the Catiline Conspiracy to the rise of Caesar resulting in Cicero's exile. No spoilers here: this is all in the history books. Yet, thanks in part to Simon Jones's excellent narration, I felt such empathy for the lead characters that I actually found myself hoping it would turn out differently.

Good historical fiction adds a depth of understanding that a pure history book cannot. Conspirata is a great example of doing just that.