simplus

I got: 1) Seneca 2) Gaius Marius 3) Marcus Aurelius 4) Iulius Caesar All very admirable people - in different ways. Although... I have absolutely no interest in war, warfare or the military... how did I get Gaius Marius in there? However, I think the common thread here is "control freaks". And, like Legionary, I had no idea who Seneca was (thanks for the link, primuspilus). I would have liked Octavian/Augustus to be higher on my list, though - only #9. Thanks to Ursus.

I'd have to support those people who think the Masters of Rome series is good. Personally, I found them a great read! In fact, they're the reason I became interested in Roman history. I'd never read anything about Rome before, found The Grass Crown in a second-hand bookshop, bought it, and was instantly hooked. I *HAD* to read more! I agree with primuspilus' comment, though, that the later books aren't as good as the earlier ones. I actually think they became a little more soap-opera-y. But, still, she did a good job. And, as I've started reading more classical sources, as well as "official histories", I realise that she did a good job "bringing history to life". However, she does seem to bend over backwards to demonstrate that Caesar was merely a good person (who happened to be a genius!) who was wronged by the Senate and had to do what he did to clear his name, while everything else I've read tries to show him as someone who wanted to be a tyrant from day one. Hmmm???

I answered "History, Politics & famous people", but that's not really accurate. I'm interested in the political structures and laws - how they changed over time, to suit individual's ambitions and to react to new needs. And, then, how those piecemeal changes led to an entire change of government set-up - from res publica to empire. So, I'm only interested in the people insofar as they made history and politics happen.

Hi all! I've just discovered this site, and it looks really interesting. I discovered a passion for Roman history when I picked up one of Colleen McCullough's "Masters of Rome" books in a second-hand book shop about 10 years ago, and I haven't looked back. I'm now an avid reader of anything I can get about the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Empire. I've got Plutarch, Scullard, Gibbons, Tacitus and, of course, McCullough on my bookshelf (plus more!), and the collection's still growing. I saw your "Nova Roma" site - that's a bit too 'out there' for me. But, this site looks great. I won't give my real name (but if you know any Latin, you should be able to guess it from my nick), but I'm 36, Australian, and a business systems analyst by day. Thanks for a great site. See you 'round.