'A compelling storyteller, with a striking talent for historical reconstruction' Mary Beard A. D. 165: The empire of Rome has reached its pinnacle. Pax Roma reigns from Britannia to Egypt, from Gaul to Greece. Emperor Marcus Aurelius oversees a golden age and the ancient Pinarius family of artisans embellish the greatest city on Earth with gilded statues and towering marble monuments. But history does not stand still. The years to come bring wars, plagues, fires, and famines. The best emperors in history are succeeded by some of the worst. Barbarians descend, eventually appearing before the gates of Rome itself. Chaos engulfs the empire. Through it all, the Pinarius family endures, thanks in no small part to the fascinum, a protective talisman older than Rome itself, handed down through countless generations. But on the fringes of society, a band of troublesome cultists disseminate dangerous and seditious ideas. They call themselves Christians. Some emperors deal with the Christians with toleration, others with bloody persecution. Then one emperor does the unthinkable. He becomes a Christian himself and the revolution he sets in motion will change the world forever. Spanning 160 years and seven generations, teeming with some of ancient Rome's most vivid figures, Saylor's epic brings to vivid life some of the most tumultuous chapters of human history, events which reverberate still. Praise for Steven Saylor: 'Saylor expertly weaves the true history of Rome with the lives and loves of its fictional citizens.' Daily Express 'Saylor's scholarship is breathtaking and his writing enthrals' Ruth Rendell 'With the scalpel-like deftness of a Hollywood director, Saylor puts his finger on the very essence of Roman history.' Times Literary Supplement 'Readers will find his work wonderfully (and gracefully) researched... this is entertainment of the first order.' Washington Post 'Saylor's scholarship is breathtaking and his writing enthrals' Ruth Rendell 'The most reliably entertaining and well-researched novels about the ancient world [are] Steven Saylor's tales of the Roman proto-detective Gordianus the Finder. The Throne of Caesar brings the series to a satisfying conclusion [and offers] a new, compelling perspective on familiar historic events' Sunday Times
