THE GATES OF ROME PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

Conn Iggulden | 357 pages | 23 Jun 2009 | Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group Inc | 9780385343015 | English | New York, United States Boekverslag Engels Emperor: the gates of Rome door Conn Iggulden (5e klas vwo) |

And for both, the love of an extraordinary slave girl will be an honor each will covet but only one will win. Rarely, if ever, does a new writer dazzle us with such a vivid imagination and storytelling, flawlessly capturing the essence of a land, a people, a legend. Conn Iggulden is just such a writer, bringing to vivid life one of the most fascinating eras in human history. In a true masterpiece of historical fiction, Iggulden takes us on a breathtaking journey through ancient Rome, sweeping us into a realm of tyrants and slaves, of dark intrigues and seething passions. What emerges is both a grand romantic tale of coming-of-age in the Roman Empire and a vibrant portrait of the early years of a man who would become the most powerful ruler on earth: Julius Caesar. On the lush Italian peninsula, a new empire is taking shape. At its heart is the city of Rome, a place of glory and decadence, beauty and bloodshed. Against this vivid backdrop, two boys are growing to manhood, dreaming of battles, fame, and glory in service of the mightiest empire the world has ever known. One is the son of a senator, a boy of privilege and ambition to whom much has been given and from whom much is expected. The other is a bastard child, a boy of strength and cunning, whose love for his adoptive family—and his adoptive brother—will be the most powerful force in his life. The two friends are forced to walk different paths, and by the time they meet again everything will have changed. Both will have known love, loss, and violence. And the land where they were once innocent will be thrust into the grip of bitter conflict—a conflict that will set Roman against Roman. Brilliantly interweaving history and adventure, Conn Iggulden conjures a stunning array of contrasts—from the bloody stench of a battlefield to the opulence of the greatest city in history, from the tenderness of a lover to the treachery of an assassin. Superbly rendered, grippingly told, Emperor, The Gates of Rome is a work of vaulting imagination from a powerful new voice in historical fiction. When you buy a book, we donate a book. Sign in. Read An Excerpt. Jun 23, ISBN Add to Cart. Also available from:. Jan 01, ISBN Available from:. Paperback —. About Emperor: The Gates of Rome Rarely, if ever, does a new writer dazzle us with such a vivid imagination and storytelling, flawlessly capturing the essence of a land, a people, a legend. Also in Emperor. Also by Conn Iggulden. Product Details. Inspired by Your Browsing History. Genghis: Birth of an Empire. Conn Iggulden. Emperor: The Field of Swords. Emperor: The Death of Kings. Emperor: The Gods of War. Genghis: Lords of the Bow. Genghis: Bones of the Hills. Gone for Soldiers. Little Big Man. Thomas Berger. Khan: Empire of Silver. The Blood of Gods. Long Knife. View 1 comment. Sadly, I am starting new year with DNF. I had high hopes for this book series but I couldn't get into it at all. But it's Conn Iggulden so I pushed and pushed myself onward until I got stuck on page 99 and decided not to waste any more time on this book. Thanks goodness I had only copy from library instead of buying whole series box set as was my original plan. It's tricky to write fiction about famous historical figures. After reading this novel, I can say that I prefer Bernard Cornwell's style - he uses completely fictional character's perspective to tell the story of someone famous. On the other hand, Mr. Iggulden writes straight from Julius Caesar's POV in this novel and sadly it felt like boring fanfiction to me. I definitely won't continue with this series but I still plan to read Iggulden's more popular work about Genghis Khan in the future. View all 5 comments. Review of the audiobook narrated by Robert Glenister. Even though I love history and historical fiction, I've never found Roman history interesting. I've never known exactly why. I love ancient Egypt, the pre-colonization civilizations of the Americas, any history after the Romans, just not the Romans or Greeks if I can group those two time periods together. My solution was that a great historical fiction novel set in that period would do the trick to jump-start my interest. This is not that no Review of the audiobook narrated by Robert Glenister. This is not that novel. I love that with historical fiction you can get transported to a different place and time, but in this book if you renamed the people and places you would have a hard time figuring out where the book was even set. There is absolutely nothing descriptive that makes it truly feel like you're in Roman times. The historical accuracy is questionable at best according to the postscript, many of the few details known about Julius Caesar as a youth were changed for the book. That in itself I don't mind, but here it is just another disappointment. The story is cookie cutter and simple, with all attempts to add surprise or intrigue clunkily done. Nearly all of the characters were completely one-dimensional and emotionless. I even had a hard time telling the two main characters apart - they were interchangeable for most of the book. In short, there were no redeeming qualities about this book. I absolutely loved Robert Glenister's narration of the Comoran Strike series. He is so perfect for that character. Part of my decision to listen to this one was because he was the narrator. I found his performance to be average here, and it's hard to tell if that's due to the material or not. Final verdict: 2 star story, 3. Oct 09, Lance Greenfield rated it really liked it Shelves: historical-fiction. Action-packed historical drama Conn Iggulden seemed to like my review of his "quick read," Blackwater, almost as much as I enjoyed reading that book. Being in a one-to-one conversation gave me the opportunity to ask him if he would recommend his Emperor series to anyone who had enjoyed the shorter story. He was very honest in admitting that he didn't know but advised me to walk into a bookshop, pick up The Gates of Rome, read the first chapter then decide whether to replace it on the shelf or buy Action-packed historical drama Conn Iggulden seemed to like my review of his "quick read," Blackwater, almost as much as I enjoyed reading that book. He was very honest in admitting that he didn't know but advised me to walk into a bookshop, pick up The Gates of Rome, read the first chapter then decide whether to replace it on the shelf or buy it. That's almost exactly what I did. In fact, what I actually did was to buy the whole series and read the books back-to-back. This is the first of a series of four historical that describe the life of Julius Caesar and his best friend, Brutus, from boyhood through to his violent death. Knowing what happens in the final pages of the final book does nothing to damage the reader's enjoyment of the set. The action starts in the opening pages as Gaius, as Julius is known in his youth, and his friend Marcus, later known as Brutus, are captured and bullied by older boys from the neighbouring property. As Gaius grows up, he has an early introduction to the Roman Senate and shares some very tough training for his military manhood with Brutus. His mentor is his father's estate manager and his trainer is an even tougher ex-gladiator. These men follow and support Julius and Brutus through most of their lives. Violence, death and political treachery abound and the first book ends with Julius embarking on a voyage as a junior officer on a Roman military ship in North Africa as Brutus heads off to the colonised lands of Greece. After reading the first chapter in the bookshop, I bought the book. Before I'd finished The Gates of Rome, I'd bought all three remaining books in the series and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the same course of action to any friend. Jul 14, Nate rated it did not like it. Not much to say about this one. Way too much of a kid-gloves YA vibe and outright fucking with history. Iggulden's excuses in the author's note don't do it for me. His Genghis series seems to be a billion times more well-written and cognizant of historical fact. View all 6 comments. Jun 05, Ozymandias rated it did not like it Shelves: fiction-roman , historical-fiction , fiction-roman-republic. There are two problems I have with this work. One is subjective, the other objective. The subjective one is the style. I can't stand it. It's plain when it should be flowery and plain when it should be exciting and when it's supposed to be tragic it's still plain. The style is almost nonexistent and the story is paper thin. Even if he had included every fact known to make this the most accurat There are two problems I have with this work. Even if he had included every fact known to make this the most accurate fictional work on Caesar ever, I would still find it a bad book. The second one is more objective, although whether it bothers you or not will vary. This problem is its historical accuracy. There is none. This book has no connection with reality whatsoever. A lot of historical novels are inaccurate. This has no ties to history whatsoever, apart from a few names. Example: our two leads, Caesar and Brutus. You may recognize those names. Think about that for a second. It makes no sense and changes everything of importance about these two, in effect turning a big sprawling complicated war into a personal grudge between two former friends. The complete lack of research that went into this novel shows how little Iggulden cared about writing historical fiction. There was a Senate, Romans owned slaves, gladiators did fight matches The rest is a generic Fantasy empire. The whole point of historical fiction is to make at least some effort to ground the story historically. Whereas with Fantasy anything goes. And the only explanation I can think of is that he wanted to give his Fantasy story name recognition. Otherwise why pretend? Caesar is a politician, Brutus a devoted soldier, Marius a noble populist, Sulla a lecherous thug, etc. No depth is given to any of them. And it just gets worse as the series goes on. Because, as I said, these names are just names. There are no details attached to them. What makes the whole thing worse is that Iggulden lies about it. In his Historical Note at the end he mentions things like how Marius was Caesar's uncle on the other side of his family and a few other things of no great importance. Reading this you could be forgiven for thinking that he made no major changes to the story. These minor details barely even scratch the surface, and he focuses on them in a pompous scholarly manner is it meant as parody? It was only when I read the historical note that I got actually angry. If I don't like being lied to then I absolutely despise being patronized. Jun 08, Andrew Parry rated it it was ok. I have to say this is fairly basic stuff. Lacking in drama and character. I managed to get through to the end because I was on holiday in Rome, as it happens and had no other books with me. The most disappointing aspect is that it doesn't really capture the classical period Hmmm The most disappointing aspect is that it doesn't really capture the classical period. The characters lift right out and it could honestly have been set anywhere and any time. The only character I found slightly tantalizing was the slave girl Alexandria; there is potentially an interesting story there, but I'm not particularly inspired to read the rest of the series. I think the reason why Fraser, O'Brian and Bernard Cornwell work so well is that they don't write fictionalised accounts of historical figures; they create a fictional hero and weave them into history. But as I said, perhaps it is an unfair comparison. On the plus side, it has inspired me to investigate more about some of the leading players. Sulla seems a very interesting character, so a trip to the library is probably in order. Jun 18, Jim Gifford rated it did not like it. Simply put, I didn't like this book. There are any number of things with which I took exception, but first and foremost is his treatment of Caesar's mother, Aurelia Cotta. In The Gates of Rome she is portrayed as epileptic, and those who know her consider her deranged. But this is generally refuted by a historical record that paints her as a model Roman woman and mother who was highly regarded among all classes of her Roman contemporaries. Colleen McCullough adopted this line in her series of no Simply put, I didn't like this book. Colleen McCullough adopted this line in her series of novels about the principal characters at the end of the Roman Republic, and therein Aurelia is portrayed as exceedingly smart, independent, and a powerful influence on her precocious son. Given what we know about Caesar, this is very likely true. Second, Caesar was known to be proscribed by Sulla and very nearly lost his life because of it. This is in stark contrast to Mr. Iggulden's rendering of Sulla's interaction with Caesar. He has Sulla sparing Caesar because he divines something special in him, saying "there may be two of Marius inside him". In addition, nothing in the historical record suggests Sulla and his men killed Marius during Sulla's first march on Rome. In fact, Marius was able to flee the city and go into exile in Africa, and then later returned to Rome to be elected Consul for the seventh and final time. With all that being said, I hasten to add that I loved Mr. Iggulden's series of books about Genghis Khan and the rise of the Mongol Empire in the 13th century. It's much more interesting reading and I think he did excellent work in richly developing numerous characters in all five of these historical novels. Skip this series on Julius Caesar and look there for better reading. Dec 26, Thomas Edmund rated it really liked it. Really happy with this book - I see many have slammed the story of historical inaccuracies, so I think its fair to read this as fiction based on history, rather than in any way accurate. Nonetheless the story is pretty strong and what I especially liked was the vividness of the prose. There was enough detail to make the story clear, without bogging the world down in the particulars. Only a couple of beefs with the novel. First it was too obviously the first of a series, the two MCs had barely beg Really happy with this book - I see many have slammed the story of historical inaccuracies, so I think its fair to read this as fiction based on history, rather than in any way accurate. First it was too obviously the first of a series, the two MCs had barely begun to do anything worthwhile relying for most of the book on relatives and seniors before the book ends. Second the prose was occasionally clunky, engaging in head-hopping and at times during combat requiring a reread to reduce confusion. In the end I really liked how easy it was to grasp the action and story-line of the novel. I was never bored reading the Gates of Rome. The ending was a little cheesy, but kinda good cheese. Jan 29, Phil rated it it was ok Recommends it for: Historical fiction fans. The first of the 'Emperor' series. This one is Ceasar and Brutus, one the honored son the other the adopted bastard, growing up on a farm outside of Rome. Thats right, you heard me. This series of books creates a completely new Ceasar narrative, one that only vaguely tracks the actual history. Unfortunately, one might say. There is little authenticity in this series. If that doesnt bug you then its a nice pulp read for a sunny day. A Blackstone Audio book. Volume 1 of the Emperor Series. This a historical fictiion novel of the Roman Empire at the end of the Republic era and the beginning of the Kings era. Well written, the story comes alive and is difficult to put down. Iggulden has really done his homework as the events in the book match the historical timelines. I highly recommend it. My edition of this book has pg's, not pg's as stated. This was a damn good read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I had no bloody idea which one ; But found it even more interesting finding out. The answer to that particular mystery was 'Marcus Brutus'. It covers his, and Marcus's, upbringing, early experiences, hard gladitorial training and tutoring, and their early experiences in the political arena surrounding the Roman Senate and Senator's. There is no shortage of action and suspense, or strong supporting characters. It's a really well written book and very character driven, which drives you along in this page turner. That said, the ending shows you that this is just the beginning and leaves you with more questions than answers. It's not really a 'stand alone' read, as you'll want to know more, much more. But it is a damn good and interesting read on one of the world's greatest ever leaders and his life. I finished this book over a week ago and have already begun, and finished, the second one in this series 'The Death of Kings'. View all 8 comments. Apr 06, [redacted by S. Even ignoring the fact that it's written like a Boy Scott tie in novel for 12 year old boys with ADD, the "history" in this book makes the movie look like a historical documentary from national geographic. I understand changing things for fiction but this is just ridiculous. It's like a world war II novel were Hitler and Churchill grew up as childhood friends on a oil rig. First time in 20 years I haven't been able to finish a book. I decided to go back to the beginning of this series after having read and enjoyed the final book which was about Augustus, not Caesar. Unfortunately, I wasn't really interested in the young Caesar and his friend Marcus. I would rather read about the politics and intrigues of Rome relayed in an historically accurate way to the extent possible rather than the constant fights and battles in this book. If the next book of the series doesn't improve, I'm done with it. This was an interesting start to a series of biographical fiction centering around the young Julius Caesar and Brutus. What was interesting is that to start you don't really know they are Julius and Brutus as they aren't using their "grown up" names. Who knew Romans did that? It felt like it was thoroughly researched. Or at least I don't know enough to feel it wasn't. I am definitely going to read book 2. If you look at people's reviews of this book you will notice that how someone likes it depends on how much or what they've read on the subject. I knew pretty quickly that I wasn't going to like this book, but kept going, maybe because I had made the huge mistake of buying the book rather than checking it out from the library. I'd read Mr. Iggul If you look at people's reviews of this book you will notice that how someone likes it depends on how much or what they've read on the subject. Iggulden's series on Genghis Khan and was expecting something similarly excellent. No such luck. Gaius Julius Caesar in this book is a cipher with no real personality. His friend Marcus whom we find out some ways into the book is Marcus Brutus has marginally more personality than he does as does Renius, a fictional gladiator who trains the two of them in arms. His wife Cornelia is your typical somewhat wayward beauty, interchangeable with a hundred others of that ilk. His uncle Marius related in a totally different way from in McCullough's books, but I have no way of knowing which of them is right comes off better. Some of the characters have rather odd names for Romans and the character of Cabera, a nomadic healer, seems to come from a work of fantasy. Jun 28, Justin rated it it was ok Shelves: roman , historical-fiction , audio , ancient. I enjoyed the first half of the novel. But when the Marius-Sulla civil war kicked in, I lost all respect for it. Iggulden admits in his closing historical remarks that he took great liberties with the historical record and proceeds to summarize the real history. He abandoned the history almost entirely, and the reader is left with an alternate history that only vaguely relates to what really happened. It's a crime. One of the worst examples is, view spoiler [we find out at the end of the novel t I enjoyed the first half of the novel. One of the worst examples is, view spoiler [we find out at the end of the novel that Julius' best friend growing up is really Brutus! Julius was 15 when Brutus was born! I cannot tolerate what Iggulden has done here. I've enjoyed his Conqueror series, but I won't read any more of his novels. It's a shame, because I've been looking forward to his upcoming series about the Wars of the Roses. But I can't trust him. View 2 comments. Historically it's a mess. There is virtually no character development. The writing style is pretty pulpy with non-stop action and it's an easy escapist read. There are other Roman series out there far superior. Iggulden may improve as he writes more books, but he's not my 'cup of tea' from this one and I have no desire to read any more of his novels. Shelves: firstreads , classical-lit. I have very mixed feelings about this book. While I'm glad people are still showing interest in ancient Rome, don't we have enough fictionalizations of Julius Caesar? Aren't there other events in Roman history, other charismatic Roman personalities that we could focus on? Write me a novel about Elagabulus. That would be bad-ass. The writing is simplistic and awkward, and at least half the text described violent encounters in fair Sigh. The writing is simplistic and awkward, and at least half the text described violent encounters in fairly graphic detail. Thus, you would think it would be geared towards middle-school boys. However, it is just sexy enough not porny, but sexy that, as a teacher of middle school boys, I don't feel comfortable recommending it to them. The treatment of male sexuality vs. It is good for Caesar to have lots of random meaningless drunken sex before he gets married; he feels he wouldn't be ready for marriage without all that experience. But he is so glad he gets to deflower his future wife himself; he gets immense satisfaction out of being her first. I concede that MAYBE he was trying to reflect the double standards inherent in Roman culture, but I didn't get the impression that he was trying to do that with the rest of the book, either, so why start now? Dude, Roman history is bad-ass enough. You don't need to be fussing about with major plot points and historical events. And Cabera? Is weird. So, while the author seems like a nice enough guy, with good intentions, I'd much rather go read I, Claudius again. Okay, so I get that many people are upset with this book, and I will be the first person to agree that it is NOT historically accurate. However, I chose to ignore this while reading the book. Because when I read a book, I don't read it for accuracy. I read it because it's entertaining. And this book was definitely entertaining. It starts off describing Caesar's early life in his home outside Rome. He grows up with Marcus Brutus yes, I know, this is historically inaccurate. The story continues fr Okay, so I get that many people are upset with this book, and I will be the first person to agree that it is NOT historically accurate. The story continues from there with their inevitable splitting into two different paths in life. It all takes place within the context of the civil war between Marius, Caesar's uncle, and Sulla. I'd like to point out that Sulla is one of the hottest antagonists I have ever read. But that's not the point. Also, he's not really that historically accurate either. I literally could not read it fast enough, and read the entire series within three weeks. View all 3 comments. I started with Conn Iggulden when my wife bought me Wolf of the Plains for me to read on a flight to Berlin last year I bought Gates of Rome form Tesco [on offer] and read it in few days I loved that too I am no Yahoo I am not claimimg that Iggulden is some sort of literary genius - far from it - but what he does do, he does well. Just up my street! Sep 02, Eric Smith rated it really liked it Recommends it for: historical fiction fans and those interested in Ancient Rome. Shelves: historic-fiction. My first real trip into historical fiction other than the works of Jeff Shaara has turned out to be very enjoyable. This novel takes the stories of Ceasar back to his beginning and paints an spectacular picture of two young men growing up on the edge of Rome and the beginning ofr their rise to positions of power. Ceasar is captured in a way I have never seen before as he begins his journey from boyhood into the man that we all know from our history texts. The Gates of Rome (Emperor, #1) by Conn Iggulden

Book 1. Eventually, Julius Caesar will bring peace—he will close the gates of war and bind Discord with a hundred knots. Book 7. Latinus is reluctant to open the gates of war , which would serve as the declaration. Juno intervenes, opening the gates of war herself Cite This Page. Home About Story Contact Help. LitCharts uses cookies to personalize our services. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Cookie Policy , Privacy Policy , and Terms of Service. Previous Aeneas's Shield. The Gates of War Symbol Analysis. Next Theme Wheel. Seeds of distrust had sprouted between the two Imperial courts. Arcadius ordered Stilicho to send the eastern army to Constantinople and return to Italy immediately. The Goths marched unopposed down the historically fateful path to Thermopylae. Alaric spared Athens in return for most of its treasures. After a triumphant entrance, he relaxed with a warm bath and attended a banquet in his honor. From Attica, the Goths moved down the Peleponnese peninsula, where Corinth, Argos and Sparta yielded their treasures as well. In the spring of ad, the sails of a massive armada billowed above the azure waves of the Ionian Sea. He drove the Goths up the arid slopes of Mount Pholoe, where the beleaguered barbarians hunkered down for a last stand, hunger gnawing at their ribs and thirst parching their throats. Defeat seemed inevitable. With victory all but won, Stilicho took time to enjoy the theaters and dancers of Greece. Unfortunately, so did many of his troops, who made themselves a nuisance in the countryside. Alaric saw his chance and broke through the depleted encirclement, transporting his troops, captives, and loot to the Epirus coast of northwestern Greece. At the same time, the Eastern Empire was hoping to use Alaric against Stilicho. The fox was now guarding the henhouse. Illyricum was of no small importance to the Empire. The Prefecture covered all the Greek and Balkan provinces outside of Thrace. Both the eastern and western courts desired jurisdiction over Illyricum. Alaric had attained his original goals, and his people were pleased. In the time-honored custom of the barbarians, they lifted him high on a shield and rousingly proclaimed him their king. An independent contingent of Goth mercenaries at Constantinople seized control of the city. They were quickly overthrown, and 7, of them were massacred inside the city. The resultant anti-German sentiment at Constantinople turned against Alaric and his Goths, who were stripped of their titles and lands. It was time for the Goths to load up their wagons, mount their horses, and make the Empire take notice of them again. The west looked enticingly vulnerable at the moment. Vandals and Alans led by an eastern Goth warlord named Radagaisus, were advancing from Pannonia, and Stilicho was even now moving against them. The invasion sent shock waves of terror through the Roman Empire. Radagaisus escaped, but otherwise the haul of captives was so great that the price of slaves plunged on the open market. Stilicho then led his battle-hardened veterans through the snow and ice of the Alps. With them marched 12, of the defeated Vandals and Alans, who had been drafted into the Roman army. Stilicho was taking no chances against Alaric. Far away, along the forts of the Rhine and the Caledonian border, his messengers raced to summon all available aid against the Goths. By the time Stilicho returned in February , Alaric had pillaged northern Italy for three months. Terrified, Honorius fled Milan. Nearly captured by the Goth horsemen, he found shelter in the walled Ligurian town of Asta on the River Tanarus. He looked at faces scared from battle, at old warriors leaning on their spears. One of the eldest had given Alaric his first bow and quiver. The grizzled veteran advised Alaric to escape from the spreading Roman net while he still had time. With those defiant words, he decided to pursue the emperor to Asta. Stilicho did not tarry in the city for long before pressing on after Alaric. He found the Goths encamped near Pollentia, having put Asta under siege. Despite such odds, however, Stilicho was too prudent to waste his men in an assault on the Goth wagon barricades. Instead, he enclosed the Goths within a line of fortifications and waited until April 6, Easter Sunday, when Alaric and his men, who were Christians of the Aryan faith, devoutly celebrated the festival. Protect Father Tiber with your shields! Saul, the pagan chief of the Alans, was called upon to lead the attack. His short but stout frame crisscrossed with battle scars, Saul looked to the flank of the barbarian legions. Alan horses nervously pawed the ground. Their bushy-haired riders swore oaths to the sacred sword of their steppe war god. Fierce nomads of Iranian origin, the Alans customarily draped their horses with the skins of their foes. At length the signal was given, trumpets blared, and the Alan cavalry dashed forward. The Goths did not expect an attack on such a holy day— surprise was total. The Alan riders jumped the barricades, stampeding through the confused Goths at the fringes of the camp. Stilicho would have clinched victory then and there had it not been for Alaric. The young Goth king instantly rallied his troops. Brawny Goth fists tightened their grip on their shields and spears as the Alan cavalry thundered closer. The Alan horses skidded to a halt, refusing to impale themselves upon the Goth spears. Blades flashed out of dust clouds. After Saul was struck down, his warriors broke in panic. Confident that on this day of all days God would be with them, the Goth cavalry galloped after the Alans with a roar. Seeing his infantry about to be outflanked, Stilicho quickly flung a reserve legion into the battle. Buffered by the legion, the Alan horsemen turned on their pursuers. Along the entire front, the Goth and Roman lines heaved back and forth. In the melee, the soldiers had to look at the designs and elaborate colors of their shields to tell friend from foe. The shields presented a dizzying array of colorful lines, rectangles, ovals, and animal motifs. A short lull interrupted the battle. Soldiers, exhausted in their heavy iron chain mail, caught their breath before hurling themselves again into the bloody fray. By evening the maddening clamor of blaring horns, shouting men, neighing horses, and clashing arms finally quieted down. Only the pitiful groans of the wounded continued. Both sides had suffered horrendous casualties, and Alaric had no choice but to retreat or face complete destruction. The Goths abandoned both their loot and their women. Alaric had promised his wife jewels and Roman handmaidens—she got slavery instead. Violated and dragged into Roman servitude, the women clung to the hope that their husbands would soon come to free them. Meanwhile, the Italian and Greek women enslaved by the Goths were freed to return to their homes and families. Honorius, with Stilicho at his side, led his chariot in a triumphant procession through the streets of Rome. The celebrations were woefully premature. On July 18, B. The Romans had yet to perfect the fighting style that would make their legions famous, and many of their men scattered at the first charge of the wild- haired, bare-chested Gallic army. The rest were butchered, leaving Brennus with a clear road to Rome. His men entered the city a few days later and commenced with an orgy of rape and pillage. Buildings were burned or plundered of all their valuables, and most of the Roman senate was put to the sword at the Forum. While the Gauls wreaked havoc on the rest of the city, the surviving Romans fortified themselves atop the Capitoline Hill. They repelled several Gallic attacks, but after several months of siege, they agreed to pay 1, pounds of gold in exchange for Brennus and his army leaving the city. Legend has it that Brennus used rigged scales to weigh out the ransom. The Romans rebuilt after the Gauls departed, but the defeat at the River Allia left deep wounds. For the rest of Roman history, July 18 was considered a cursed day. Sack of Rome by the Visigoths led by Alaric I. Rome recovered from the Gallic debacle and went on to flourish for nearly years, but its second sacking in A. At the time, the Roman Empire was divided and on the decline. Marauding Germanic tribes had begun making incursions across the Rhine and Danube, and one of them, a group of Visigoths led by a king named Alaric, had already besieged Rome on two separate occasions. When the barbarians returned for a third siege, a group of rebellious slaves opened the Salarian Gate and allowed them to pour into the city. Three days later, having stripped the city of all its valuables, they withdrew from Rome and disappeared along the Appian Way. The Visigoth sacking had been relatively controlled. Emperor: The Gates of Rome (Emperor Series #1) by Conn Iggulden, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

It took his followers a few centuries to gain enough clout to be able to win over imperial support. This began in the early 4th century with Emperor Constantine , who was actively involved in Christian policy-making. When Constantine established a state-level religious tolerance in the Roman Empire, he took on the title of Pontiff. Although he was not necessarily a Christian himself he wasn't baptized until he was on his deathbed , he gave Christians privileges and oversaw major Christian religious disputes. He may not have understood how the pagan cults, including those of the emperors, were at odds with the new monotheistic religion, but they were, and in time the old Roman religions lost out. Over time, Christian church leaders became increasingly influential, eroding the emperors' powers. For example, when Bishop Ambrose — CE threatened to withhold the sacraments, Emperor Theodosius did the penance the Bishop assigned him. Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion in CE. Since Roman civic and religious life were deeply connected—priestesses controlled the fortune of Rome, prophetic books told leaders what they needed to do to win wars, and emperors were deified—Christian religious beliefs and allegiances conflicted with the working of empire. The barbarians, which is a term that covers a varied and changing group of outsiders, were embraced by Rome, who used them as suppliers of tax revenue and bodies for the military, even promoting them to positions of power. But Rome also lost territory and revenue to them, especially in northern Africa, which Rome lost to the Vandals at the time of St. Augustine in the early 5th century CE. The loss of Spain meant Rome lost revenue along with the territory and administrative control, a perfect example of the interconnected causes leading to Rome's fall. That revenue was needed to support Rome's army and Rome needed its army to keep what territory it still maintained. There is no doubt that decay—the loss of Roman control over the military and populace—affected the ability of the Roman Empire to keep its borders intact. Early issues included the crises of the Republic in the first century BCE under the emperors Sulla and Marius as well as that of the Gracchi brothers in the second century CE. But by the fourth century, the Roman Empire had simply become too big to control easily. The decay of the army, according to the 5th-century Roman historian Vegetius , came from within the army itself. The army grew weak from a lack of wars and stopped wearing their protective armor. This made them vulnerable to enemy weapons and provided the temptation to flee from battle. Security may have led to the cessation of the rigorous drills. Vegetius said the leaders became incompetent and rewards were unfairly distributed. In addition, as time went on, Roman citizens, including soldiers and their families living outside of Italy, identified with Rome less and less compared to their Italian counterparts. They preferred to live as natives, even if this meant poverty, which, in turn, meant they turned to those who could help—Germans, brigands, Christians, and Vandals. Some scholars have suggested that the Romans suffered from lead poisoning. The lead was also used in cosmetics, even though it was also known in Roman times as a deadly poison and used in contraception. Economic factors are also often cited as a major cause of the fall of Rome. Other lesser economic issues included the wholesale hoarding of bullion by Roman citizens, the widespread looting of the Roman treasury by barbarians, and a massive trade deficit with the eastern regions of the empire. Together these issues combined to escalate financial stress during the empire's last days. Gibbon, Edward. History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. Ott, Justin. Iowa State University, Damen, Mark. Utah State University. Delile, Hugo, et al. Share Flipboard Email. Eventually, Honorius got too jealous and in , he removed Stilicho from power and had him executed. Less than 2 years later, Alaric and the Visigoths sacked the city. He sent his Generals Belisarius and Narses to Italy. Both of the Basilicas at this time were outside the Walls. During the Gothic Wars of , the defenders of the Gate fought off the Gothic invaders from the gate, hurling down marble statues or whatever they could loosen from the ancient tomb down onto the invading Ostrogoths. Nothing was spared, not churches or Shrines, not shops or homes, not food, not even the people. From the 3 rd to the 17 th century, the Aurelian Walls protected the city. There have been as many as 18 Gates, although of them were used only for military access. Some of the Gates have been altered to make room for the modernization of the city. Some were dismantled. However 12 of them still remain in very good condition. Rome had a population of around , before the 1 st sack of the city in By the time of the sack of the city there were barely 55, people in the city. His models of ancient Rome are wonderful. Salt was a major commodity used for everything from spice to preservation of foods. This event has erroneously been called the Fall of Rome. The Western Roman Empire continued until The Eastern Roman empire continued until Sylvester was the Bishop of Rome from According to legend he cured the Emperor Constantine of leprosy by baptising him. However, this is a legend. Most believe Constantine was never baptised. After Alaric and the Visigoths came through Porta Salaria in the year they looted the city for 3 days, taking gold, silver and gems. Romans were tortured into revealing the whereabouts of their wealth. Porta Salaria did indeed fall to Alaric and his army but many believe the Gate was actually opened to them by some disgruntled Roman slaves. The Emperor Honorius reign goes down as one of the worst Emperors in Roman history. Honorius was in Ravenna at the time Alaric entered the Porta Salaria. According to the historian Procopius, one of the royal eunuchs, the poultry tender, informed the Emperor that Roma had perished. Honorius cried out that it had just eaten out of his hands. In , Pope Leo I opened the Gates to Genseric and the Vandals in order to reduce the amount of destruction to the city. The Gates were spared but the city was so completely looted of all riches, it gave rise to the word vandalism. The Salaria Gate was damaged during the Gothic Wars In , the gate was blown up by the Army of the Italian Unification. Among his civic improvements in the city, he commissioned the new Porta Pia , a gate equidistant between the Porta Salaria and the Porta Nomentana. Today there is nothing left of Porta Nomentana. You can barely make out one of the towers of the old gate as a part of the foundation in the British Embassy of Rome on via Nomentana. The design and execution of the gate in went to the then 86 year old Michelangelo Buonarroti. There is a story that the Pope received three designs for the Gate and chose the least costly version. Michelangelo died in February of , three years after he started working on the Porta Pia. By the time the gate was completed in , much of the original design was altered. The outer gate was added in as a defense against the Italian Unification army but on the 20 th of September the Porta Pia fell to the Risorgamento, the rise of the new Italy. For Italian patriotism, the 20 th of September marks the anniversary of the breach of the Porta Pia. The road leading to the gate is called the via 20 Settembre in honor of the date. Together with the rest of the Italian Unification Army, they amassed over 50, The fight at this point was merely symbolic. Pope Pius IX Mastatai-Ferretti wanted a show of resistance just to establish the historical point that the city was not handed over to the new government. It took 3 hours of canon fire to break through the wall. There were 68 casualties; 49 soldiers from the Italian Unification Army and 19 from the Papal guards. The Bersagliere Museum inside the Porta Pia is a curious couple of rooms filled with costumes, dioramas, photos and written memories of the September 20 th victory. There is also an interesting scale model of the famous battle. The bomb failed to detonate. Lucenti was sentenced to 30 years in prison. He died in the prison on the island of Ischia in a allied air raid. Recently the remains of what many consider to be the Campus Sceleratus the evil fields were dug along the via 20 settembre, near the Porta Pia. Campus Sceleratus was where Vestal Virgins who broke the vow of chastity were buried alive. Constantine disbanded the Praetorian guards in the 4th century. This photo is of the gate from the inside of the wall. It is the better side for photographs. The exterior entrance to the gate is the more important side but it is obscured by a protective iron gate. The top channel for the Aqua Julia is dedicated to Augustus. The dedication lists the accomplishments of Augustus Pontifex Maximus, Council for the 12 th time, Tribune for the Plebs for the 19 th time, imperator for the 13 th time and how he restored the channels of all the aqueducts in 5 BC. Caracalla claims, after his many titles, to have repaired the Aqua Tepula by cleaning the source and cutting through mountains to bring the new Aqua renamed Antoniniana, after himself, of course. Titus lists all his political achievements and claims the restoration of the Aqua Marcia after it was destroyed by time and restored back to good use. The bull skull motif was brought back as a decorative motif by Andrea Palladio in the 16 th century. One last note about the Porta Tiburtina. This is the site where in the populist leader Cola di Rienzo won his biggest victory against the wealthy Barons of Rome. This was the first populist revolt in Rome in over years. Cola di Rienzo was run out of Rome soon after the fight at the Porta Tiburtina. He came back in but the same mob he once led against the wealthy class turned on him and killed him as he tried to escape. This is not only the best preserved 1st century city gate but also a great example of how the aqueducts were integrated into the city walls. Two sources of water, the Aqua Claudia and the Anio Novus both ran through this arch. The columns holding up the pediments between the arches look eroded by time, but according to Yale Art Historian Diana E. Kleiner they were created this way back in the 1st century as a design choice by Claudius. It was kind of modern art of the 1st century. Over the years the arch was restored by Emperor Vespasian and then his son, Emperor Titus. In 71 AD, Vespasian adds that he too, at his own expense, restored the confluence of the Aqueducts that had fallen to disrepair for nine years. In 81 AD, the Emperor Titus added, also at his own expense, that he further repaired and restored the structure that was built by Claudius and repaired by his father Vespasian. Even though it sits next to the Porta Maggiore, it predates the arch by close to years. This along with the Pyramid of Cestius at Porta San Paolo is one of the best preserved funerary monuments of ancient Rome. When it was built, the Tomb of the Baker sat a fairly good distance outside of the Servian Wall. When Aurelian incorporated the Arch of Claudius and the confluence of aqueducts into his new Porta Maggiore, the Tomb of the Baker remained outside the gate, but just barely. The Basilica was built on the location of the Praetorian Guards since the time of Emperor Tiberius in the 1st century. When Constantine disbanded the Praetorians in the 4th century he claimed the site for his Villa where he lived with his mother, Helen. Follow the road past the Basilica and take a left turn on the via Nola. It was the second largest amphitheater next to the coliseum in Rome. If you walk along the Viale Castrense near Santa Croce in Gerusalemme you can still see the curve of the large amphitheater. The Porta Asinaria Gate of the Donkeys was actually a minor gate in the fortifications. The original gate was just a small opening used by farmers on donkeys coming into the city. The twin towers that flank the gate were added in the 5 th century when the Basilica of St John in Lateran became the Papal seat of Rome in the 4 th century. This was the Gate where, in , General Flavius Belisarius entered an exhausted and badly beaten Rome. As in the breach of the Porta Salaria, some disloyal and disgruntled Roman soldiers opened the gate for Totila. The city was sacked and plundered until the reinforcements of Byzantine troops arrived and put them on the run. Pope Gregory accompanied Robert Guiscard south to Salerno. Both Guiscard and Pope Gregory died a year later, 2 months apart. It was restored again in The Donkey Gate is now one of the prettiest gates in Rome. Civic architectural renewal was popular with the Popes of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. Porta San Giovanni commands some of the worst auto traffic in the city. According to the believers, on this night, the earth is filled with strange magic powers. Herbs picked on this night have super powers. At one time Romans would light bondfires by the gate to scare her away. These days there is just a candle lit procession, sometimes led by the Pope. Snail vendors set up their booth in front of the Basilica of San Giovanni. By eating them, the person would consume and digest all the resentment, cleaning themselves of all hostility. Enemies would become friends after a good bowl of stewed snails. As traffic in Rome became more congested, the Gate was completely removed and replaced with 4 large arches over the streets leading in and out of the Piazzale Metronia. It one of the best Byzantine Churches in Rome. The walk along the wall from Porta Metronia to Porta Latina is along a peaceful park filled with families and joggers. The park was once the ancient Pomerium, a sacred space inside the wall protected by gods, demons and other supernatural powers. It was forbidden to build structures or carry weapons in the Pomerium. Legend states that Remus was killed by his brother Romulus for carrying weapons through the Pomerium. These days, the laws of the Pomerium along the Aurelian Wall are still maintained. There are no dwellings, no buildings and no weapons. There is a sign posted explaining to all visitors that they are entering a sacred Pomerium. According to the early Christian historian, Tertulian, the Porta Latina is where St John the Evangelist survived his martyrdom of being boiled in oil in the year Not wanting to give the Romans another try, John packed up and moved to the island of Patmos. It was on the island where he created the Book of Revelation, commonly known as the Book of the Apocalypse. Although many modern day Christian Fundamentalists believe the Apocalypse is imminent, for John the Evangelist, it actually happened. John was born in the year He witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem in He lived through the destruction of Pompeii and Herculaneum in It is understandable how he thought the Whore of Babylon was Rome itself. It might have also had something to do with the food, wine and herbs he was consuming on the island of Patmos. Like the rest of the wall, the height of the gate wall and towers were doubled at the beginning of the 5 th century, However, the gate itself was actually lowered to accommodate a sliding armored door, a new feature at the time. Porta San Sebastiano is the largest of the Aurelian gates and the only gate that allows you inside, up to the towers and along the walls. In it all reopened and the views are incredible. The rest of the museum includes photos and explanations of how the walls were built and restored. The ancient looking mosaics on the floor inside the Porta San Sebastiano are from the 20 th century. He was taken into a forest and executed. Originally named Porta Appia, the gate opened onto the via Appia Antica, one of the 1st of the great ancient Roman highways. These massive remains still decorate the road. Ghibellines were loyal followers of the Holy Roman Emperor. Guelphs were loyal to the Pope. Wars between these two political factions lasted from the 11 th through the 14 th centuries. It was basically an age old rivalry between the Houses of Bavaria and Swabia. The Guelphs from Bavarian Welfs were wealthy merchant families in larger cities. The Ghibellines from the Waiblingen, the ancestral home of the Hohenstraufen Swabians were mostly land owners near smaller cities. Things got even more confusing when the seat of the Papacy moved from Rome to Avignon, France between and In a greatly embarrassed Charles V came to Rome in an attempt to smooth things over with the Vatican. This was the first major naval defeat of the Ottomans. It was a traditional Roman Tribute that included chained Turkish prisoners in tow. This was the last traditional Roman Triumph that included prisoners in chains. Drusus took the title of Germanicus after conquering the German tribes north of the Rhine. In a true moment of historical irony, the victorious Drusus Germanicus fell off his horse while subjugating the conquered Germans and died shortly after.

The Walls and Gates of Rome – Rome on Rome

Citizen will fight citizen in a bloody conflict — and Julius Caesar, cutting his teeth in battle, will be in the thick of the action. Account Options Sign in. Top charts. New arrivals. Conn Iggulden Mar Add to Wishlist. The ultimate Rome story From the spectacle of gladiatorial combat to the intrigue of the Senate, from the foreign wars that secure the power of the empire to the betrayals that threaten to tear it apart, this is the remarkable story of the man who would become the greatest Roman of them all: Julius Caesar. The first instalment in the bestselling Emperor series. More by Conn Iggulden See more. Emperor: The Gods of War. Book 4. He looked terrible, like some sort of demon. The crust of crumbling river mud had been broken away, and there was now only a gray dust, streaked with red and purple. His jaw was swollen, and a lump stood out on his temple. His left hand was fat and had a bluish tinge in the failing light. Gaius tried to move his own hands, held by the twine. Though painfully stiff, they both worked and he set about wriggling them free. His young frame was supple and the burst of fresh pain was ignored in the wave of worry he felt for his friend. He had to be all right, he had to be. First, though, Gaius had to get down. One hand came free and he reached down to the ground, scrabbling in the dust and dead leaves with his fingertips. The other hand came free and he widened his area of search, making his body swing in a slow circle. Yes, a small stone with a sharp edge. Now for the difficult part. Can you hear me? I'm going to get us down, don't you worry. Then I'm going to kill Suetonius and his fat friends. Gaius took a deep breath and readied himself for the pain. Under normal circumstances, reaching up to cut through a piece of heavy twine with only a sharp stone would have been difficult, but with his abdomen a mass of bruises, it felt like an impossible task. He heaved himself up, crying out with the pain from his stomach. He jackknifed up to the branch and gripped it with both hands, lungs heaving with the effort. He felt weak and his vision blurred. He thought he would vomit, and could do no more than just hold on for a few moments. Then, inch by inch, he released the hand with the stone and leaned back, giving himself enough room to reach the twine and saw at it, trying not to catch his skin where it had bitten into the flesh. The stone was depressingly blunt and he couldn't hold on for long. Gaius tried to let go before his hands slipped so he could control the fall back, but it was too hard. Home 1 Books 2. Add to Wishlist. Sign in to Purchase Instantly. Members save with free shipping everyday! See details. In a city of grandeur and decadence, beauty and bloodshed, two boys, best friends, dream of glory in service of the mightiest empire the world has ever known. One is the son of a senator. The other is a bastard child. For Gaius, the equally deadly infighting of the Roman Senate will be the battlefield where he hones his courage and skill. And for both, the love of an extraordinary slave girl will be an honor each will covet but only one will win. About the Author. His previous two series, on Julius Caesar and on the Mongol Khans of Central Asia, describe the founding of the greatest empires of their day and were number-one bestsellers. Iggulden lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and children. Read an Excerpt Chapter One The track in the woods was a wide causeway to the two boys strolling down it. Giles Kristian. No Less Than Victory. Robert Harris. Return to Paradise. James A. Last of the Amazons. Steven Pressfield. The Shores of Tripoli. James L. The Afghan Campaign. Company of Liars. Karen Maitland. Blood Eye. The Covenant. Cloud of Sparrows. Takashi Matsuoka. The Virtues of War. Tides of War. The Glorious Cause. The Fateful Lightning. Rise to Rebellion. The Long Ships. Frans G. The Smoke at Dawn. Praise "Conn Iggulden is a grand storyteller…[he keeps] adults turning pages like enthralled kids. Related Articles. Looking for More Great Reads? Download Hi Res.

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