Looking for the best books about ancient Rome? Here are some must-read historical novels.
Ancient Rome has long fascinated readers with its dramatic history, larger-than-life personalities, and complex political intrigue. From the fall of the Republic to the height of the Empire, these novels bring the Roman world to life, combining historical research with compelling storytelling. In this selection of historical novels set in ancient Rome, you will find both literary classics and gripping stories that make the ancient world feel immediate and real.
C.E. Perugini, Girl Reading, Manchester Art Gallery
Featured Historical Novels Set in Ancient Rome
Imperium (2006) by Robert Harris
Imperium (485 pages) by Robert Harris is a gripping political drama set in the turbulent final decades of the Roman Republic, following the rise of the outsider Cicero from courtroom advocate to consul. Told through the eyes of his secretary Tiro, it offers an intimate and vivid window into the power struggles, alliances, and rivalries that shaped Rome. It is an excellent choice for anyone fascinated by Roman politics and the dramatic personalities of the first century BC. Imperium is the first book of Harris’s Cicero trilogy, followed by Lustrum (2009) and Dictator (2015).
A God Strolling in the Cool of the Evening (1994) by Mário de Carvalho
A historical novel set in Roman Lusitania (present-day Portugal), A God Strolling in the Cool of the Evening (304 pages) by Mário de Carvalho presents the fictional memoirs of a provincial prefect struggling with the threat of incursions from North Africa, as well as the growing influence of the Christian sect—and his own infatuation with its charismatic leader, Iunia. The book won several literary awards, including the Grand Prize for Fiction and Novel of the Portuguese Writers’ Association and the international Pegasus Prize for Literature.
The First Man in Rome (1990) by Colleen McCullough
The First Man in Rome (1123 pages) by Colleen McCullough is a richly detailed historical novel set in Rome between 110 and 100 BC, charting the rise of Gaius Marius amid fierce political rivalries and military campaigns. It immerses readers in the late Republic, bringing to life conflicts with figures such as Sulla and wars against foreign enemies. Renowned for its historical accuracy, the book offers a sweeping portrayal of Roman political and military life. It is the first of seven novels in McCullough’s Masters of Rome series.
An Imaginary Life (1978) by David Malouf
An Imaginary Life (160 pages) by David Malouf is a philosophical novella set on the fringes of the Roman world, where the exiled poet Ovid struggles to adapt to life in distant Tomis on the Black Sea. Blending history with allegory, it explores themes of exile, language and civilisation through Ovid’s relationship with a mysterious wild boy.
Augustus (1972) by John Williams
Augustus (336 pages) by John Williams is widely regarded as one of the very best novels on ancient Rome, tracing the rise of Octavian from young heir to the first Roman emperor. Told through letters and diary entries, it offers a richly layered and intimate portrait of power, family, and ambition in the aftermath of Julius Caesar’s assassination. The novel captures the transformation of the Roman Republic into an empire. It is an essential read for anyone seeking a nuanced and compelling vision of Rome at a decisive turning point.
Young Caesar (1958) and Imperial Caesar (1960) by Rex Warner
Young Caesar and Imperial Caesar (702 pages) by Rex Warner offer a compelling fictional autobiography of Julius Caesar, tracing his journey from ambitious youth in Rome to supreme ruler of the Roman world. Spanning key moments of the late Republic—from political intrigue in Rome to the conquest of Gaul and the civil war against Pompey—these novels vividly recreate one of Rome’s most dramatic eras.
Memoirs of Hadrian (1951) by Marguerite Yourcenar
Memoirs of Hadrian (Mémoires d’Hadrien) (416 pages) by Marguerite Yourcenar is widely regarded as one of the best novels on ancient Rome, presenting a fictional autobiography of the Emperor Hadrian at the height of the empire’s power. It traces his life across the Roman world—from Rome and Athens to Britain and Judea—and offers rich insight into imperial politics, culture, and personal relationships.
The Ides of March (1948) by Thornton Wilder
The Ides of March (304 pages) by Thornton Wilder is an imaginative novel set in the final years of the Roman Republic, leading up to Julius Caesar’s assassination in 44 BC. Told through letters and diaries, it immerses readers in the intrigues, rivalries, and personal dramas of Rome’s elite, featuring historical figures such as Cleopatra, Cicero, and Brutus. Its engaging portrait of Caesar will appeal to anyone interested in the human side of Rome’s political upheavals.
The Death of Virgil (1945) by Hermann Broch
The Death of Virgil (Der Tod des Vergil) (496 pages) by Hermann Broch is an introspective novel set in ancient Brundisium in 19 BC, capturing the final hours of the poet Virgil. As he reflects on his life and questions the value of his masterpiece, the Aeneid, the novel offers a glimpse into the cultural and intellectual world of the early Roman Empire.
I, Claudius (1934) by Robert Graves
I, Claudius (394 pages) and its sequel Claudius the God (446 pages) by Robert Graves are among the best-known historical novels on ancient Rome, recounting the rise of the unlikely emperor Claudius amid the deadly intrigues of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Framed as Claudius’s own autobiography, the books bring to life the transition from Republic to Empire, with vivid portrayals of figures such as Augustus, Livia, Tiberius, and Caligula. The novels are largely based on ancient sources, including Tacitus and Suetonius, giving them a strong historical foundation.
Other Notable Historical Fiction set in Ancient Rome
Alongside the books already mentioned, there is a wide range of other historical novels set in ancient Rome that are well worth exploring.
Classics such as Quo Vadis (1895-1896) by Henryk Sienkiewicz (Nobel Prize winner in 1905) and Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1880) by Lew Wallace helped shape the popular imagination of early Christian Rome, while The Last Days of Pompeii (1834) by Edward Bulwer-Lytton remains a vivid nineteenth-century evocation of life before the eruption of Vesuvius.
Twentieth-century reimaginings of ancient Rome include Julian (1964) by Gore Vidal, which portrays the fourth-century emperor Julian the Apostate and his attempt to reverse the Christianisation of the empire, and Threshold of Fire (Een nieuwer testament, 1966) by Dutch author Hella S. Haase, a novel set in fifth-century Rome when the city had lost its status as the imperial capital. The Last World (Die letzte Welt, 1988) by Austrian author Christoph Ransmayr recounts a journey to Tomis in search of the exiled Roman poet Ovid (see also An Imaginary Life by David Malouf). The Romanian author Vintilă Horia won the prestigious French literary prize, the Prix Goncourt, in 1960 with God Was Born in Exile (Dieu est né en exil), another novel about Ovid’s exile in Tomis.
Meanwhile, novels centred on historical figures such as Spartacus—by Lewis Grassic Gibbon (1933) and Howard Fast (1951), the latter famously adapted for the screen by Stanley Kubrick—bring to life the slave revolt of the first century BC.
The German author Lion Feuchtwanger also wrote highly regarded historical novels set in the Roman world, notably The war of the Jews (Der jüdische Krieg, 1932) and The Pretender (Der falsche Nero, 1936).
As for more recent popular authors such as Santiago Posteguillo (known for his trilogies on Scipio Africanus and Trajan), Steven Saylor (best known for his Roma Sub Rosa historical mystery series), Lindsey Davis (author of crime novels set in ancient Rome), Harry Sidebottom (known for his Warrior of Rome and Throne of the Caesars series), and Gordon Doherty (author of the Legionary series), their works are generally regarded as engaging and well-researched historical fiction that brings Roman history vividly to life.