Conspirata: A Novel of Ancient RomeConspirata 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. |
Contents
Section 15 | |
Section 16 | |
Section 17 | |
Section 18 | |
Section 19 | |
Section 20 | |
Section 21 | |
Section 22 | |
Section 9 | |
Section 10 | |
Section 11 | |
Section 12 | |
Section 13 | |
Section 14 | |
Section 23 | |
Section 24 | |
Section 25 | |
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Common terms and phrases
arms army asked Cicero atrium Atticus bench bill brother Caesar called Catilina Cato Catulus Celer Cethegus chair chamber citizens Clodius Clodius's command consul consulship Crassus crowd Curius curule chair death door election Etruria eyes face feet Field of Mars followed former consul Forum Gaius Gaul gentlemen gesture glanced guards hand head hear heard Hortensius Hybrida Isauricus jury kill leave legionnaires lictors looked Lucullus Macedonia Marcus Metellus morning Murena Nepos never night nodded once patrician Pompey Pompey's pontifex maximus praetor prosecution province Quintus Rabirius remember replied Cicero republic Roman Rome rostra Rufus Sanga Senate House Servius sesterces shouted Silanus slave smile Sositheus speech stand stared stood street Sura sure tablinum talk tell temple Terentia thought Tiro told took tribune triumph turned urban praetor Villa Publica voice vote waiting watched wife words