The Triumph of Caesar

A Novel of Ancient Rome

By: Steven Saylor

Narrated by: Ralph Cosham

The Roman civil war has come to its conclusion - Pompey is dead, Egypt is firmly under the control of Cleopatra (with the help of Rome's legions), and for the first time in many years Julius Caesar has returned to Rome itself. Appointed by the Senate as dictator, the city abounds with rumors asserting that Caesar wishes to be made king - the first such that Rome has had in centuries - and that not all of his opposition has been crushed.

Gordianus, recently returned from Egypt with his wife, Bethesda, is essentially retired from his previous profession of "finder", but even he cannot refuse the call of Calpurnia, Caesar's wife. Troubled by dreams foretelling disaster and fearing a conspiracy against the life of Caesar, she had hired someone to investigate the rumors. But that person, a close friend of Gordianus, has just turned up dead - murdered - on her doorstep.

With four successive triumphs for Caesar's military victories scheduled for the coming days, and Caesar more exposed to danger than ever before, Calpurnia wants Gordianus to uncover the truth behind the rumored conspiracies and to protect Caesar's life, before it is too late. No fan of Caesar's, Gordianus agrees to help, but only to find the murderer who killed his friend. But once an investigation is begun, there's no controlling what it will turn up, who it will put in danger, and where it will end.

Steven Saylor is the author of the New York Times best seller Roma, as well as the previous books in the Roma Sub Rosa series, featuring Gordianus the Finder. He divides his time between Berkeley, California, and Austin, Texas.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend us your ears: listen to another Novel of Ancient Rome.©2008 Steven Saylor (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Gordianus the Finder is a marvelous example of a credible early-history sleuth - sophisticated, cagey, and loosely attached to the shifting power structure of Rome in the time of Caesar...Fast-paced action, a deeply realized main character, and accessible history make this series first-rate on all fronts." (Booklist)
"The convincing backdrop of daily life in ancient Rome helps make this compelling whodunit a triumph." (Publishers Weekly)

Bring Scott Harrison Back

I have listened to all the books in the Roma Sub Rosa series available on audio. I have eagerly looked forward to my 5 hour weekly commute each week to learn what new mysteries "The Finder" will unravel. I'm having trouble getting into this book however. I have read many negative reviews of Scott Harrison's reading ability and have to say I disagree with them all. I found his voice lended itself to a mystery, he was pleasent to listen to, and quite frankly sounded the way I would have read. I have listened to an hour of this book and simply cannot get past the "Fairy Tale" reading style of Ralph Cosham. If I were listening to a Grimm Brother tale, or a book in the Wicked series I would be quite pleased. I for one really miss the reading style of Scott Harrison.

Finally a reader I can listen to

I have read all Saylor's "Roma Sub Rosa" books and at first was happy to find them in audio. However, I found myself unable to listen to the narrator (Scott Harrison) who reads the other books in the series. Three chapters into the audiotape of "Arms of Nemesis" (one of the best books in the series) I threw up my hands and picked up the printed book. This audio of "The Triumph of Caesar", read by Ralph Cosham, is much better, and his older voice fits the now much older Gordianus. The story is a good one,although not the best of the series. I'd love to see some of the earlier books redone with a decent narrator.

How is Apollodorus alive in this book?

How is Apollodorus alive in this book? He died by suicide in chapter 26 of 'The Judgment of Caesar'.

I enjoyed this audiobook series immensely... only to be slightly disappointed by this one misstep in the last book of the series.

Excellent Narration and Book

The narrator makes books enjoyable to listen to, with The Great Divorce topping the chart. This book, its combination of history and storyline, mixed with the narration makes it one enjoyable listen.

Finally a proper reader for Gordianus

Scott Harrison was a terrible reader for the two prior audiobook versions of Saylor's "Roma Sub Rosa," Gordianus the Finder, mystery novels. On this one, Ralph Cosham does a great job. I hope that he's hard at work on the other titles in the series.

Good history. Good characters. Good story. All around good stuff! Give me more.

Good start for people fascinated with Rome

Would you listen to The Triumph of Caesar again? Why?

I might, especially after reading other books about the same subject and time in Roman history. I liked the fact that the information is not just written down, as in most books. This book is written by an investigator and his informants, so the information is passed along in different ways. It's very cleverly done.

What other book might you compare The Triumph of Caesar to and why?

Imperium is a history of Cicero not Cesar but is written in a similar way.

What aspect of Ralph Cosham’s performance would you have changed?

He was good but a little monotone. I don't think he did very well with the female characters.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It did not cause an extreme reaction but I think that was because of the historical content of the book.

Any additional comments?

It was not the best book I have read about Rome but it did add many interesting facts to what I already knew. I'm glad I read it.

Not bad, not great

After listening to a really long book, I wanted a short interesting book, and generally this book filled the bill. The best thing about the book is that the author brings to life a lot of well-known historical characters like Julius Ceasar, Cleopatra, Mark Antony, Cicero, and Brutus. However, the plot itself is not all that interesting and the "mystery" is not that hard to figure out. If you're really looking for a good Roman historical novel look to something like Colleen McCullough, but if you want a quick and light historical fiction, this book should fill the bill.