Emperor, The Gates of Rome is yet another tale of Roman stoicism and resolve, full of honour,
loyalty and the never ending
quest for power. Written by Conn Iggulden, I initially suspected that this was just another story inspired by the film Gladiator and other films of that genre. Preconceptions can be misleading though, and while Iggulden must surely have gleaned some ideas from Ripley Scott’s celluloid treasure, Emperor is actually a very fine story which stands up to any criticism quite easily. The characters are solid, strong and credible, and the volatile political instability of the time reflects age old conflicts of power struggles, with citizens pledging
loyalty to one side or the other.
The shaping of young gladiators, and the military upbringing visited upon the male children of the noble families highlights the priorities and beliefs of the time. It was perceived that a man who could carry himself well and defend himself in close combat would grow up to be a brave and fair person, one who could stand his ground and also argue his point before the senate.
Emperor is a story of immense historic value. If the
reader isn’t up to speed on Roman history, then this book will provide a fairly succinct crash course. Above all else, it is an adventure story, and a cracking good one at that. The two main characters, Gais and Marcus are introduced to the reader as young boys, bullied but brave. They grow up in turbulent times and go on to become infamous characters forever associated with all things Roman.
From the very beginning, the story picks up a lively pace, and the ancient city of mainly timber built Rome is fantastically depicted. Iggulden has created a towering story which opens the readers mind to the vastness of the Roman empire at it omni potential height.