Imperium by Robert Harris

Marcus Tullius Cicero is perhaps one of the best known orators of the classical Roman era. We have access to his most famous speeches, correspondence with other political leaders of the day, eye witness accounts of his ability to hold a crowd in thrall, his books of philosophy and rhetoric and even marble busts dating from his time as Roman Consul. Robert Harris draws on these materials to tell the story of Cicero's rise from his humble beginnings as a 'new man' to supreme political power - the Imperium of the title.

The story is told from the memories of Tiro, Cicero's slave and personal secretary who is famous in his own right for having invented a system of shorthand for making verbatim accounts of legal proceedings. It covers the intricacies of the famous trials that established Cicero's reputation as one of the best lawyers in Rome and the intrigues, corruption and rivalries that surrounded his political career. If the story seems contemporary in tone, it is simply because so much of our legal and political systems can be traced back to the mores of the Roman Republic. There are echoes of the war on terror in Pompey the Great's bid for military power to defeat the threat of the dreaded pirates, and I think that new labour spin doctors and sellers of peerages would feel right at home with the bribery agents horse trading for senatorial votes in the Rome of 55 BC.

Highly recommended!