If you like historical fiction you could do worse than check out Under the Eagle, the first book in the Eagle Series, by Simon Scarrow.
Under The Eagle is about Macro, a Centurion, and his optio, Quintus Lucinius Cato, starting with their adventures in the Second Legion on the Rhine and in Gaul and Britain under the reign of Claudius in the AD 40s.
It's not your classic literature, but nor is it the opposite, whatever the opposite is. It's just one of those easy reads that skips along doing what books are supposed to do: entertain you. Well, me.
Can't vouch for the historical accuracy, but considering Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo from Rome are two of the very few military underlings to crack a mention in the chronicles of Rome, it's a fair bet Macro and Cato are fictional constructs. That's obviously not the case with many other characters in UTE - Caesar, Vespasian, Claudius, and assorted members of Big Rome - but it's also a fair bet no one was around to write down their conversations over diner, drinks and debauching.
If you feel like an argument, or a laugh, stroll on over to Sars and read Hijack Robertson's ranti maximi on facts, ficts and research. Ask yourself, too, why writing long comments, even non sequiters, is such a bad thing. I'm chuffed when people feel moved to bang out essay length comments here at the AGB.
Or - and it's strictly up to you - have a debate about hard c versus soft c. Is it Loosinius or Lukinius, you cilly sunt?
WHAT THE ROMANS HAVE DONE FOR US #
Speaking of Romans: Elle MacPherson and her son Aurelius.
The Corpus and the Herald Sun fashionista - "Only Elle Macpherson could manage to make knee-high, tassled sandals look glamorous" - are taking the piss, right?
OK, so "The Corpus" isn't strictly correct. Nevertheless, no self respecting stiff would be seen dead in that clobber.
Posted by: Tony T | 12 June 2008 at 16:12
Love the shin-guards -- very necessary against the rough Italian defenders in soccer.
Wasn't it great to see the Italians thrashed 3-0 in the European Cup the other day?
Posted by: Professor Rosseforp | 12 June 2008 at 21:48
Once you resolve the C dilemna perhaps you could move onto the J enigma, as in, the Julio-Claudians or the Hulio-Claudians...of Spain perhaps?
Posted by: pat | 12 June 2008 at 22:20
Prof: The 'Talian's deserve a real kicking for all the fake diving they've got away with over the years.
Pat: Can't speak for the Julios, but the Hulios are easy to spot in the flash ugly clobber they sport in ghastly, glossy nightclubs.
Posted by: Tony T | 12 June 2008 at 22:32
geez if i had that much money I'd be driven the kids to skool in a big black hummer not a treadly
Posted by: Francis Xavier Holden | 12 June 2008 at 22:43
She's tight; doesn't want to fork out the congestion tax.
Posted by: Tony T | 12 June 2008 at 22:45
Mate of mine recently emailed me about some fictionalised Roman history novel (probably similar to the one you cite) he was enjoying but, asked me if it was true that there was a "toothsayer" who warned Caesar about "the eyes of March".
Seeing as I know very little of the dental practices of Ancient Rome and had never heard of anyone by the name of March I couldn't confirm or deny the matter.
Posted by: pat | 12 June 2008 at 22:58
Remake announced! The ghost of Fredric March will play a dentist returning from Iraq in The Best Teeth Of Our Lives.
Posted by: Tony T | 12 June 2008 at 23:05
"The Eyes of March" sounds positively Oedipal. Bang yer mother, put out your eyes.
(Or play for Collingwood. Fair argument which is worse, really.)
I want to see the U vs V dilemma solved, fvck it.
Posted by: carneagles | 13 June 2008 at 11:30