Tag Archives: Roman Empire

Book Reviews, Mind

What We’re Reading – Historical Fiction

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Summer time is approaching and it’s time to find the right books to throw in the beach bag, download on the tablet, or remain perched by your favorite rocking chair. Winter is for the dense works that educate, inform, and develop the mind. Oftentimes accompanied by hearty meals and warm drinks. Summer reading demands the opposite. When not out enjoying warmer weather, a bit of well-deserved vacation time, or just decompression from a long year of coronavirus stress it pays to have a good book at hand.

This spring I’ve been indulging in some fiction. Not straying from my normal habit too far, I’ve picked up a few books that have augmented my recent travels around Great Britain. I now offer these works of Historical Fiction for your consideration:

The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson

“A man would have to look far before finding more rewarding beggars than you,” said Orm, “for not one of you but has a tale to tell. If your story is good, Rainald, let us hear it.”

“Stories about sin are always good to hear,” said Ylva.

The protagonist, Orm is a great fictionalized hero of yore, with a named sword and a strong arm. He’s honorable, wise, and quick of wit. He earns the respect of his enemies and everlasting devotion of his friends. He’s also well-traveled. As a boy he’s swept up into the world of sea-faring vikings, raiders of the sea, and spends years (and many pages) on his adventures. In his fictionalized lifetime he’s a slave, bodyguard, warrior, chieftain, treasure hunter, husband, friend, and father. He’s truly a character a reader can seek inspiration and set aspiration to. 

The Long Ships is simple good ole, serialized storytelling. It’s not meant to be read straight through as Frans Bengtsson originally wrote the epic tale of Orm in two novels that have only recently been combined into a single book. Bengtsson’s own story is worth a little side-reading on. He’s a historian that poured all he knew about early medieval viking culture and lore into this story. He takes Orm across the known Western world throughout his adventures and makes the character react to Jews, Muslims, and Christian Europe. He processes the scale of the Byzantine Empire and the kingdoms of Africa, while he dabbles in the regional politics of the Norse people. Bengtsson takes the reader on a tour of history within the pages and it has a depth that modern viking tales seem to lack.

Vindolanda by Adrian Goldsworthy

“Now we are friends, until the kings says different. . . You are brave and know how to fight. Share a drink.” He offered his cup. Ferox took it, drank what he guessed to be half and handed it back.

“I like you, the German rumbled and clapped the centurion hard on the shoulder, the friendly blow feeling as if it would drive him a foot into the floor.

“I like you,” Ferox replied, a little surprised to find that he meant it.

It’s no secret that I’ve become enamored with the Ancient Roman Empire this past year. You can’t visit Hadrian’s Wall twice in a year without feeling a gravitational pull. On the second visit I made time to visit Vindolanda, the archeological site of a Roman fort that pre-dated the construction of Hadrian’s Wall in AD 122. While it’s proven a treasure trove for archeologists, it is little more than low walls in the outline of the fort’s buildings and walls. When I was browsing through the gift shop I came across Adrian Goldsworthy’s novel Vindolanda. All I needed to read was that he was a historian of Roman Britain and this was his fictionalization of much of what he knew. Into my library it went and I finished it before my trip to the north of Great Britain was finished.

The story revolves around Centurion Flavius Ferox, a Roman staff officer of infamous repute. He’s stationed in the north of Britannia to maintain relations between the tribes and the Roman garrisons. The novel is set in the early days of Emperor Trajan’s reign and there is much uncertainty in the air about Rome’s stability as an empire and presence in Britannia. As Roman officials and aristocrats arrive from far off Rome, Ferox must grapple with diplomatically educating them on the ways of the local tribes while also sniffing the air for challenges to Rome. Goldworthy’s narrative brings Vindolanda, and all of northern Britannia, alive with his descriptions of life at the fort, relations between the tribes, and where Rome is in its history.

I can say with complete honesty that there were some real page-turner episodes for me in this book. Both battles and feasts held me with rapt attention and there is enough human element to make me identify with Centurion Ferox. This novel brings to life the meager facts of what is known about Roman Britain, which incidentally owes a great debt to Vindolanda’s archaeological offerings.

The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cronwell

“Don’t go to Cridianton,” he told me.

“My wife is there,” I said. “My child is there.”

“Alfred is at Exanceaster.” he said

“So?”

“So the man who takes news of the battle to Exanceaster gets credit for it.” he said

“Then you go.” I said.

The Last Kingdom made this list because 1) I read it, 2) it’s also a popular Netflix series, and 3) there are serious flaws with it. I also happened to be at Bamburgh Castle, in the far north of England, where the protagonist was born and spends the entire novel (and series) trying to get back to. I genuinely enjoyed the first 300-or so pages of this. The Danish colonization of England is an interesting period as the descendents of Red Orm settled on the eastern shores of the island and battled the Saxons and Britons. I’ve been to the cities of York and Lincoln that have shared history with each civilization and seen the evidence of that history in the names and architecture that remain. For 90% of this book, it holds up.

Ivar the Boneless, a real historical figure, makes appearances in The Last Kingdom. Most of what was known about him was lost to history, which makes him a perfect character to plug into a fictional story with creative license. Photo by Andrew Zapf, taken at Whitby Abbey in northeastern England - where the vikings came ashore.

***Mild Spoilers***   It all falls apart when the protagonist, Uhtred Ragnarson, stops following the societal rules for power, security, and advancement of his own era and starts adopting the decision making paradigm of the 21st Century. The quote above, when Uhtred decides to follow his wife to Cridianton, instead of claiming credit with King Alfred at Exanceaster, makes no sense for the early medieval societies he lives in. This diversion from reality pushes the accuracy levels of the subsequent novels, not to mention the whole television series, way down as Uhtred keeps failing to learn from his mistakes, refuses advice pertinent to the society, and spends years of his fictional life making illogical decisions. It’s too much and I won’t endorse it beyond page 324. 

However, I can’t recommend Bamburgh Castle (pictured in the banner above), it’s vast beach, and lovely village highly enough.

Andrew Zapf is a co-founder of Pushing Horizons.

Disclaimer: All views expressed are that of the author. As an REI Associate, Pushing Horizons earns from qualifying purchases.

History, Mind

Hadrian’s Wall: The Bottom of the Rabbit Hole

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“Sis felicior Augusto, melior Traiano” 

“be more fortunate than Augustus, better than Trajan” – spoken at the inauguration of later-era Roman Emperors


“To a considerable extent, Hadrian’s Wall is a monument to human sweat.” – Alistair Moffat, The Wall

There aren’t many ways to get me to go down the rabbit hole. Up until now I could count on one hand the topics that could set me up for hours of conversation or months of reading: the 1996-97 Detroit Red Wings, the combat history of the 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment, the 1453 Siege of Constantinople by Mehmet the Conqueror, and the Palio di Siena. After six months I can deny it no more. Add the Ancient Roman Empire to the list. 

It snuck up on me slowly. Reading The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff as a boy or a fragment of a Roman ruin in Vienna on a college trip. Then as I roamed further I consumed bigger and bigger portions of Roman history. The Celsus Library at Ephesus in Turkey, the temple of Volubilis in Morocco, and visiting the ruins of Jerash in Jordan were whole-day affairs.

Recently and unexpectedly I found myself living in Italy. I was practically stumbling over the Ancient Romans in between sips of espresso and magnificent pasta. And believe you me, I relished the proximity of it all. The Appian Way was a short walk from my rental, central Rome a simple train ride away. Capua, the starting point of the Spartacus-led Third Servile War appeared on the road signs I drove past daily.  

In for a penny, I was in for a pound. Even after I left Italy the Roman history books started piling up on my shelf. Mike Duncan’s History of Rome podcast started accompanying me on my morning commutes. And I put all six volumes of Edward Gibbon’s The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire at the top of my letter to Santa Claus. I wanted, and still want, to know more. To understand the connections between this ancient empire and our modern world. 

This interest is what drove me to the north of England. Far distant from the Forum and Palatine Hill in Rome were the edges of the empire. There, on the south side of the Scottish border, lies what remains of Emperor Hadrian’s wall demarking the frontier. It was there, on a brisk October morning, that I came to Housesteads Roman Fort, an auxiliary fort once home to Roman legionnaires at the very edge of the civilized world. 

Conquering new lands defined the Ancient Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. Emperor Trajan pushed Rome’s boundaries to the empire’s high water mark. Emperor Hadrian, Trajan’s successor foresaw financial and logistical reasons to put some clean edges on the empire. One, to keep the barbarians out. Two, to keep adventurous Roman generals penned in. As the new emperor toured his domains he set Roman garrisons to building projects along the Danube and in Germania. In AD 122 he ordered the construction of the wall in northern Britannia after another revolt in the province. Britannia simply wouldn’t be a profitable Roman province if they had to keep fighting there. And so the wall was built over six years and stretched nearly the full 91 miles at the narrowest coast-to-coast line in Northern England. The hard edge of the empire became crystal clear. 

When Hadrian gave the word to build Romans from Britain’s legions turned out from their forts to quarry stone, haul material, and erect the long structure. Examples of other Roman walls still standing elsewhere are about 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Known for their uniformity and rigidity in military matters, this wall was likely the same. It’s imposing height, augmented by cliffs and ditches, was whitewashed and must have gleamed against the grey British skies. The mile-castles, roving cavalry patrols, and permanent garrisons intimated the reach and power of the Emperor stretching over a thousand miles back to Italy. 

For nearly 1,900 years Hadrian’s Wall has stood. Maintained by the National Trust preservation society in England, it’s line is still impressive. In Housesteads Fort the walls and gates have shed much of their glorious height. Beyond it’s northern gate lies what was once Rome’s frontier. The wall divided lands of the Brigantes tribes and kept the ancient Caledonians – the barbarians of the North – at bay. Here was the last line where the legionnaires stood guard against them all. 

Today the enemy was time. Bryce, Soren, Randy, Sean, and I, fresh off our day on Helvellyn, were there to dash across a section of well before heading back to our day jobs in the south. Dash being the appropriate term as we had one chance to get from Housesteads Fort to the village of Greenhead to catch the last bus back to our parked car. The only backup plan was a ten mile walk back. 

We walked, we jogged and we ran. Occasionally we stopped for a picture or just to gawk at the landscapes. To the south the ground sloped gently down. To the north the terrain drops steeply. The Romans incorporated the cliffs of the Great Whin Sill into their construction to form an imposing and formidable barrier. Overhead a ceaseless wind barreled from the north shoving the clouds across a threatening sky. It would be months before I turned back the cover of Alistair Moffat’s The Wall and really dove into the history of Roman Britain, but even in those moments my imagination could hear the cloth snapping on the Roman standards, and the low grumbling of lonely Centurians on duty from over a thousand years past. 

We arrived in Greenhead with time to spare. At the bus stop we leaned against a less ancient stone wall waiting for Bus 122 (appropriately numbered) to take us away. In the preceding six hours we had climbed the ancient walls, crossed bovine and sheep pastures, and transported ourselves back to the time when the area was bustling with Legionnaires, Auxiliaries, and the human activity that followed the Romans to each corner of the known world. 

In the end, the only tension of the day involved a couple of beers. While waiting for the bus Bryce, Soren, and Sean disappeared into the Greenhead Hotel. Just before the appointed hour they emerged with giant smiles and five bottles of cold ale in their hands – held high in the victory stance. Time slowed as we sipped the amber ale. We weren’t just drinking a toast to our successful day. The five of us were welcoming a new appreciation for the ambition and achievement of the Romans, their mark on history, and their invasion of our imaginations.

Andrew Zapf is a co-founder of Pushing Horizons.

Disclaimer: All views expressed are that of the author. As an REI Associate, Pushing Horizons earns from qualifying purchases.

Book Reviews, Mind

The Classical Age

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The Classical Age is usually defined as the era between 8th Century B.C. and 6th Century A.D. The Mediterranean, known then as the inner sea, and the people who lived on its shores, serves as the fulcrum for the study of this time period. The Phoenicians, Persians, Etruscans, Gauls, Celts, Goths and others play critical roles but it is the Greek and Roman civilizations which dominate. For the purpose of this post I consider the age to have begun with the origin of the Greek myths and to have ended with the fall of Constantinople in 1453, since it marked the final end of the Byzantine Empire, the last remnants of the Romans, and an interesting fusion of Roman and Greek culture.

For centuries, the West has been enamored with Ancient Greece and Rome, and I confess to being similarly fascinated.  Not only did the political philosophies of that time and place form the inspiration of our current republic, but it is a time in history (a term itself derived from the ancient Herodotus) in which the actions of men rise out of the mists of myth and legend.  Zeus, Athena, and the other gods are joined by Achilles and Hector of Homer’s Iliad, and later by the Persians, Spartans, Legionnaires, power mad Roman Emperors and stoic philosophers.  However, fundamentally, I find immersing myself in the world of the ancients as a means to study the human condition absent the prejudice and immediacy of the present.  The below is a small sample to begin that journey.

Alexander the Great by Robert Lane Fox

“No man, and only one hero, had been called invincible before him, and then only by a poet”

Few, if any, of the Ancients had such a powerful draw in their own era as Alexander the Great. Dead by the age of 32, he had already conquered the known world, reaching at his furthest, deep into India. Julius Caesar is said to have cried at a monument to Alexander for not yet having accomplished as much at the same age. Robert Lane Fox’s book does an incredible job explaining all the complexity and contradictions of Alexander. The relationship between Alexander and his great father Philip of Macedon (whose murder remains a mystery till today). Fox captures Alexander’s physical courage and strategic vision, his apparent desire for cultural fusion with the people he conquered, as well as his rages and his drinking bouts. Parsing through the limited original scholarship from the era and combining it with modern archaeological discoveries, Fox captures the essence of the man without losing the romance which draws one to the story of Alexander all these years later.

Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland

” To the cheers and boos of spectators, charioteer and nobleman alike would make their drive for glory, knowing that the risk of failure was precisely what gave value to success.”

Senātus Populusque Rōmānus (SPQR), the Senate and People of Rome-this clarion call still rings today. The symbol of Rome’s greatness is displayed on every manhole cover in modern Rome and on many a tattooed arm of American soldiers in our most recent wars. It, like all slogans, means many things to many people. However, at its core, it is a compact between the citizens of Rome and the city’s political elites. It is a hint that in spite of Rome’s long reign as an Empire with Emperors it rose to glory first as a republic.

How then did the Roman Republic end? The HBO series Rome is an excellent dramatization of the destructive civil war between Julius Caesar and Pompey that led to the end of the Republic. Tom Holland takes a slightly different take in his excellent and accessible book. He describes the increasingly fierce competition between Roman elites for political power in the years before the Civil War. In addition, one gets a sense of the growing income inequality – fueled paradoxically by Rome’s military conquests and the explosion of a slave based economy – and the subsequent popular mobilization of the underclass to redress such inequality. Legal machinations and back room deals are used to thwart reforms and ultimately lead to war. Of all the great histories of the Classical age I have read, this is the most timely, compact, and dramatic rendering of a civilization disturbingly close to our own.

The History of the Byzantine Empire: From its Glory to its Downfall by Charles Oman

“When a State contains masses of men who devote their whole energies to a repulsively selfish attempt to save their own individual souls, while letting the world around them slide on as best it may, then the body politic is diseased.”

I have repeatedly been drawn to histories written in the last century of even earlier ancient times; thanks -in part-to the easy availability of older historical narratives as e-books online.  As I read and have begun to write history myself, I have found that modern historians, especially popular ones, rarely have different primary sources but do write with the burden of seeing the world through our modern lens and prejudice.  I am not immune to seeing dangerous parallels between our times and, for example, the decline of the Roman Republic (see above). However, it is useful to remember that English historians writing in the late nineteenth century-arguably the height of British power-also saw parallels between ancient calamity and a possible future for their society.

One day, in the course of my life, I will complete the multi-year epic that is Gibbon’s Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.  In the meantime, I continue to seek out other, more manageable, works on the Roman Empire, Medieval ages, etc. A great example of which is The History of the Byzantine Empire by Charles Oman.  Oman was a lecturer at Oxford University in the late nineteen hundreds.  However, this work is no dry old academic text. In this book published in 1892, he colorfully tells the story of the Byzantine Empire from the decision of the Roman Emperor Constantine to make the city on the Bosphorus his capital, then called Constantinople, to the final collapse of his Greek Successors overrun by the Ottoman Forces of Mehmet the Second in 1453.  With always interesting, and occasionally biting commentary, he describes the rise of the Eastern Roman Empire, its gradual adoption of Greek vice Latin culture, its increasing reliance on foreign mercenaries, its inexorable slow decline hastened by marauding Western European crusaders, and its final collapse at the hands of a new, more dynamic and combative force.

Roland Minez is a co-founder of Pushing Horizons.

Disclaimer: All views expressed are that of the author.