Historical

Dominus: A Novel of the Roman Empire

Dominus: A Novel of the Roman Empire

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  • Create Date：2021-09-01 07:51:05
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  • Author：Steven Saylor
  • ISBN：1250087813
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Summary

Following his international bestsellers Roma and Empire， Steven Saylor's Dominus continues his saga of the greatest， most storied empire in history from the eternal city at the very center of it all。

A。D。 165: The empire of Rome has reached its pinnacle。 Universal peace—the Pax Roma—reigns from Britannia to Egypt， from Gaul to Greece。 Marcus Aurelius， as much a philosopher as he is an emperor， oversees a golden age in the city of Rome。 The ancient Pinarius family and their workshop of artisans embellish the richest and greatest city on earth with gilded statues and towering marble monuments。 Art and reason flourish。 But history does not stand still。

The years to come bring wars， plagues， fires， and famines。 The best emperors in history are succeeded by some of the worst。 Barbarians descend in endless waves， eventually appearing before the gates of Rome itself。 The military seizes power and sells the throne to the highest bidder。 Chaos engulfs the empire。

Through it all， the Pinarius family endures， thanks in no small part to the protective powers of the fascinum， a talisman older than Rome itself， a mystical heirloom handed down through countless generations。

But an even greater upheaval is yet to come。 On the fringes of society， troublesome cultists disseminate dangerous and seditious ideas。 They insist that everyone in the world should worship only one god， their god。 They call themselves Christians。 Some emperors deal with the Christians with toleration， others with bloody persecution。 Then one emperor does the unthinkable。 He becomes a Christian himself。 His name is Constantine， and the revolution he sets in motion will change the world forever。

Spanning 160 years and seven generations， teeming with some of ancient Rome’s most vivid figures， Saylor's epic brings to vivid life some of the most tumultuous and consequential chapters of human history， events which reverberate still。

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Reviews

ManOfLaBook。com ，

For more bookish posts please visit https://www。ManOfLaBook。comDominus: A Novel of the Roman Empire by Steven Saylor is the third book in the Rome series。 Mr。 Saylor is a bestselling author and an expert on Roman history。Rome has found itself with two emperors – Marcus Aurelius and Lucius， his brother。 Marcus， a philosopher， rules the city while Lucius does the fighting and ruling the vast empire。Ruling such a big country is difficult， certainly when a plague kills many in the city。 Many charlat For more bookish posts please visit https://www。ManOfLaBook。comDominus: A Novel of the Roman Empire by Steven Saylor is the third book in the Rome series。 Mr。 Saylor is a bestselling author and an expert on Roman history。Rome has found itself with two emperors – Marcus Aurelius and Lucius， his brother。 Marcus， a philosopher， rules the city while Lucius does the fighting and ruling the vast empire。Ruling such a big country is difficult， certainly when a plague kills many in the city。 Many charlatans and false prophets try to take advantage of the situation altogether， including ones from a new sect called Christians。As Marcus Aurelius passes away， his successor Commodus is given the title of Augustus。 Not interested in wars， Commodus wants to enjoy the peace， chariot races as well as gladiator fights。 Additionally， Commodus builds an amphitheater， making himself popular with low-born Romans。The scope of Dominus: A Novel of the Roman Empire by Steven Saylor is undoubtedly huge， spanning 160 very busy years。 The novel includes many emperors， as well as other important personas during that time， the author wisely chose to concentrate on just a few。I certainly enjoyed the historical aspect of the novel， changes to the empire in attitude， philosophy， and religion。 The Romans viewed Christianity with an especially fearful eye at first， and being tolerable afterwards。 As we all know， the religion was embraced by the emperor and the world has changed since then。The narrative was a bit disjointed。 Jumping from one subject to another， from one leader to another。 There abrupt transitions brought me out of the story and I sometimes has to read back to make sure I didn’t miss anything。By all means， spanning this much time is an ambitious project。 I read and seen many history books which are twice the size， however only addressing a fraction of that timeline。As with other novels I read by Mr。 Saylor， the depictions of daily life are vivid and interesting。 There is obviously a lot of research involved， and the author certainly knows enough to make conjunctures if needed。 For me， this was the highlight of the book。Getting a feel to what the Roman Empire was like， with great details is the strength of Mr。 Saylor’s books。 Brining historical figures， and others， to life as humans and not caricatures is a wonderful trait of historical fiction novels， and this one is no exception。 。。。more

Robd ，

Told through the experiences of generations of one senatorial family， this fictional story uses real characters and events as Rome struggles to maintain it’s empire and faces the rise of a religious sect， Christianity。 The Pinari were renowned sculptors and architects that could trace their ancestry back to the first founding families of Rome。 The story tells of their observations， encounters and relationships with the various， and many， imperial families through time。 It is also a tale of one f Told through the experiences of generations of one senatorial family， this fictional story uses real characters and events as Rome struggles to maintain it’s empire and faces the rise of a religious sect， Christianity。 The Pinari were renowned sculptors and architects that could trace their ancestry back to the first founding families of Rome。 The story tells of their observations， encounters and relationships with the various， and many， imperial families through time。 It is also a tale of one family’s adherence to the traditional ways of Roman life， not least their belief in the Roman gods and the supremacy of Rome。 An ancient talisman， a fascinum， is passed down between the generations， the family believing that it bestows good luck and protection on them。 This is such a well researched and written novel， bringing to life everyday existence in a struggling Roman Empire and in the face of some quite monstrous and cruel rulers。 It also starts to explain why the empire finally crumbled。 Another wonderful novel by Steven Saylor set in Ancient Rome that completes his trilogy that began with Roma and Empire。 Each novel can however be read as a standalone work。 I absolutely love this author’s work and recommend his series set in Ancient Rome ‘Roma sub Rosa’， featuring the detective Gordianus the finderRob D 。。。more

Bob ，

A good look at the latter Roman Empire， as told through the story of one patrician family。 Saylor's writing is always a pleasure to read。 It is the 3rd in the three book series "Rome" and supposedly is/may be Steven's final work。 I certainly hope that is not the case！ His writing is immersive。 If you are unfamiliar with the author， I'm envious。 You can start with the novel "Roman Blood" and read the entire "Roma Sub Rosa" series with fresh eyes！ Get to know Gordianus the Finder and experience th A good look at the latter Roman Empire， as told through the story of one patrician family。 Saylor's writing is always a pleasure to read。 It is the 3rd in the three book series "Rome" and supposedly is/may be Steven's final work。 I certainly hope that is not the case！ His writing is immersive。 If you are unfamiliar with the author， I'm envious。 You can start with the novel "Roman Blood" and read the entire "Roma Sub Rosa" series with fresh eyes！ Get to know Gordianus the Finder and experience the world of the Roman Republic as it devolves into the Roman Empire。 。。。more

Mervyn Eastman ，

Not Saylor at his best， but good enough ！I consider Saylor as the first amongst all historical novelists writing on ancient Rome。 Dominus， was of course highly readable， but lacked the pace of his other Republic/Imperial Roman sagas。 That said， I highly recommended it， and he remains my favoured author of this period。

Ruth Harwood ，

Wow， a fantastic book！ I loved the previous two books about Rome， somewhere hidden packed in a box after I decided to use a bookcase for my ornaments。。。 I'm now thinking， as it's probably been ten years since I read the previous two， that I should dig them out and read them again。 I know they'd be of interest to anyone who reads this， so to review those as well would be an honour。The Author brings to mind in the pages the sights， smells and tastes of a Roman City， the largest Roman city， over th Wow， a fantastic book！ I loved the previous two books about Rome， somewhere hidden packed in a box after I decided to use a bookcase for my ornaments。。。 I'm now thinking， as it's probably been ten years since I read the previous two， that I should dig them out and read them again。 I know they'd be of interest to anyone who reads this， so to review those as well would be an honour。The Author brings to mind in the pages the sights， smells and tastes of a Roman City， the largest Roman city， over the ages of it's history。 This book covers what many Historians saw as the long-term fall of the Roman Empire。 Of course， we know there was a Roman Empire for another thousand years after this time， based from the new capital of Constantinople。 If you're not aware， this is now called Istanbul after the Muslim takeover in the fifteenth century。 The East， now a predominantly Muslim area， used to be a solidly Christian empire that has now crumbled to dust in the same way as it's western equivalent。This is an incredible story， the lines of the tale spinning throughout， meticulously researched and portrayed in an unassuming way: life is life， wherever you live and whatever era， the only difference being the values of the elite that dissipate from the top down。 Christianity was adopted， refined and changed by those in charge to become something it never was before， and the Churches and strict rules we saw during the middle ages have very little resemblance to what the first century Christians began with。 Even the bible is deceptive: there are many more stories written about the prophet called Jesus （as a point of interest， only one of hundreds of 'prophets' in the Roman world， especially Judea/Israel at the time）， and many of them， thrown on the scrapheap for not conforming to what the powers that be wanted to portray， probably told a very different philosophy of what the Church should look like， and thus are now hidden and archived for this reason。This story is not predominantly about religion， however。 This book is about the development and crumbling of the Empire， attempting to do what many previous authors have done and explain the inexplicable fall of Empire。 With tribes flowing down， pushed from their homes by other tribes similarly displaced， with the weakness of constant assassination and changing of Emperor， with the plagues and wars decimating the Roman population， all such things contributed to the fall of this empire of a thousand years。 The sad end came later， but this book shows just how these factors affected morale and strength， and tells the story of this family through time， hoping to make sense of the senseless。A fantastic book！ 。。。more

Robin ，

This was very long and somewhat interesting。

Arnoud ，

This is the final book by Saylor - or so he says - and that's a shame。 He is the best writer of historical fiction of our time。 Dominus isn't his Magnus opus though - he has written better books before and the focus is more on the societal changes than on the characters themselves。 But even for a book that's not his best， this is way better than almost all historical fiction on the shelves This is the final book by Saylor - or so he says - and that's a shame。 He is the best writer of historical fiction of our time。 Dominus isn't his Magnus opus though - he has written better books before and the focus is more on the societal changes than on the characters themselves。 But even for a book that's not his best， this is way better than almost all historical fiction on the shelves 。。。more

Jill Mackin ，

An excellent ending to Saylor's Roma Trilogy。 Dominus covers a century of Roman history。I loved Saylor's previous Roma and Empire novels。 Was thrilled when the final volume was published this year。 An excellent ending to Saylor's Roma Trilogy。 Dominus covers a century of Roman history。I loved Saylor's previous Roma and Empire novels。 Was thrilled when the final volume was published this year。 。。。more

Assaph Mehr ，

I loved Saylor's previous Roma and Empire novels （as well as his Gordianus series）， so was naturally keen to read this latest installment。What to ExpectA continuation of the Pinarii's observation of Roman history， covering the period from Marcus Aurelius to Constantine the Great。 Saylor has chosen an old patrician family， and has placed them to observe various scenes throughout Rome's history。 This isn't a history book， but rather a plausible representation of how events might have unfolded and I loved Saylor's previous Roma and Empire novels （as well as his Gordianus series）， so was naturally keen to read this latest installment。What to ExpectA continuation of the Pinarii's observation of Roman history， covering the period from Marcus Aurelius to Constantine the Great。 Saylor has chosen an old patrician family， and has placed them to observe various scenes throughout Rome's history。 This isn't a history book， but rather a plausible representation of how events might have unfolded and what the mindset of people at the time was。What I likedI liked the gentle tone of the writing， the humanising of historical people and events （so often taken to sensationalist levels）， and the meticulous research behind the writing。 Saylor provides us with some of the best Roman-era fiction， and he's purposefully chosen not to go down the well-trodden path of the 'usual suspects / usual scenarios'。 Saylor is choosing to portray events in plausible way， and then shows us how over time they would have evolved into myths。 It's a very engaging way to look at how history evolves and changes over time， and encourages us to read and learn more about it。What to be aware ofDo not expect any action or high-drama， nor necessarily the 'big' historical events。 Read this book for the human touch， for the point of view of the 'typical' observer at the time。Felix's ReviewFelix， with his deeply-rooted Republican views， was at one both （morbidly） fascinated with the decline of the empire and entirely unsurprised at how each generation is lesser than the last。 He did feel far more connected to the 'common' people who form the core of the story。SummaryHighly recommended for anyone who'll enjoy a bit of 'alternative' Roman fiction， the kind that is extremely well-research and yet --Enjoying the reviews， but wondering who the heck is that Felix fellow？ Glad you asked！ He's the protagonist of the Togas， Daggers， and Magic series， an historical-fantasy blend of a paranormal detective on the background of ancient Rome。Assaph Mehr， author of Murder In Absentia: A story of Togas， Daggers， and Magic - for lovers of Ancient Rome， Murder Mysteries， and Urban Fantasy。 。。。more

Brian Mikołajczyk ，

The Pinarius family saga continues！ This time， we start with the rule of Marcus Aurelius and span all the way to Constantine and his creation of Constantinople and the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity。This work of historical fiction is very entertaining and has many twists and turns！

J。 Else ，

Following his novels Roma and Empire comes Steven Saylor’s latest about the Pinarii family， Dominus。 Spanning seven generations between 165 to 326 AD， Dominus introduces us to emperors and senators during the rise of Christianity and the tumultuous final years of Rome as the center of the ancient world。Saylor’s series starts in prehistory and ends with Emperor Constantine’s reign in Dominus。 While not as prevalent as in Roma， the best moments arise from humble， mortal manifestations and subseque Following his novels Roma and Empire comes Steven Saylor’s latest about the Pinarii family， Dominus。 Spanning seven generations between 165 to 326 AD， Dominus introduces us to emperors and senators during the rise of Christianity and the tumultuous final years of Rome as the center of the ancient world。Saylor’s series starts in prehistory and ends with Emperor Constantine’s reign in Dominus。 While not as prevalent as in Roma， the best moments arise from humble， mortal manifestations and subsequently evolve into myths， affecting later Roman society in their telling and retelling。 The author doesn’t adjust the facts to fit his narrative （thank you for this incredible accuracy to detail！）， and the historical setting is enchantingly immersive。 Little-known historical figures are brought to life， like the rebellious Zenobia， whose fate and legacy become similar to Cleopatra’s after she defies Rome。My one major gripe surrounds the Christian characters， who only ever talk about their longing to die as martyrs， and the more painful， the better。 This is ascribed to almost every single Christian。 Saylor does a great job presenting the Roman viewpoint （from their confusion about monotheism to their revulsion）， but the Christians are presented with great disdain， which sometimes feels more authorial than character-based。Like a literary master class， Saylor’s novels possess a rich， masterfully woven historical setting and characters （though in his author’s note， he lists three books he labels “wretched whitewashes” and “lousy fiction，” putdowns I find distasteful and hope other authors don’t emulate）。 Dominus is an epic， poignant look at one family stepping through the pages of Roman history， each generation writing their stories atop the last。 As facts blur， Saylor presents a compelling narrative of what’s left behind in history’s wake。Review originally posted via the Historical Novel Society at: https://historicalnovelsociety。org/re。。。 。。。more

Ana Lopes ，

This is a two and a half stars for me。 Here's why:- I didn't love the majority of the dialog - I found them too shallow and undeveloped;- Some repetitions in the recounting of events are very unnecessary and even boring;- All the Pinarii men are the same， there's no real evolution in character （with the - slight- exception of the last Kaeso they are all a bit too naive and subservient）;- Women have no real presence in the story and I feel that's a huge missed opportunity - there were some great This is a two and a half stars for me。 Here's why:- I didn't love the majority of the dialog - I found them too shallow and undeveloped;- Some repetitions in the recounting of events are very unnecessary and even boring;- All the Pinarii men are the same， there's no real evolution in character （with the - slight- exception of the last Kaeso they are all a bit too naive and subservient）;- Women have no real presence in the story and I feel that's a huge missed opportunity - there were some great female characters， but they just mysteriously disappear among men;- The time lapses between emperors and events bother me and they leave so many loose ends that you could write another book just to explain what happened; That being said， it was a good History lesson， even if my favourite part was the Epilogue。。。:） 。。。more

Jeanette ，

A cast of 1000's with Emperors in the dozens。 150 years of Roman artistic family ending in the time of Constantine。 Gird your loins for this read。 3。5 stars rounded up for the tone reality。 As in most epic family fare the ancestors are nearly all more interesting。 With each generation in that last 50 year span- they become less。 Less vibrant， less contexted， less individual。 It was worth the time it took。 Not for the faint of heart。 A cast of 1000's with Emperors in the dozens。 150 years of Roman artistic family ending in the time of Constantine。 Gird your loins for this read。 3。5 stars rounded up for the tone reality。 As in most epic family fare the ancestors are nearly all more interesting。 With each generation in that last 50 year span- they become less。 Less vibrant， less contexted， less individual。 It was worth the time it took。 Not for the faint of heart。 。。。more

Wes Spence ，

Review to come。 Fantastic conclusion

Roy ，

Unfortunately， I read Dominus at the same time as Colleen McCullough's The First Man in Rome as well as a number of other books on Rome or Carthage （by Goldsworthy， Hart， Schiff， Duncan）。 I liked the styles of all of them more than Saylor。 I've read three by Saylor （Roma， Empire and Dominus）。Although I generally liked Saylor and learned a lot from his books， there is something about his writing that is not as interesting or exciting as the others。 And of the three above， I liked Dominus the leas Unfortunately， I read Dominus at the same time as Colleen McCullough's The First Man in Rome as well as a number of other books on Rome or Carthage （by Goldsworthy， Hart， Schiff， Duncan）。 I liked the styles of all of them more than Saylor。 I've read three by Saylor （Roma， Empire and Dominus）。Although I generally liked Saylor and learned a lot from his books， there is something about his writing that is not as interesting or exciting as the others。 And of the three above， I liked Dominus the least。 Considering my choices， I probably won't read more Saylor。 。。。more

Richard West ，

This is the third - and presumably concluding volume in what I believe is Steven Saylor's rather epic series on the Roman Empire， beginning with before the founding of Rome and concluding with the reign of Constantine who， for all practical purposes was the final emperor of Rome as we think of the Roman Empire。 However， it is possible， he could do a fourth volume， but the question would be why？ This series is perfect as a trilogy。It is so refreshing to read a - in this case， series - novel on Ro This is the third - and presumably concluding volume in what I believe is Steven Saylor's rather epic series on the Roman Empire， beginning with before the founding of Rome and concluding with the reign of Constantine who， for all practical purposes was the final emperor of Rome as we think of the Roman Empire。 However， it is possible， he could do a fourth volume， but the question would be why？ This series is perfect as a trilogy。It is so refreshing to read a - in this case， series - novel on Rome and not have the obligatory （or so it seems） battle scenes。 You know: "Marcus moved into the shield wall， drew his spatha and began yelling at the invaders。 The yelling was picked up by others around him and soon the entire area resounded with the cries of Roman legionaries yelling for death to the invaders。 And on and on。" There isn't a single battle scene of that ilk in this book！ Thank you Steven Saylor！ While there is a reference to a battle or two， we don't get the blood， guts and gore that are associated with them。This gem instead focuses on the human aspect of Roman life through one family that can trace their lineage back to the beginnings of Rome。 There are a lot of people dying， but they aren't dying in those battle scenes which get tiresome after a while。For those who are interested in a top-notch series on Ancient Rome， go out and get the other two volumes and this one， sit down and start reading！ Each book is in the 500-page range so it will take you a few days， but you'll be glad you took the time to read them。 This is an outstanding series and Dominus is the perfect conclusion。 Highly recommended。 。。。more

Debbi ，

What a fascinating book！ Well researched， engrossing to read， Dominus is the story of the Pinarius family over several generations and 150 plus years。 The Pinari seem to be at the heart of things even as Rome changes dramatically; their artisan workshop documents history through their sculpture， literally in the case of the stele they are commissioned to produce for various emperors。 Tying everything together is an amulet called the fascinum which is ancient beyond anything else and that the Pin What a fascinating book！ Well researched， engrossing to read， Dominus is the story of the Pinarius family over several generations and 150 plus years。 The Pinari seem to be at the heart of things even as Rome changes dramatically; their artisan workshop documents history through their sculpture， literally in the case of the stele they are commissioned to produce for various emperors。 Tying everything together is an amulet called the fascinum which is ancient beyond anything else and that the Pinarii believe protects them from adversity。 Saylor takes us through 160 years of Roman history - the good， the bad and the ugly - through the eyes and fortunes of the Pinari family。 The characters are so real it pulled me in immediately。 I have not read the previous two books in the series but this book can stand on its own （and I will go back and read the other two！）。 A really great book！ 。。。more

Michael ，

Excellent historic fiction。

Audrey H。 ，

Steven Saylor’s Roma was really influential for me when I read it over a decade ago， as it was the first time I saw generational ties between characters being used as a structural format。 This format， which continues to work really well for me， has gotten a lot more popular in recent years （think the wild success of Homegoing， for example）。 I found the characters varied and interesting， and learned a ton about the history of Rome in the process。 Since Roma has remained one of my most nostalgic h Steven Saylor’s Roma was really influential for me when I read it over a decade ago， as it was the first time I saw generational ties between characters being used as a structural format。 This format， which continues to work really well for me， has gotten a lot more popular in recent years （think the wild success of Homegoing， for example）。 I found the characters varied and interesting， and learned a ton about the history of Rome in the process。 Since Roma has remained one of my most nostalgic historical fiction books， I was quick to request Saylor’s most recent piece in the Rome series when I saw it offered on Netgalley。Unfortunately， Dominus is pretty weak in comparison to Roma （Empire， second in the trilogy， was also not as strong）。 Like before， we follow descendants of the Pinarii family that hold their family talisman， but focus on only ~150 years of Roman history during the shift from the older polytheistic Roman gods to Christianity， and the thirty or so emperors that came/went during this time。 My biggest problem is that all the characters （descendants） feel and think like the exact same person， probably because so many of the chapter viewpoints come from Pinarii men aged 30s-40s， working as sculptors。 This might be historically true， but is much less interesting to read than the characters in Roma， which switched between Pinarii ranging from young/old， poor/rich and male/female， with a large variety of occupations。 Frankly， this makes this book a 500 page story with the same character voice， and a ton of emperor switch-ups。 I applaud Saylor for his research （the Afterward， where he talks about his sources， was pretty interesting） but I can’t say I was ever excited to pick this book up as I was reading， nor will I remember it a few weeks from now。I voluntarily obtained a digital version of this book free from Netgalley and St。 Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Jo Ellen ，

If you enjoy historical fiction， you will appreciate this book。 Really brought ancient Rome to life。

David Petray ，

The third and final installment of the series。 The first book was the best and the remainder have been more boring。 It is a well-researched fictional series so its almost like reading a historical text， with a small grain of salt。 It’s just boring and the author seems to be stretching the story at times for ？？？additional pages？ The author has a bit of an anti-Christian bias， not prejudice， but bias。 The bad guys in the later series are bad emperors and all Christians （even the protagonist’s spou The third and final installment of the series。 The first book was the best and the remainder have been more boring。 It is a well-researched fictional series so its almost like reading a historical text， with a small grain of salt。 It’s just boring and the author seems to be stretching the story at times for ？？？additional pages？ The author has a bit of an anti-Christian bias， not prejudice， but bias。 The bad guys in the later series are bad emperors and all Christians （even the protagonist’s spouse comes across as insane。 Even when the Christians save Rome from the barbarians they are not portrayed as heroic but as insane for seeking martyrdom ） but he treads lightly and considering the outright anti-Christian bigotry rampant in today’s literature， it’s acceptable。 Nevertheless， if you’re a student of Roman History I recommend the book。 。。。more

Caroline Palmer ，

I want more！ I hope the series continues with Basileus and the Eastern Roman Empire … or Pontifex for the West？ The Bishop of Rome assumed the title Pontifex Maximus along with that ‘Donation of Constantine’。

Jean Kolinofsky ，

From the reign of Marcus Aurelius to Constantine， Steven Saylor continues the story of Rome through the Pilarius family。 Their story began in Roma with the founding of of Rome and continued in Empire。 In AD 165 Senator Lucius Pinarius was raised with Marcus Aurelius and now serves as his friend and advisor。 Lucius’ wealth comes from the statues and monuments that he has designed and erected to honor the gods and rulers of the empire。 With the death of Marcus he continues this work with his son G From the reign of Marcus Aurelius to Constantine， Steven Saylor continues the story of Rome through the Pilarius family。 Their story began in Roma with the founding of of Rome and continued in Empire。 In AD 165 Senator Lucius Pinarius was raised with Marcus Aurelius and now serves as his friend and advisor。 Lucius’ wealth comes from the statues and monuments that he has designed and erected to honor the gods and rulers of the empire。 With the death of Marcus he continues this work with his son Gaius in service to Commodus。 Through plagues， fires， wars and the rise of Christianity， the story of Rome is seen though the eyes of generations of the Pinarii。As Saylor progresses through the various rulers of Rome， Dominus feels like a series of short stories。 Through it all， the family possesses the fascinum， an heirloom passed to the eldest son in each generation that is believed to protect the family。 Through gladiatorial games and assassinations， it is sometimes a dark， yet fascinating history that engages your imagination as Saylor takes you through the senate， palaces， arenas and temples of the early Roman empire。 I would like to thank NetGalley and St。 Martin Press for providing this book for my review。 。。。more

Judy ，

This is another spectacular book by Steven Saylor。 I have read so many of his books， and enjoyed every one。 His research is so thorough and he includes so much historical detail in his books。 This book felt so relevant to our current times， from the ongoing plague crisis that they dealt with to the dysfunction of the ever changing leadership。 I learned so much about the final emperors， especially Constantine， and was surprised how many there were and how quickly they were replaced （well usually This is another spectacular book by Steven Saylor。 I have read so many of his books， and enjoyed every one。 His research is so thorough and he includes so much historical detail in his books。 This book felt so relevant to our current times， from the ongoing plague crisis that they dealt with to the dysfunction of the ever changing leadership。 I learned so much about the final emperors， especially Constantine， and was surprised how many there were and how quickly they were replaced （well usually murdered）。 All of his books can be appreciated both for the historical accuracy as well as the engaging story and the way that he weaves them together。 I am so grateful to St。 Martin's Press for allowing me access to the ARC of this amazing book。 。。。more

Pamela ，

This novel covers over a century of Roman history in order to explain the changes not only in empire’s elite， but in citizenry and Rome itself。 It reads like several short stories cobbled together and it seems unfocused。 From start to end it felt disjointed， and， somehow disappointing。The book is well written just not well plotted。 Saylor manages， through his research， to bring the times alive while at the same time jumping from story to story without settling on a single place in time to fully This novel covers over a century of Roman history in order to explain the changes not only in empire’s elite， but in citizenry and Rome itself。 It reads like several short stories cobbled together and it seems unfocused。 From start to end it felt disjointed， and， somehow disappointing。The book is well written just not well plotted。 Saylor manages， through his research， to bring the times alive while at the same time jumping from story to story without settling on a single place in time to fully engage his readers。If you like epic novels， then this is the book for you。 If you prefer your historical novels to be focused on one point in time or on one character or family， you’ll probably want to pass on this book。My thanks to St。 Martin’s Press and Edelweiss for an eARC。 。。。more

Ray Moon ，

Saylor’s Third Historical Tome on Ancient RomeThis is the third large scope historical novel on ancient Rome。 The story continues shortly after the previous historical novel stops with the reign of dual emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus， and it ends with emperor Constantine leaving Rome in 326 CE after a short visit to celebrate his twenty-year anniversary as emperor。 As with the first two novels， this is not a comprehensive historical series like Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome ser Saylor’s Third Historical Tome on Ancient RomeThis is the third large scope historical novel on ancient Rome。 The story continues shortly after the previous historical novel stops with the reign of dual emperors Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus， and it ends with emperor Constantine leaving Rome in 326 CE after a short visit to celebrate his twenty-year anniversary as emperor。 As with the first two novels， this is not a comprehensive historical series like Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series。 This novel continues to be told through the eyes of the current members of the Pinaria gens， a real patrician family that originated long before the founding of Rome。 Essentially， it is a series vignettes of the events of the times， about the current emperors， and the role of seven generations of the Pinarii have in those events。The span of Roman history， with which I am most familiar， is from the consulships of Gaius Marius through to the reign of Domitian。 That made this novel particularly desirable to read。 I was not disappointed。 In addition to the vignettes providing an overall flavor especially political of the times， there is the story of the Pinarii， the author includes little stories that add a richness to the novel。 An example occurs with the first Pinarii in the novel who befriends the famous Greek physician， Galen who gives a demonstration called the squealing pig。 I looked that one up on the Internet and discovered that it was true， albeit not exactly as written in the novel。 Another such story that I particularly enjoyed was incorporating into the novel an explanation for an early 2000 archeological discovery in Rome。 These little stories and facts appear throughout the entire novel。Now， this is a novel of the Roman Empire， and there is content that raise red flags so readers be forewarned。This novel is long but not a difficult read。 The three major threads captured and maintain my interest throughout the novel。 This is my primary criterion for a high star rating。There was only one scene that the author let an answer to a question not be revealed to the readers。 This is historical fiction， so why snub the readers？ Does this happen in real life？ All the time but it does not need to happen in fiction。The ending left me hopeful。 Constantine tells the current members of the Pinarii family that they are to accompany him to Constantinople to build churches。 There were other conditions but I will leave those for you， the reader， to discover。 This implies that this series can continue with the Byzantine part of the Empire in the future。 That history is rich and over a thousand years long。 I can wait。 The only downside is that the last novel was published almost 11 years ago。 I hope that it will not be that long for the next novel。This novel can be read without reading the previous two。 Based upon my enjoyment in reading the novel and on how well the author weaves history into the storyline through the perspective of Pinarii， I rate this novel with five stars。I received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from St。 Martin's Press with an expectation for an honest， unbiased review。 I wish to thank St。 Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this novel early。 。。。more

Kyle Erickson ，

Dominus is essentially a series of short stories that are loosely connected through the lives of one family across time。 They take place from the reign of Marcus Aurelius until Constantine。 The first half of this book was very engaging， but about the 45% mark， I lost most of my interest。 The short story format of following generations of family has been done well before， but it is done to middling effect here。 Saylor uses this format to dip in and out of various interesting parts of Roman histor Dominus is essentially a series of short stories that are loosely connected through the lives of one family across time。 They take place from the reign of Marcus Aurelius until Constantine。 The first half of this book was very engaging， but about the 45% mark， I lost most of my interest。 The short story format of following generations of family has been done well before， but it is done to middling effect here。 Saylor uses this format to dip in and out of various interesting parts of Roman history but does absolutely nothing to deepen any of his characters or provide them with characteristics or personality that differentiates them from one another。 He also doesn't really do anything to examine how their lifestyles have changed over the centuries。 They are always well off and they are always sculptors （by the way， over many generations， this powerful family of Romans never has to enter the military？ I think I counted two of them that ever had to join the legions， which strikes me as woefully unrealistic。 Of course， we don't get enough about any of them to know one way or another if they served）。 Every single patriarch of this family was utterly indistinguishable from the other。 Which makes reading a chore， and the interest in the story only as good as whatever Roman Emperor they're discussing。 The first half-ish of this book followed a single character and his son， along with their friendship with the famous physician Galen， and their friendship and tenuous partnership with Marcus Aurelius and Commodus， respectively。 This had enough of an arc that I was completely invested。 Once Commodus leaves the stage though， all life leaves this book。 What follows is a series of clips from the highlights of each of the most well-known emperors in this time period， then a time jump of a few years， some exposition about what happened in those years， 1-3 conversations with somebody being insane， then another time jump。 After every time jump or two， you get introduced to the next generation， the same as the old generation。 If you want to just have a nice series of short stories that give you more context and information about Ancient Roman Emperors， then this will be pretty enjoyable。 But overall it just felt like a giant montage。 I admire how much history Saylor is trying to cover here， but maybe he was trying to do too much。 Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more

Helliondeadwoman ，

Steven Saylor never disappoints with his amazing stories set in ancient Rome， this title lives up to his reputation as one of the greats！Saylor takes you on a multi generation journey， following the Pinarii family through the ups and downs of life in ancient rome。 War， peace， heartache， joy， political/religious turmoil， and everything in between。 There is a definite military and political focus which is exactly the kind of stories I enjoy。 Even if you've never read a book by Mr。 Saylor I highly Steven Saylor never disappoints with his amazing stories set in ancient Rome， this title lives up to his reputation as one of the greats！Saylor takes you on a multi generation journey， following the Pinarii family through the ups and downs of life in ancient rome。 War， peace， heartache， joy， political/religious turmoil， and everything in between。 There is a definite military and political focus which is exactly the kind of stories I enjoy。 Even if you've never read a book by Mr。 Saylor I highly suggest you pick this title up， just be prepared to go on a spending spree when you pick up all his other books。 。。。more

theliterateleprechaun ，

Could this be the final Steven Saylor novel？ Saylor has hinted that since he’s turned 65， he’s ready for retirement。 Saylor is known for his impeccable research and his unique ability in reconstructing history。 This compelling capstone of the trilogy recounts the fortunes of the Pinarius family from the reign on Marcus Aurelius to Constantine。 Spanning 160 years and covering 7 generations， Dominus begins at the height of Rome’s empire。 It has reached its pinnacle and expanded boundaries while de Could this be the final Steven Saylor novel？ Saylor has hinted that since he’s turned 65， he’s ready for retirement。 Saylor is known for his impeccable research and his unique ability in reconstructing history。 This compelling capstone of the trilogy recounts the fortunes of the Pinarius family from the reign on Marcus Aurelius to Constantine。 Spanning 160 years and covering 7 generations， Dominus begins at the height of Rome’s empire。 It has reached its pinnacle and expanded boundaries while dealing with wars， plagues， fires and famines。 Where book one featured the founding of Rome and book two featured the emperors， this book features the rise of Christianity and the manner in which the emperors accepted it。 Some tolerated Christianity and some induced persecution。 The novel concludes with Constantine， the emperor known for altering history by making Christianity the state religion of Rome。 His vision included one empire， one people and one god。 He hoped that everyone would pull together toward a single purpose， decided by their emperor and inspired by the Christian god。 If you have been following the trilogy， the Pinarius family continues to endure due to the fascinum and for the first time this protective talisman gets into the hands of those other than family。 The epilogue highlights the intriguing final days for the fascinum。 Reading this book during the pandemic， I was most interested in the arrival and spread of the plague。 There was a ban put on gladiator games and other forms of group entertainment in an effort to cut down on transmission。 Just as our economy was affected， the quarries came to a standstill and marble became as scarce as gold。 Saylor recounts how usually the lowly slaves in the quarries were easily replaced， but when they died by the hundreds and thousands， even the quarries were depopulated。 He pointed out that when the plague got out of control， there was an increased loss of manpower。 We might be griping and complaining about services only open to curbside or take out， but in ancient Rome there were no slaves to harvest crops， so they rotted in the fields and the cargo sat on piers because there were no slaves to load the ships。 Saylor explains that when trade trickled and there were no crops， it gave rise to famine。 This book cover features the beautiful painting， The Martyrdom of Saint Agnes， by Joseph Desire Court。 I was gifted this advance copy by Steven Saylor， St。 Martin’s Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review。 Publishes June 29， 2021。 。。。more

Annette ，

AD 165。 Rome has two emperors， Marcus Aurelius， the philosopher， who rules the city， while his brother Lucius marches off to wars， ruling the vast lands of the empire。Rome has reached its pinnacle， with lands stretching far and a prosperous city。 But now the ravages of the plague weigh heavily on the city and it seems as there are two plaques going on， one that kills and the other that brings charlatans and false prophets who take advantage of the situation。 Among them are those who call themsel AD 165。 Rome has two emperors， Marcus Aurelius， the philosopher， who rules the city， while his brother Lucius marches off to wars， ruling the vast lands of the empire。Rome has reached its pinnacle， with lands stretching far and a prosperous city。 But now the ravages of the plague weigh heavily on the city and it seems as there are two plaques going on， one that kills and the other that brings charlatans and false prophets who take advantage of the situation。 Among them are those who call themselves Christians， and one of them is named Justin。 He refuses to worship gods and he aggressively recruits young Romans into his cult。 When Lucius Pinarius， senator， confronts the man， he unnerves him。 Justin comes across as being right about everything， which would make others， including the emperors and him， wrong。 When Lucius tries to reason with Justin， it is to no avail。 There is no way you can reason with someone who knows he is right and the rest are wrong。 Lucius cannot save Justin from his punishing sentence。 “The law must follow its course。”Commodus becomes Marcus’s successor and is given the title Augustus。 He is not interested in wars。 He wants to enjoy the fruits of peace。 After the great fire， Commodus who has a great passion for gladiators and chariots has even more reason now to build an amphitheater。 Commodus makes himself unpopular with high-born people， but popular with low-born ones。 The Roman Games will offer an entertainment to the poor as never before seen in Rome。As the story spans 160 years， it brings in many emperors briefly， some of them hoping for a return to the sound government of the past， and others bringing chaos from the start。 Some are bold claiming only one god， something that doesn’t sit well with the others。 Some of them are hardly old enough to rule an empire。 The novel encompasses many changes within the empire， including religious believes。 It brings a vivid portrayal of Christianity which is viewed as something to fear and needs to be eradicated by some emperors and tolerated by others。 At the end， being embraced by one emperor who changes the world forever。 It also depicts where the passion for gladiators and chariots comes from。 It gives a detail depiction of everyday lives and customs。 The thread that connects all those changes involves generations of Lucius Pinarius family。 The story brings interesting aspects from one emperor to another， however it feels fragmented， not only going from one emperor to another but also within one emperor - how it goes from one subject to another that gives the story the feel of fragmentation。 I wish the story was concentrated on the emperors that made the biggest impact and putting more depth to the chosen ones。 Nevertheless， the constant changes in the empire give rich texture to the story and with great details the ancient Rome comes alive。Source: ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。Review originally posted at mysteryandsuspense。com 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Dominus: A Novel of the Roman Empire

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Dominus: A Novel of the Roman Empire&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Dominus: A Novel of the Roman Empire&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0