Books
30 Best Novels About the Roman Republic
Bestselling authors first, then star rating.
Period
Roman Republic
509–27 BCE
The Roman Republic lasted from the traditional expulsion of the kings in 509 BC to the settlement that made Octavian Augustus in 27 BC. It was governed through elected magistrates, the Senate, assemblies, and a political culture built around honour, ancestry, competition, and public service. During these centuries Rome grew from an Italian city-state into the dominant power of the Mediterranean.
The republic mattered because its expansion created both extraordinary strength and deep instability. Conquest brought wealth, slaves, land pressure, military ambition, and political violence. The same system that defeated Carthage, Macedonia, and many Italian rivals struggled to control generals whose armies became personally loyal to them.
The Roman Republic has a particularly rich body of historical fiction. Colleen McCullough’s Masters of Rome series, Robert Harris’s Cicero trilogy, Steven Saylor’s Roma Sub Rosa mysteries, Conn Iggulden’s Emperor novels, and Ben Kane’s republican-era books all use the period’s mix of law, ambition, class conflict, and military violence. It is a natural home for series about Caesar, Cicero, Pompey, Sulla, Marius, Spartacus, and the political collapse that led to Augustus.
Related people for Roman Republic
Alexander Heliosborn 41 BCE Alexander the Great357 BCE–324 BCE Antipater of Sidonc. 3rd century BCE–c. 2nd century BCE Archimedes288 BCE–213 BCE Aristophanes446 BCE–386 BCE Arminius18 BCE–21 Arsinoe IV of Egypt69 BCE–42 BCE Augustus64 BCE–14 Aulus Gabiniusdied 47 BCE Caesarion48 BCE–31 BCE Caligula12–41 Catilinec. 108–62 BCE Cato the Younger95–46 BCE Cicero107 BCE–44 BCE Cimonc. 510–450 BCE Claudius11 BCE–54 Cleopatra70 BCE–31 BCE Cleopatra Selene II41 BCE–6 BCE Clodiaborn 96 BCE Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus86 BCE–44 BCE Fulviac. 83/77–40 BCE Gaius Cassius Longinus83 BCE–43 BCE Gaius Marius158 BCE–87 BCE Gaius Servilius Glaucia143 BCE–101 BCE Gaius Terentius Varrodied c. 3rd century BCE Galba4 BCE–69 Gnaeus Mallius Maximusc. 3rd century BCE–c. 2nd century BCE Hamilcar Barca276 BCE–229 BCE Hannibal247–c. 183 BCE Hasdrubal Barca246 BCE–208 BCE Herod the Great75 BCE–5 BCE Horace66 BCE–9 BCE Juba II53 BCE–23 Julius Caesar101 BCE–45 BCE Livy60 BCE–17 Lucius Aemilius Paullusdied 217 BCE Lucius Appuleius Saturninus131 BCE–101 BCE Lucius Cornelius Cinna136 BCE–85 BCE Lucullus118 BCE–58 BCE Lysanderd. 395 BCE Mago244 BCE–204 BCE Marcus Aemilius Lepidusc. 90–13 BCE Marcus Claudius Marcellus271 BCE–209 BCE Marcus Junius Brutus86 BCE–43 BCE Marcus Licinius Crassus116 BCE–54 BCE Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa64 BCE–13 BCE Mark Antony83–30 BCE Mathosdied 238 BCE Mithridates VI of Pontus135 BCE–64 BCE Octavia the Younger67 BCE–12 BCE Periclesc. 495–429 BCE Philip V of Macedon238–179 BCE Phraates IV of Parthiadied 2 BCE Pliny the Elderc. 20s–79 Pompey106–48 BCE Ptolemy IX Lathyros143 BCE–82 BCE Ptolemy X Alexander I141 BCE–89 BCE Ptolemy XII Auletesc. 117–51 BCE Ptolemy XIII Theos Philopator63 BCE–48 BCE Publius Clodius Pulcherc. 90s BCE–53 BCE Publius Cornelius Lentulus Surac. 114–63 BCE Quintus Sertorius124 BCE–73 BCE Quintus Servilius Caepio151 BCE–c. 2nd century BCE Sallust87 BCE–36 BCE Scipio Aemilianus186 BCE–130 BCE Scipio Africanusc. 236–c. 183 BCE Serviliaborn 101 BCE Spartacus104 BCE–72 BCE Spendiusdied 239 BCE Sullac. 138–78 BCE Surena85 BCE–53 BCE Themistoclesc. 524–c. 459 BCE Tiberius43 BCE–37 Tiberius Gracchus163 BCE–134 BCE Titus Annius Milo96 BCE–49 BCE Titus Quinctius Flamininus230 BCE–175 BCE Vercingetorixc. 82–46 BCE Vespasian9–79 Xanthippus526 BCE–476 BCE
Non Fiction
35 Non-Fiction Books About the Roman Republic
Histories, biographies and reference works are listed separately from the historical novels above.
