A sweeping epic of ancient Rome from the #1 bestselling
author of The Thorn Birds
In this breathtaking follow-up to The October Horse,
Colleen McCullough turns her attention to the legendary
romance of Antony and Cleopatra, and in this timeless tale
of love, politics, and power, proves once again that she
is the best historical novelist of our time.
Caesar is dead, and Rome is, again, divided. Lepidus has
retreated to Africa, while Antony rules the opulent East,
and Octavian claims the West, the heart of Rome, as his
domain. Though this tense truce holds civil war at bay,
Rome seems ripe for an emperor -- a true Julian heir to
lay claim to Caesar's legacy. With the bearing of a hero,
and the riches of the East at his disposal, Antony seems
poised to take the prize. Like a true warrior-king, he is
a seasoned general whose lust for power burns alongside a
passion for women, feasts, and Chian wine. His rival,
Octavian, seems a less convincing candidate: the slight,
golden-haired boy is as controlled as Antony is indulgent
and as cool-headed and clear-eyed as Antony is impulsive.
Indeed, the two are well matched only in ambition.
And though politics and war are decidedly the provinces of
men in ancient Rome, women are adept at using their wits
and charms to gain influence outside their traditional
sphere. Cleopatra, the ruthless, golden-eyed queen,
welcomes Antony to her court and her bed but keeps her
heart well guarded. A ruler first and a woman second,
Cleopatra has but one desire: to place her child on his
father, Julius Caesar's, vacant throne. Octavian, too, has
a strong woman by his side: his exquisite wife, raven-
haired Livia Drusilla, who learns to wield quiet power to
help her husband in his quest for ascendancy. As the plot
races toward its inevitable conclusion -- with battles on
land and sea -- conspiracy and murder, love and politics
become irrevocably entwined.
McCullough's knowledge of Roman history is detailed and
extensive. Her masterful and meticulously researched
narrative is filled with a cast of historical characters
whose motives, passions, flaws, and insecurities are
vividly imagined and expertly drawn. The grandeur of
ancient Rome comes to life as a timeless human drama plays
out against the dramatic backdrop of the Republic's final
days.
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