First published -50
Marcus Tullius Cicero stands before the Roman Senate, his voice cutting through the marble halls as he delivers his most dangerous speech. His target: Mark Antony, the powerful consul who threatens the Republic itself. Through courtroom battles against the corrupt governor Verres, private letters that reveal his deepest thoughts, and philosophical reflections on duty and aging, Cicero fights to preserve Roman law and tradition. His words become weapons in a political war that will determine whether Rome remains a republic or falls to tyranny. The tension builds as Cicero realizes that his eloquence, his greatest strength, may also seal his fate. At its heart, this is the story of a man who believes words can change the world, even when that belief puts his life at risk.
Genres: biography, historical-fiction, ancient-history, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Roman Senate, Rome
Period: Ancient Rome
272 pages · Paperback · Penguin Classics