Dictator

‘Laws are silent in times of war.'
Cicero

There was a time when Cicero held Caesar's life in the palm of his hand. But now Caesar is the dominant figure and Cicero's life is in ruins.

Exiled, separated from his wife and children, his possessions confiscated, his life constantly in danger, Cicero is tormented by the knowledge that he has sacrificed power for the sake of his principles.

His comeback requires wit, skill and courage – and for a brief and glorious period, the legendary orator is once more the supreme senator in Rome.

But politics is never static and no statesman, however cunning, can safeguard against the ambition and corruption of others.

Riveting and tumultuous, Dictator encompasses some of the most epic events in human history yet is also an intimate portrait of a brilliant, flawed, frequently fearful yet ultimately brave man – a hero for his time and for ours. This is an unforgettable tour de force from a master storyteller.

Caroline Baum's review

Why didn't anyone teach us Roman history the way Robert Harris writes it? Every page is drenched in page turning intrigue. This is the last part of Harris' Cicero trilogy, covering the final fifteen years of the orator's life following his return from exile. An eloquent speaker, skilful power broker and respected senator, there is never a dull moment as he negotiates with his enemies and attempts to forge alliances that will shore up his position.

Bloody, violent, brutal and unstable, Rome seethes with rival factions that make the Rudd/Gillard and Abbott/Turnbull feuds seem like The Partridge Family. Can Cicero protect those closest to him and safeguard his reputation when Caesar kills Pompey and becomes imperial dictator? Can he keep up with the rivalries, plots and wars that make his position precarious? Who can he trust? The stakes are high.

Harris, a master of suspense no matter what era he is tackling, maintains the tension almost relentlessly despite a vast cast of characters with often confusingly similar names. Many of the dilemmas that the ageing and politically weakened Cicero faces are not unique to Ancient Rome: family money troubles and marital discord have a timelessly relatable quality that makes otherwise remote figures feel modern and familiar. Even the plots to displace tyrants sound contemporary.

Interestingly, and by sheer coincidence, Harris shares a stylistic device with Geraldine Brooks' new book about King David, The Secret Chord: both have chosen to have the story of a great figure told by a companion, offering a perspective that embraces the less flattering aspects of ambitious historical figures.