My favorite books of all time are "I Claudius" and the sequel "Claudius the God" by Robert Graves. So I am always on the lookout for similar things. Here's a few things I've come across.
Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield. Tells the story of the battle of Thermopylae, where 300 spartan soldiers held off the tens of thousands of invading Persians. (this may sound familiar because a movie is coming out soon about the same thing: The 300). It also has some great background about life in Greece in those days, told from the perspective of a slave. Thanks to Mom for giving this to me for Christmas this year.
And another recommendation in this vein is Count Belisarius, another Robert Graves historical novel. This one is about a general working for the emperor Justinian, who is ruling from Constantinople.
Speaking of "I Claudius", I've been watching and loving the HBO series Rome. Fun over the top rendition of ancient Rome during the rise of Caesar and Augustus. Lots of blood, sex, and intrigue. Lots of interesting depictions of religious beliefs and ceremonies as well.
And one last word about "I Claudius". The copy which was passed down to me at some point, and which I reread every year or so, has a great family dedication up front:"To Dadius, from Tullius" So, I guess I have Tullius to thank for starting this all!
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