Nero's Killing Machine

Another review has been completed for our Roman Books section, thanks to community member Antiochus.

Dubbed

When an author starts guessing the thoughts and conversations of long dead soldiers (who lived and died anonymously anyway!) I always think that they are adding filler, being unoriginal and less than scholarly. As Holland, Goldworthy and countless others have demonstrated it is possible to write factual history without resorting to the cheap tricks of the fiction author or create a book with all the dynamic tension of a dictionary. Factual need not be stuffy but, imho, invented conversations and fictional guesswork have no place in a factual history book.

However I am interested to learn whether Tiggellinus (sp?) the head of Nero's Praetorian Guard gets mentioned. the recent BBC docudrama's may have been poor but they did leave me with a curiosity regarding this bloke.

Great review Antiochus!

I believe that Dando-Collins has written a book about Caesar's 10th Legion, do you plan on reading that in the future Antiochus?

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I have no problem with historians 'dreaming up' some scenes as long as they reflect the truth. I noticed Alex Butterowrth did the same for his book, Pompeii: The Living City. It was slightly weird to begin with but all of his descriptions were accurate.

I don't think the books are aimed at members of this forum. I enjoy them, but like Antiochus I found the substitution of correct terms annoying. It struck me as a dumbing down of the subject matter, as Dando-Colliins says - to please a wider audience. It's also important to scrutinize anything Dando-Collins presents as fact, as he seems to take things written by Cassius Dio and others as fact, and at face value.

As historical fiction, I agree it's a great read and hard to put down.

Back to the 'dumbing down' debate. Its a plague infecting television, books....what next?

But, to slightly expand my original question, where can I read more on Nero's Praetorian Prefect, Tiggelinus?

(I am unsure of the spelling so please accept my apologies for any mistakes).

Back to the 'dumbing down' debate. Its a plague infecting television, books....what next?

 

But, to slightly expand my original question, where can I read more on Nero's Praetorian Prefect, Tiggelinus?

 

(I am unsure of the spelling so please accept my apologies for any mistakes).

I answered but moved it to your thread in the "Imperium Romanorum" forum.

Great review Antiochus!

Thank you!

I believe that Dando-Collins has written a book about Caesar's 10th Legion, do you plan on reading that in the future Antiochus?

I believe I'm going to have to now!

I have no problem with historians 'dreaming up' some scenes as long as they reflect the truth.

He really wasn't 'dreaming up scenes'... more like attempting to capture the mood of the soldiers/generals.

Great review Antiochus!

 

 

I believe that Dando-Collins has written a book about Caesar's 10th Legion...

Yup, it is Caesar's Legion: The Epic Saga of Julius Caesar's Elite Tenth Legion and the Armies of Rome , he actually wrote another one about Caesar`s Legion, Cleopatra's Kidnappers: How Caesars Sixth Legion Gave Egypt to Rome and Rome to Caesar...

cheers

viggen

Great review Antiochus!

 

 

I believe that Dando-Collins has written a book about Caesar's 10th Legion...

 

Yup, it is Caesar's Legion: The Epic Saga of Julius Caesar's Elite Tenth Legion and the Armies of Rome , he actually wrote another one about Caesar`s Legion, Cleopatra's Kidnappers: How Caesars Sixth Legion Gave Egypt to Rome and Rome to Caesar...

 

cheers

viggen

He also has a new one called Mark Antony's Heroes: How the Third Gallica Legion Saved an Apostle and Created an Emperor.