Rome's Last Citizen: The Life and Legacy of Cato, Mortal Enemy of Caesar by Rob Goodman and Jimmy Soni

   This book aims to be both a biography of Cato the Younger and an analysis of the impact the legend which followed him had on later generations. Both journalists, the authors seem particularly attuned to politics, and convincingly dissect both the political strategies which Cato himself employed and the use to which he was put by such worthies as George Washington. Occasionally, their search for parallels between ancient Roman politics and those of modern times may go too far, as when they refer to the populares as occupying the "left" of the Roman political scene (a characterization which has a touch of truth, but could lead a careless reader to import too many assumptions).
   More often, particularly during the more purely biographical section which takes all but the Prologue and Epilogue of the book, this strategic reading of the conflicts between the factions of the Late Republic provides a quiet sub-current to the essentially character-based narrative which the authors drew from the work of numerous ancient writers. Cato's great strength and weakness, the authors let us see repeatedly, was that he demanded personal virtue triumph while viewing often viewing mere strategy with contempt. The authors are often critical of this approach, but reveal and explain the partial successes that resulted from it. In some ways, the type of politician who succeeds is a reflection of the people who vote him, or her, into power; Goodman & Soni do not neglect the strands of Roman thought which Cato came to symbolize and why others often chose to support him, even at the expense of their own interests.
    In the foreground to all of this was a life of self-imposed hardship: not so much the famed austerity, though that is mentioned as well, but relationships personal and political strained because of an unwillingness to compromise and an encroaching melancholy as the Republic careened from one looming threat to another yet more serious. There is powerful writing in many places, as the authors depict the frustration Cato must have felt when his warnings were unheard and his efforts to preserve libertas seemed doomed. At other points, there are glimpses of success, even happiness. We also see a certain evolution in Cato's thought and action over time, which remains opaque despite the authors' attempts to interpret it: as his goals seemed more remote in the pragmatic Roman present, Cato seems to have embraced both the antique Roman model and a universalizing Stoicism with increasing fervour. At last, these two pillars of his existence seemed to fuse together, so that Rome was synonymous with virtue and freedom.
   This book deserves the greatest praise it can be given: that it does justice to its subject. I recommend it to everyone, particularly those who would like to think over the essence of the Roman Republic. Although Cato's is not the only perspective of value, I don't think we can fully understand that ideal without giving due weight to his vision, as they were expressed in his words and deeds.

Book Review: Dreaming the Eagle: A Novel of Boudica, The Warrior Queen by Manda Scott

   This book treats us to two parallel Bildungsromans: the comming of age of the warrior Breaca, including how she came to be known by the title Boudica ("She Who Brings Victory", the authoress translates for us) and that of her fictional brother Bán. Over the course of their initiations into their very different roles as adults, we see first something of contemporary British Celtic society as Scott imagines it & gradually increasing signs of the past & future conflict between the Celts & Romans.
   This book occupies a place somewhere between historical fiction & fantasy in terms of genre. Although there is no point at which the tale deviates from known history (so far as I could tell), little enough is known of Boudica's life & the society into which she was born that much is authorial invention by necessity, and some of that invention was slightly mystical, particularly those which take place on the island of Mona. These elements were well integrated into the story as a whole, and suspending disbelief while reading was easy. In retrospect, it seems that the culture of the British tribes are a little too tailored to modern sensibilities to be fully plausible (no slavery & a great deal of concern for animal welfare; the full equality of the sexes is somewhat believable, since Boudica was, after all, a real person).
   It takes time to understand the characters, but we get a chance to see the virtues & flaws of each, with the exception of a few wholly villianous characters. Scott is similarly nuanced in her depictions of the two cultures on display: despite the fact that the Romans are antagonistic to her heroine, Scott never adopts the same hostility towards them as many of her more sympathetic characters. A noble Roman is introduced fairly early in the story, apparently to dispel any inclination of readers to view the Empire as a conquest-hungry monolith, although it soon becomes clear that he also has a significant role in the plot.
   Certain scenes portray the abuse of slaves, which many people may find painful to read , but they clearly have a justification in terms of character development: they are not gratuitous.
   Overall, this is an excellent book - probably not the best for learning about the culture of the Celts as it actually existed, but great entertainment, and possibly a good starting point to develop an interest in this corner of the empire.