Historical · War fiction
The First Man in Rome
The first of the Masters of Rome series follows the rise of Gaius Marius and Sulla in the late Roman Republic, through military campaigns and bitter Senate politics.
Facts last checked 2026-10-17
- First published
- 1990
- Pace
- Slow
- Length
- Long
- Pages
- 1108
- Format
- Book 1 of 7 in Masters of Rome
Read this if you want a dense, richly researched Roman saga about power and ambition.
Skip this if you want a short book or struggle with large casts and Latin names.
The feel
Content warnings
Quick answers about The First Man in Rome
- What is The First Man in Rome about?
- The first of the Masters of Rome series follows the rise of Gaius Marius and Sulla in the late Roman Republic, through military campaigns and bitter Senate politics.
- Who should read The First Man in Rome?
- Read it if you want a dense, richly researched Roman saga about power and ambition. Skip it if you want a short book or struggle with large casts and Latin names.
- How long and how fast is The First Man in Rome?
- It is a slow-paced, long read of about 1108 pages, first published in 1990.
- Does The First Man in Rome have content warnings?
- Content we flag: Violence, War, Sexual content.
- Can I borrow The First Man in Rome for free?
- Often, yes. Check Libby (OverDrive) to see whether your library lends The First Man in Rome; the borrow button above searches it for you.
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| Store | Price | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Borrow free | ||
| Libby / OverDrive | Free with a library card | Borrow free with Libby from Libby / OverDrive |
| Print, new | ||
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| Ebook | ||
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| Audiobook | ||
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