The great game of empires continues!! Masters of Rome is a captivating story that brings Rome to life once again in book 2 of the series. So much of the history of Rome informs current literature so reading about the people and events of this time is irresistible to me. Constantine and Maxentius continue to try and manage their separate parts of the empire, with each of them having to deal with potential external threats and personal issues close to home. As each man acts and reacts to events they continue to wonder if somehow their friendship of so many years can survive. The changing religious climate puts tremendous strain on both, not only as rulers but as individuals. The constant shifting alliances, threats and changes to the world at large make this a fascinating read that still has parallels to our world today. I found myself liking each man in many respects which certainly makes the inevitable conflict between them even harder to stomach. For such a complex society, I never felt overwhelmed by too many names, titles. or terms and the amount of detail was just the right amount to flesh out the story without bogging it down. The steady rise in tension really carried the story along beautifully and I really felt my loyalties pulled back and forth between each man. This is a wonderful series covering a part of Roman history that still has many lessons to impart to us today. Readers who enjoy history from this time period and it's political ramifications will find this a fantastic addition to the series.

This book is the 2nd in a trilogy about Constantine’s rise to Emperor. It focuses on the 3 years between 309 and 312 in which there is a tense stand-off between at least 6 claimants to power. The focus is on the Western half of the Empire where Constantine rules in Gaul/Britain and Maxentius in Rome/Africa. These former friends, remorselessly drifting apart, their bond strained to breaking point by misunderstandings (the authors sure do like to ring on this bell!) and by Maxentius’ troublesome father, the former Emperor, Maximian, wily and unscrupulous eager to become Emperor once more.

There are moments of military action spread throughout the book (fighting on the Rhine border, in Africa, and in Marseilles and Italy), but these are almost incidental. The main theme of the book is surprisingly contemplative. Both potential emperors do a lot of thinking about their own circumstances and motivations (all that thinking means it would be hard to film this book). The rivals Constantine and Maxentius both experience personal suffering and grief. The existing Roman religions do not offer the solace they need and there is a sense of a spiritual change about to happen, as encapsulated in Constantine’s question (to himself) ‘What brings a man to choose his god?’ (p.224).

Grief, sorrow, loss and regret are to the fore, set against a background of the still developing Christian religion. Neither Constantine nor Maxentius are Christian but the religion is growing and they seem to see different potential in it - Maxentius sees Christians as endlessly in-fighting, but Constantine finds it a unifying factor as it helps him win over Goths to the Empire. So, it looks like we are set up to see Christianity become both a game-changing political and spiritual force.

Oddly, the book kind of reminded me of Walter Pater’s nineteenth century novel, Marius, the Epicurean, in which Marius explores ancient philosophies until he finds Christianity that best explains his natural soulfulness. There is a similar sense that history has temporarily gone into ‘standby’ mode and also of yearning, expectation, linked to spiritual needs that have outgrown available institutional resources. Obviously, Pater’s nineteenth-century novel doesn’t have grisly murders, ruthless politicians, or farting soldiers.

There is less drama and adventure than in the first book in the series, but it is intriguing to see how the authors will bring it all to a conclusion.