Steven Saylor has spent more than thirty years bringing ancient Rome to life, one murder at a time. His detective, Gordianus the Finder, walks the streets of the late Republic while Cicero, Caesar and Pompey fight over its future, and few novelists have made that world feel so lived in.
This guide covers the Roma Sub Rosa mysteries, the multi-generation Roma novels and his two books set in Texas, with advice on where to begin.
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About Steven Saylor
Early Life and Background
Steven Saylor was born on March 23, 1956, in Port Lavaca, Texas, and grew up in the small town of Goldthwaite. He studied history and classics at the University of Texas at Austin.
He divides his time between Berkeley, California, and Austin, Texas, with his husband, Richard Solomon. The two have been together since 1976.
Writing Career
Saylor’s first Roman novel, Roman Blood, appeared in 1991. It introduced Gordianus the Finder, hired by a young and unknown advocate named Cicero to help with a murder trial.
That book became the first of the Roma Sub Rosa series, which now runs to sixteen volumes. Many of the plots are built around real court cases, using Cicero’s surviving speeches as a starting point.
Alongside the mysteries he has written three large novels that follow Roman families across the centuries, and two books set in his home state of Texas. Earlier in his career he also published erotic fiction under the pen name Aaron Travis. His official website lists all of his work.
Writing Style and Approach
Saylor writes Rome from street level. Gordianus is not a senator or a general, and he sees the great men of the age as clients, employers and occasional threats.
The research is thorough, and the mysteries play fair with the known facts. Real trials, riots and assassinations happen when and how the sources say they did, and the fiction lives in the gaps.
Roma Sub Rosa: Reading Order
Setting: Rome and the Mediterranean, 92 to 44 BC
Books: 16 (11 novels, 3 prequel novels and 2 short story collections)
Main character: Gordianus the Finder
The series title means “Rome under the rose”, an old expression for something done in secret. Gordianus is a private investigator, known for finding the truth, and over the course of the series he ages, marries, raises a family and watches the Republic come apart.
The books are listed here in publication order, which is the order we recommend. Chronological order, companion reading and full details are in our Roma Sub Rosa Reading Order.
1. Roman Blood (1991)
Rome, 80 BC. An ambitious young advocate named Cicero takes on his first big murder case, defending a man accused of killing his own father. The case risks the anger of the dictator Sulla, and Cicero turns for help to Gordianus the Finder.
This is the novel that began the series, and it is based on a real trial. It works perfectly well as a standalone mystery.
2. Arms of Nemesis (1992)
72 BC. As the slave revolt of Spartacus rages through Italy, Gordianus is summoned to the Bay of Naples by Marcus Crassus, the richest man in Rome. Two runaway slaves appear to have murdered their master.
Unless Gordianus can prove otherwise, every slave in the household will be put to death.
3. Catilina’s Riddle (1993)
63 BC. Gordianus and his family are drawn into the rivalry between Cicero, now consul, and the charismatic radical Catilina. Headless bodies keep turning up on Gordianus’s property, and nobody will say why.
The question that runs through the book is which side he will finally choose. It is the most political novel of the early series.
4. The Venus Throw (1995)
56 BC. The philosopher Dio, in Rome on a mission from Egypt, is poisoned. The search for his killer leads Gordianus into the decadent circle of the poet Catullus and the notorious Clodia.
The Republic is beginning to spin out of control, and Gordianus meets temptations he never expected. The plot is tied to another of Cicero’s famous court cases.
5. A Murder on the Appian Way (1996)
52 BC. With civil war between Caesar and Pompey on the horizon, rival gangs fight for control of the streets. When the rabble-rouser Clodius is killed on the Appian Way, the city erupts in flames.
His enemy Milo is the obvious suspect. Gordianus is sent to find out whether the obvious answer is the true one.
6. The House of the Vestals (1997)
A collection of nine short stories, all set in the years between Roman Blood and Arms of Nemesis. They show a younger Gordianus building his reputation and his household.
It includes “A Will Is a Way”, the first Gordianus story, which won Saylor the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award. The collection is a good low-commitment way to try the series.
7. Rubicon (1999)
49 BC. Caesar marches on Rome, the Senate flees in panic, and a man is found murdered in Gordianus’s own garden.
The investigation that follows is the strangest of his career, and it pulls him into a maze of wartime espionage.
8. Last Seen in Massilia (2000)
49 BC. Searching for his missing son, Gordianus makes his way into the seaport of Massilia, modern Marseille, which is under siege by Caesar’s army.
Inside the walls he finds a city of spies, exiles and old secrets. The book follows directly from Rubicon.
9. A Mist of Prophecies (2002)
48 BC. While the men are away at war, a beautiful young seeress dies in Rome. Gordianus sets out to learn who she was and who wanted her dead.
The answers lie with the most powerful women in the city, each of whom had dealings with her. It is a quieter, more personal novel than its neighbors.
10. The Judgment of Caesar (2004)
48 BC. Gordianus sails to Egypt in the hope of a cure for his ailing wife. He reaches Alexandria just as Julius Caesar arrives for his first meeting with the young queen Cleopatra.
The city is in turmoil, with a royal family at war with itself, and Gordianus finds his own family caught in the middle.
11. A Gladiator Dies Only Once (2005)
A second collection of short stories from the early part of Gordianus’s career, set between 77 and 73 BC. He looks into suspicious doings at gladiator matches and chariot races, among other cases.
Like the first collection, it can be read at any point.
12. The Triumph of Caesar (2008)
Rome, 46 BC. Julius Caesar, now dictator, is preparing to celebrate his victories with four spectacular triumphs. His wife, Calpurnia, is convinced there is a plot against his life.
She asks Gordianus to find out who is behind it, before the celebrations give an assassin the perfect chance.
13. The Throne of Caesar (2018)
March, 44 BC. Rome is full of rumor as Caesar prepares to leave for a new war in the east. The final novel covers the days around the Ides of March.
Saylor finds an untold story inside the most famous assassination in history. It brings the series to its close.
The Young Gordianus Prequels
Three later novels go back to Gordianus’s youth. They can be read at any point, though most readers come to them after the main books.
The Seven Wonders (2012)
92 to 90 BC. Eighteen-year-old Gordianus sets out with his beloved tutor, the poet Antipater, on a long journey to see the Seven Wonders of the World.
There is a mystery waiting at each stop, along with murder, mayhem and a little magic. The book is built as a chain of linked episodes, which makes it an easy read.
Raiders of the Nile (2014)
88 BC. Gordianus is living in Alexandria and has just turned twenty-two when Bethesda, the slave he loves, is kidnapped.
To get her back he ventures into the lawless Nile Delta, and stumbles on a plot to steal the golden sarcophagus of Alexander the Great. It is the closest thing in the series to a pure adventure story.
Wrath of the Furies (2015)
88 BC. A cryptic message lures young Gordianus to the city of Ephesus, and he takes Bethesda with him.
They arrive as King Mithridates, at war with Rome, is planning the massacre of every Roman in the city. The background is one of the darkest episodes of the period.
The Roma Novels
Setting: The city of Rome, from its beginnings to the reign of Constantine Books: 3
These are a different kind of book. They follow the same families through century after century of Roman history, in the manner of a James Michener or Edward Rutherfurd saga.
Roma: A Novel of Ancient Rome (2007)
A thousand years of history, from the first settlement beside the Tiber to the assassination of Julius Caesar. The story follows the shifting fortunes of two families down the generations.
Each chapter moves forward to a new era, so the legends of early Rome and the crises of the Republic all get their turn.
Empire: The Novel of Imperial Rome (2010)
The story picks up in AD 14, at the end of the reign of Augustus, and runs to the time of Hadrian. Five generations of the Pinarius family live through the madness of Caligula and Nero, the eruption of Vesuvius and the opening games of the Colosseum.
Dominus (2021)
The final volume runs from AD 165 to 325. The Pinarius family endures from the reign of Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher emperor, to that of Constantine, the first Christian emperor.
Standalone Novels
A Twist at the End (2000)
Setting: Austin, Texas, 1885
A historical crime novel based on the serial murders that terrorized Austin in 1885, and on the scandalous trials that followed. Saylor drew on a decade of research to recreate the city.
His hero is the young William Sydney Porter, who would later become famous as the short story writer O. Henry.
Have You Seen Dawn? (2003)
Setting: Present-day Texas
A contemporary suspense novel set in the fictional small town of Amethyst, in the Texas hill country. Saylor has called it his most autobiographical work, because it draws on his own small-town childhood.
It is his only novel with a modern setting, and a real change of pace from Rome.
Shorter Works and Essays
Saylor has also released three short e-books.
Future, Present, Past (2013)
Three short stories in three genres: one set in the near future, one a modern tale of suspense, and one, “The Eagle and the Rabbit”, set in 146 BC after the fall of Carthage.
My Mother’s Ghost (2013)
Three autobiographical essays about his mother’s death, growing up in a small Texas town and his marriage. It also includes an early prize-winning short story, “Kinder, Gentler”.
A Bookish Bent (2013)
Thirteen essays written over twenty years, beginning with a 1992 interview with the poet Thom Gunn. All of them are connected in some way to reading and writing.
Where to Start with Steven Saylor
Best First Book
Start with Roman Blood. It introduces Gordianus and Cicero, it works as a self-contained mystery, and it sets up everything that follows.
If You Want…
- A classic detective story in an ancient setting: Roman Blood
- Rome on the edge of civil war: Rubicon
- The whole sweep of Roman history in one book: Roma
- A lighter adventure with a young hero: The Seven Wonders
- Short stories to sample the series: The House of the Vestals
Books by Time Period
The Late Roman Republic (92 to 44 BC)
All sixteen Roma Sub Rosa books are set here, from the youth of Gordianus to the death of Caesar. It is the best-documented period of Roman history and the most popular with novelists.
Rome from Its Founding to Caesar
Roma covers the legendary beginnings of the city and the whole history of the Republic.
Imperial Rome (AD 14 to 325)
Empire and Dominus carry the story through the emperors to Constantine.
Nineteenth-Century America
A Twist at the End is set in Austin in the 1880s.
For more fiction set in the same era, see our Ancient World hub and the list of the Best Ancient Rome Historical Fiction.
Popular Steven Saylor Series
Roma Sub Rosa
This is the series that made Saylor’s name, and it rewards reading in full. Because Gordianus ages in real time, the books add up to a biography of one ordinary Roman across almost fifty years.
The history is the other great draw. Each novel is tied to a real event, and readers come away knowing the trials, feuds and wars of the late Republic almost without noticing. The complete list with reading advice is in the Roma Sub Rosa Reading Order.
It also sits among the leading Roman detective series, alongside the Falco novels of Lindsey Davis. Both feature in our guide to the Best Historical Mystery Fiction.
The Roma Novels
Roma, Empire and Dominus suit readers who prefer family sagas to mysteries. Each chapter jumps forward in time to a new generation, so the books work as a guided tour of Roman history from village to world empire.
Awards and Recognition
- Robert L. Fish Memorial Award from the Mystery Writers of America (1993), given for the best first short story by an American author
- Lambda Literary Award (1993)
- Violet Crown Award from the Writers’ League of Texas (2000)
Writing Schedule and Upcoming Books
Saylor’s most recent novel is Dominus (2021), which completed the Roma trilogy. The Throne of Caesar (2018) brought the Roma Sub Rosa series to its planned end at the Ides of March.
No new novel has been announced. Both of his Roman projects are complete, which makes this a good moment to read them from start to finish.
Similar Authors You’ll Enjoy
Lindsey Davis. The closest parallel. Her informer Marcus Didius Falco works in imperial Rome under Vespasian, with more comedy than Saylor allows himself. Start with The Silver Pigs, then see the Marcus Didius Falco Reading Order and the Flavia Albia Reading Order.
Colleen McCullough. Her Masters of Rome series covers the same decades from the top, through the eyes of Marius, Sulla and Caesar. It begins with The First Man in Rome.
Robert Harris. His Cicero Trilogy tells the life of Gordianus’s most famous client: Imperium, Lustrum and Dictator. It is an ideal companion to the Gordianus books.
John Maddox Roberts. His SPQR series is another run of mysteries set in the late Republic, narrated by the young senator Decius Caecilius Metellus. The first is The King’s Gambit.
Ruth Downie. Her Medicus series follows a Roman army doctor in Britain who keeps finding bodies. Begin with Medicus.
Conn Iggulden. For more action and less detection, his Emperor Series follows Julius Caesar from boyhood, starting with The Gates of Rome.
Readers who want the legions will also enjoy Ben Kane, whose The Forgotten Legion is set in the same years, and Steven Pressfield, whose Gates of Fire does for Sparta what Saylor does for Rome.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Steven Saylor book to start with?
Start with Roman Blood, the first Roma Sub Rosa novel. It introduces Gordianus the Finder and Cicero and works as a complete mystery on its own. Readers who prefer a broad historical saga to a detective story can start with Roma.
What order should I read the Roma Sub Rosa series?
Publication order is the best choice, beginning with Roman Blood. The three prequel novels about the young Gordianus were written later and are best enjoyed once you know the older character, although they come first in the timeline.
Is the Roma Sub Rosa series complete?
Yes. The Throne of Caesar, published in 2018, ends the series with the Ides of March in 44 BC. There are sixteen books in all, including two collections of short stories and three prequels.
How historically accurate is Steven Saylor?
Very. Saylor studied history and classics, and his plots are built around real events, with several based on trials for which Cicero’s speeches survive. The invented parts are Gordianus, his family and the solutions to the mysteries.
Is Roma Sub Rosa a mystery series or historical fiction?
It is both. Each book has a crime at its center, but the series as a whole tells the story of the fall of the Roman Republic. Readers of either genre will feel at home.
How many books has Steven Saylor written?
He has written sixteen Roma Sub Rosa books, the three Roma novels and two novels set in Texas, plus three short e-books of stories and essays.
Is Steven Saylor’s work appropriate for younger readers?
The novels are written for adults. They include murder, slavery, violence and some sexual content, all in keeping with the period. Mature teenagers with an interest in Rome should be fine with them.
Are the Roma novels connected to the Gordianus mysteries?
No. Roma, Empire and Dominus follow different characters across many generations and can be read without the mysteries. They share the same city and the same careful research.
What are Steven Saylor’s non-Roman books?
A Twist at the End is a historical crime novel about a real series of murders in Austin, Texas, in the 1880s. Have You Seen Dawn? is a contemporary thriller set in a small Texas town.
Is Steven Saylor still writing?
His most recent novel is Dominus, published in 2021. No new book has been announced since.
Conclusion
Steven Saylor offers two ways into ancient Rome. The Roma Sub Rosa mysteries show the fall of the Republic through the eyes of one honest man, and the Roma novels show the whole life of the city across a thousand years and more.
Begin with Roman Blood, keep the Roma Sub Rosa Reading Order to hand, and let Gordianus show you around.
Related Content
- Roma Sub Rosa Reading Order
- Best Ancient Rome Historical Fiction
- Best Historical Mystery Fiction
- Ancient World Time Period Hub
- Lindsey Davis: Complete Guide
- Colleen McCullough: Complete Guide
- Robert Harris: Complete Guide
- Masters of Rome Reading Order
- Cicero Trilogy Reading Order
- Marcus Didius Falco Reading Order