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The Grass Crown (Masters of Rome #2)

4.22 of 5 stars 4.22 · rating details · 4,365 ratings · 122 reviews

New York Times bestselling author Colleen McCullough returns us to an age of magnificent triumphs, volcanic passions, and barbaric cruelties.

Throughout the Western world, great kingdoms have fallen and despots lay crushed beneath the heels of Rome's advancing legions. But now internal rebellion threatens the stability of the mighty Republic. An aging, ailing Gaius Marius,

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Hardcover, 894 pages

Published October 28th 1991 by William Morrow & Co. (NYC)

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Jul 01, 2007 Jeff rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone, especially fans of historical fiction

Shelves: historical-fiction

This is the second book in McCullough's series of books on the fall of the Roman Republic and rise of the empire under the Caesars. In terms of style and substance, it's similar to The First Man in Rome, dealing with the same characters and themes, albeit later in their lives.

Where as Marius was the primary character and Sulla was secondary in the first book of the series, the two trade places here. Marius is older and will soon be sidelined by a younger generation - and a stroke. Moreover, his...more This is the second book in McCullough's series of books on the fall of the Roman Republic and rise of the empire under the Caesars. In terms of style and substance, it's similar to The First Man in Rome, dealing with the same characters and themes, albeit later in their lives.

Where as Marius was the primary character and Sulla was secondary in the first book of the series, the two trade places here. Marius is older and will soon be sidelined by a younger generation - and a stroke. Moreover, his unprecedented series of consulships has earned him nothing but enemies among the upper-crust of Roman society. While he has built his reputation by earning the love of the people, Marius world is the world of the senatorial class, and they fear him and the mob that loves him.

Sulla, who despises the masses that he lived among for so long, is driven to distraction by their preoccupation with Marius. Oddly enough, he is also jealous of the negative attention that Marius draws from the senatorial class. Although a master of manipulation and deceit, it becomes painfully clear that Sulla does not feel insecure because he fears losing power; he has been driven to attain power in a futile attempt to quell his feelings of insecurity. Sulla is a real mess, and no amount of power or dignitas seems to help. In fact, the more he attains, the more transparent he becomes.

I don't care much for pop psychology, but I think that McCullough's Sulla is essentially a gay man who really just wants to shack-up with his on-again/off-again Greek lover, Metrobius, but is too hounded by society's expectations of the nobility to do so. The sad thing is that Sulla, at least in McCullough's imagination, is a creature of his own making; when he was poor and able to love Metrobius openly no one suspected he was of noble blood; when he murdered his patrons and used their wealth to claim his birthright, the senatorial class hardly believed he was anything but a new man.

Then you have Marius, a man who degenerates politically, physically, and spiritually over the course of the novel. Apart from trying to shore up his legacy, Marius just doesn't do much in this book except try to stick it to his prepubescent nephew, Julius Caesar (yes, that Julius Caesar) who was prophesied at birth to be known to history as "The First Man in Rome," a title that Marius spent the whole previous book earning.

The corruption and degradation of the two main characters over the course of this book, while probably accurate, were a real downer. McCullough, who controlled their inner dialog, gave them absolutely no sympathetic or otherwise redeeming qualities. Coupled with a lack-luster villain, the pants-crapping King of Pontus, The Grass Crown succeeds as a window on the ancient world for contemporary readers, but robs fans of the first book of their emotional investment in the main protagonists.

Yes, Marius and Sulla were ruthless, conniving assholes in the first book, but they were ruthless, conniving assholes in a world of ruthless, conniving assholes - it was kill or be killed. In The Grass Crown they're just as ruthless and conniving, but in a sad, petty sort of way that has everything to do with their personal shortcomings, and little or nothing to do with the machinations of those around them.

Three stars. (less)

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Jan 15, 2010 Phil rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In this second book in the Masters Of Rome series the characters that were introduced in 'First Man In Rome' continue to move the narrative forward. The aging Gaius Marius declines and his legate Sulla, an impoverished patrician who gained money and power through marriage and murder rises to prominence as the Italian states revolt in what is called the Social War. Mithradates of Pontus schemes against Rome in the eastern Mediterranean. The conflict between the aristocrats and the equestrians int...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Manu Prasad rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review

Quite a superb sequel to "The First Man in Rome" with an expanded set of characters and perhaps a canvass larger than its predecessor.
Centered around the war against Italia, the growing rift between two towering personalities and former friends, and the depths to which a person's ego can lead him, this book also sets up Julius Caesar perfectly, illustrating his character wonderfully.
Gaius Marius, in search of his seventh consulship (which others have deemed impossible), with a fervour that fina...more

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Sep 21, 2011 Linda Harkins rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Excellent! There seems to be a problem in saving the five stars I've awarded this historical novel. This is the story of Lucius Cornelius Sulla, a handsome soldier and patrician as brilliant as Gaius Marius, who served as consul of Rome 667 years after its founding. Julius Caesar and Cicero were quite young at the time. Cicero had completed his military duty as a scribe under Roman general Strabo Pompey while the young Caesar assisted Marius in Rome after he'd suffered his second debilitating st...more

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Mar 05, 2011 Christin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: greeks-and-romans-too

I was a horrible classics student. I barely read the books and I couldn't remember the dates or names of anything other than the obvious characters and events. But I could remember fun details and things that were amusing to me. Killing someone by pouring molten gold down their throat is one of those things.

So when Mithridiates tells a consul (who knows what his name was, SEE? SEE?!) "you'll get your precious gold," I squealed "OH SHIT!" clapped my hands with glee, and giggled for the rest of t...more

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Jan 07, 2009 Tom rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow, 800 pages and where did it go? Ms. McCullough does an outstanding job of bringing Republic Rome to life. Excellent character development, fast-moving, hooking plot... and all based on true events and historic reasearch.

This second book in the series covers Lucius Cornelius Sulla's rise to being First Man, and then things go nuts!!! Blood, blood and more blood.

McCullough creates vivid, believable and lovable characters, and avoids getting bogged down in historical detail "showing off", but w...more

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Nov 27, 2010 Nick Van der Graaf rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A fantastic, but somewhat depressing sequel to McCullough's "The First Man in Rome." Here she continues the stories of Gaius Marius and Lucius Conelius Sulla, and their friends, family and enemies. Late Republican Rome is brought vividly to life as the republic rots from within, allowing strong men to undermine government institutions through bribery and murder.
Rome must confront the rebellion of her Italian allies, an event known to us as the Social War, and the frightening eruption of Pontus,...more

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Jun 12, 2011 Frances Bell rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I know Colleen McCullough is a great writer. I'm in awe of the sheer volume and meticulousness of the research she's done for this series, and of how well she's woven all that into a story so you don't feel like she's showing off how clever she is at research. But..... I have to say that it all got a bit tedious. I really enjoyed the First Man in Rome. But I'm over all the minute details of battles..... I'm finding the long=winded Roman names hard going and I can't keep anything more than the ce...more

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Aug 27, 2009 Douglas rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Ok, I can admit it - I'm an ancient Rome junkie, and Colleen McCullough is my dealer. Nobody - not even the venerable Robert Graves, or Marguerite Yourcenar, can write a crackling, entertaining AND factually nails-on story of Ancient Roman politics, history and characters like McCullough. Thanks to her books I can describe the difference between a praetor and a consul, and understand that great Roman leaders didn't just start with Julius Caesar. This book mostly covers the period of the dictator...more

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Dec 09, 2010 Paula Hebert rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

in the second book of her series on rome, colleen mccullough follows the career of lucius cornelius sulla on his rise to consul of rome, and the degeneration of gaius marius as his repeated strokes debilitate his body and mind. she also introduces the boy caesar, growing up as a beautiful and precocious youth who begins to threaten the dreams of immortality of the leaders. she has a wonderful ability to help us experience the inner rome, the family structures, all the small things that make a cu...more

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Apr 12, 2009 Murray rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In this, the second of the Masters of Rome series, we learn more about the remarkable Sulla. His ability to casually murder those who will thereby aid his rise to power, has already been established in the first book. His pursuit of the Grass Crown - recognition by a Legion of the brilliance of its commander - provides the theme for this tale of a ruthless but strangely attractive man. Again it is McCullough's understanding of Rome of this time and the details she provides that add to rather tha...more

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Sep 14, 2008 Ron rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

Well-developed fictional series.

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Mar 21, 2012 Daisy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: imperial-rome, italy, world-history

This book focus more on the roman civil war, the war between Italians who was mistreated by Romans and the Romans who thought themselves as entitled and superior, as was seen by servilia, carpio's daughter, but I honestly don't think she is as devious as the book put it. The civil war was kind if caused by the Italians who was sick and tired of the Romans enlisting young Italians in the roman army to fight roman wars, and mistreat them afterwards, many young italians died and no one was left to...more

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Dec 07, 2011 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Lovers of Historical Fiction

Shelves: historical-fiction, novels, fiction, favorites

This is the second book in the Masters of Rome series begun in The First Man in Rome. That first man was unmistakenly Gaius Marius, a flawed but still admirable figure who married Julia, an aunt of Julius Caesar, making him a brother-in-law to Lucius Cornelius Sulla. A secondary character in the first book, he's on the rise in this one, as Marius is in decline.

It makes for a sad book, seeing that decline of a character I grew fond of in the first book. Sulla, as in the first book, is shown as bo...more This is the second book in the Masters of Rome series begun in The First Man in Rome. That first man was unmistakenly Gaius Marius, a flawed but still admirable figure who married Julia, an aunt of Julius Caesar, making him a brother-in-law to Lucius Cornelius Sulla. A secondary character in the first book, he's on the rise in this one, as Marius is in decline.

It makes for a sad book, seeing that decline of a character I grew fond of in the first book. Sulla, as in the first book, is shown as both incredibly able, more than a little creepy and definitely scary. The character in this book that most gained my sympathy was Marcus Livius Drusus. As a tribune, he tried to reform the law and his failure is a turning point both in the book and for the republic. McCullough really made me feel for him and the lost opportunity to avert war.

The young Julius Ceasar is also appealing here, just coming of age, he's around 14 years old at the end of the book, and it was fascinating to see the makings of the man in the boy of this book--the way his life in his mother's cosmopolitan insula in a rough neighborhood may have shaped him.

I've seen reviewers who complain the books in the series, including this one, are ponderous, even tedious. I wasn't particularly taken with McCullough's prose style and it's not for the style for which I recommend these books. But although the books are long, I feel it's the rare long book that earns its length--even demands it. What makes this book and the series special to me is how vividly it recreates the early Roman republic. In that regard I think it's a more impressive achievement than Robert Graves's Claudius novels. I got a real sense of the Roman mindset and way of life in these books, both of the ways it parallels--and helped form--modern political systems and the ways it's in no way modern in outlook. I have a friend who is a classics scholar, and when she once told me all she cared about gaining in her own writing was dignitas, because of these books, I knew exactly what she meant.(less)

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Jul 22, 2008 Scott Franklin rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Fascinating continuation of Colleen McCullough's Master's of Rome series. This is the second book in the series of seven and it covers the Civil/Social war under the eventual leadership of Lucius Cornelius Sulla. It deals largely with the rise of Sulla to leadership both in military campaigns as well as policital power. It finishes with the fall of Gauis Marius, the third founder of Rome, as his mind fails following two strokes and he takes over Rome in a blood bath, killing anyone in Rome who o...more

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Nov 07, 2012 Colleen rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

Final update 11/6/12: It only took a year and two months but I FINALLY finished this behemoth. The delay wasn't because it wasn't good - quite the contrary, it's an incredibly entertaining history lesson disguised as a novel - but because I had so much going on personally that I just didn't have time to sit and immerse myself in this world. Even if I'd had the time, it wouldn't have been a quick or easy read. It's an old-school historical fiction epic, written in archaic, old-fashioned language,...more

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Feb 10, 2011 Brandt rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The easiest way to become an expert in the end of the roman republic, and later, the end of Ceasar, is to read this series.
Historical novels always walks a line of historical correctness and entertainment, i thought this series managed to provide both, which is an impressive feat considering the extensive amount of information available for this time-period.

This series follows the most important romans and their families for two generations.
The rise to power of the succesful battlecommander Gaiu...more

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Feb 07, 2008 Matimate rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, military, 2007

The birth of the Roman empire was long process which was as bloody as it was humanly possible. The powerful men changed in the lead of the Roman republic and they were putting the seeds of its downfall. Marius once powerful is facing the slow fall and one of his most trusted men was behind it. The novel is dark and showed Roman politic and the family life of the actors in the twisted light, which add the spice to it. The general feeling it almost the same as from TV series Rome, which deals with...more

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Aug 20, 2011 Colin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: junk-food-lit

I just finished re-reading this book (again), and McCullough's series is so brilliant, it just gets better every time I do! This volume deals with the decline and fall of Gaius Marius, arguably Rome's first truly successful popularis, and the continuing rise of his former friend turned rival, Lucius Cornelius Sulla. Also featured is the early childhood of Gaius Iulius Caesar, arguably the most famous Roman who ever lived. A must-read for any serious enthusiast of ancient Rome!

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Aug 10, 2008 Andrew Flynn rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone interested in historical Rome

Recommended to Andrew by: My father

The Grass Crown,book 2 in the Masters of Rome Series by Colleen McCullough tells the story of the Rome through the eyes of the major historical figures of the period.

Running from the end of the German invasion through the Italian War, Colleen McCollough masterfully blends the historical facts with a blending of fiction to give her readers a amazing journey that not only tells about the major events of the period but also blends in a picture of everyday life in late republic Rome.

Additionally, th...more

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Apr 20, 2009 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

McCullough truly brings the ancient Roman republic to life. You care deeply about these characters, even when they're being despicable, and you can understand how they moved and shaped the ancient world. In The First Man in Rome, the republic was so strong that I couldn't imagine how it became an empire under Julius Caesar (a newborn in that book). But now, as Caesar grows up, things are escalating rapidly, and it's clear how a combination of civil war and internal corruption are undermining the...more

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Oct 16, 2009 Karla (Mossy Love Grotto) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, keepers, roman-empire, big-fat-epics, cover-artists-tom-hall, 5-stars, characters-you-love-to-hate, tbr-series-project

It's rare for a sequel to be greater than the first one, and I would give this book 6 or 7 stars if I could. McCullough continues the story of Marius & Sulla, with their long-standing loyalty/rivalry, and adds new characters to the saga. There's Pompey and Cicero, comrades in arms of very different personalities, and young Julius Caesar as a precocious child who Marius perceives as a threat to his own legacy.

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Aug 14, 2012 Lasiter rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2008

No puedo valorar los libros de esta saga por separado, me tomó un año leerla completa y al final me dejó un muy buen sabor en la boca y un gusto por el género que antes no tenía. Muy bien documentada, muy bien ambientada, con personajes muy pero muy creíbles y sobre todo muy equilibrada, características que siempre agradezco en este tipo de novelas. Si algún día repito una saga creo que sería esta.

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Apr 27, 2013 Shane rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Grass Crown is an excellent book and a worthy successor to the first in the series, First Man in Rome. It is a long, involved book and a love for historical fiction is a must if a reader is to enjoy it, but since that fits me I thought it magnificent.

Looking ahead the "Masters of Rome" series has many more volumes to go, and I'm looking forward to reading them. In fact, I plan to read one each winter until I'm done. The only other series I do this for is Aubrey-Maturin by Patrick O'Brian, in...more

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Jan 20, 2009 Michael rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: history lovers, politic observers,

Recommended to Michael by: Van Cain

Shelves: fiction, history

This is the second book in a series. It's rather long, over 800 pages. This book was easier to follow than the first. You will learn to see how the military and political manevers of the final days of the Roman Republic were administered. Very indepth coverage of the cultural and religious life of the world power is included. Great characters and characterization of the time!

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Dec 14, 2009 Becky rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

This is the second book in Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series, following The First Man in Rome. It covers the period from 99 -86 B.C. Since I know very little about the history of ancient Rome I learned a great deal from this detailed account which is largely a story of political intrigue, civil war and upheaval. I also found it to be very suspenseful and proved that truth can be stranger than fiction. The central characters are Lucius Cornelius Sulla and Gaius Marius, both of whom were...more

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Dec 19, 2007 Reid rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Following The First Man in Rome, McCullough has returned with a seductive sequel, detailing the falling out of Marius and Sulla, the slow rise of Mithridates and the final collapse of Marius' sanity and his reign of terror leading to his short-lived seventh consulship. Young Pompey arrives on the scene as the precocious youth that he is, along with Cicero as a fellow cadet. We can begin to detect some of Yong Caesar's drive as well, but at the end of the book, Sulla continues his war in the east...more

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Jun 05, 2012 DIana Stewart rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was a great book. After 2000 years its amazing that the problems with the republic have not changed. This is the worlds first experimentation with democracy. There are 7 books in the series and all are around 800 pages.

Ms McCullough has included a lot of additional information. I am currently reading book 3
Fortunes Favorite

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Feb 27, 2012 Mementomori rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A wonderful book. 1000 pages of escape to ancient Rome. As soon as id finished i wanted to read book 3 in the series, to travel on with these fantastic characters. A huge cast of characters, and yes its hard to remember them all, or whose who, but worth all the effort, and what an amzing achievement by McCullough - a real labour of love.

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Nov 29, 2012 Steph rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I started the Masters of Rome series with First Man in Rome in an attempt to find a book that would take me longer than a day or two to finish. Having succeeded, and being moderately excited by the Ancient Roman Empire, I decided to pursue the next challenge in the series: The Grass Crown. It took much longer to finish. Not because it's longer, but because the story didn't pull me in as much as First Man in Rome. And because there was far more politics and war - I found the tragedy more difficul...more

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About Colleen McCullough

Colleen McCullough AO (born 1 June 1937) is an internationally acclaimed Australian author. Colleen was born in Wellington in central west New South Wales to James and Laurie McCullough.

She grew up during World War II. In her first year of medical studies at the University of Sydney she suffered dermatitis from surgical soap and was told to abandon her dreams of becoming a medical doctor. Instead,...more

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Books by Colleen McCullough

The First Man in Rome (Masters of Rome, #1)

Fortune's Favorites (Masters of Rome, #3)

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