Blood in the Forum: A Novella of Ancient Rome

by Vincent B. Davis II

Politics. Betrayal. Assassination.Rome, 133 b.c.Gaius Marius is back from war in the West. They fought for the peace and prosperity of Rome, but the legions return to find the Eternal City far less peaceful and prosperous than they had hoped. People are starving, homelessness abounds, war after war has overtaxed the legions. And the revolutionary tribune, Tiberius Gracchus, thinks he has a solution for everything. Political parties are developing, the people are up in arms, the senate is enraged. And Tiberius is at the center of it all. Before Marius has a chance to reacclimate to civilian life, he's thrust into this political upheaval in Rome. His allegiances are put to the test as Rome is almost brought to the brink of civil war. For the first time in the history of the Republic, blood will be shed in the forum.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical

124 pages, Paperback

Published August 5, 2019

About the author

Vincent B. Davis II writes historical fiction books to keep the past alive through the power of storytelling. He is also an entrepreneur, speaker, and veteran who is a proud graduate of East Tennessee State University and was honorably discharged from the US Army in 2022. Armed with a pen and an entrepreneurial spirit, Vincent quit his day job and decided it was as good a time as any to follow his dream. He went on to publish six historical fiction novels, four of which have now become Amazon International Best Sellers.

Vincent is also a devoted and depressed Carolina Panthers fan and a proud pet parent to his rescue pups, Buddy and Jenny. Join Vincent in celebrating the past through the pages of his books. His newsletter, The Legion, is more than just another author email list. It’s a community of readers who enjoy free additional content to enhance their reading experience—HD Maps, family trees, Latin glossaries, free eBooks, and more. You can join the community and snag your freebies at https://vincentbdavisii.com/join-the-....

Vincent also loves connecting with his readers through social media. Find him on Facebook or Instagram @vbdavisii, vincentbdavisii.com, or email him at Vincent@thirteenthpress.com.

Reviews

[Charles van Buren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles van Buren

Intrigue, politics, blood, murder and the decline of the Republic

August 19, 2019

Format: Kindle Edition
Review of Kindle edition
Publication date: August 12, 2019
Language: English
ASIN: B07VHFPBXP
107 pages

This excellent novella takes the form of a scroll or letter to Quintus Sertorius from his mentor Gaius Marius, the famous Roman general and reformer of the army. Sertorius later became another famous general and politician or statesman depending upon who is judging him. The introduction to the novella better explains the story which follows than can I:

"A word from Sertorius: If anyone were to ask me, in my old age and as I continue to fight against my own countrymen, when the death of the Republic began, I would point to the tribuneship of Tiberius Gracchus. I’m certain that this is subjective, and many others would direct you to another event as the root cause of Rome’s decay, but I believe the life and death of Tiberius Gracchus has always stood parallel to the life and death of the Roman Republic as I understand it. There is no event in all the annals of Rome’s history spoken about more infrequently, or more quietly. For decades now the name of Tiberius Gracchus has hardly been uttered above a whisper, and it’s easy to understand why. Even in a city littered with corpses, surrounded by marble temples and colonnades splattered with blood, the very name of the infamous Tribune still elicits shutters. He was the one who started it all. And for some this has meant glory, power, and wealth. For others, the precedents he set have caused agony, poverty, famine, and death. So, it was a surprise when General Marius wrote up his own experience of those turbulent years so long ago and freely shared it with me. I’m certain that if these scrolls here contained had ended up in the wrong hands, the general’s meteoric rise to "power would have been halted. Even the great Marius might have found his corpse numbered amongst the countless hordes of Gracchan sympathizers who washed up, bloated and bloodless, on the banks of the river Tiber.

I found the story more interesting after a quick web search of the main characters. Available for download from Kindle Unlimited.

[Darek Zawisko · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Davis’ The Man with Two Names, which is Sertorius Scrolls # 1. Logistically I should have been reading Sertorius Scrolls # 2 after that, but got sidelined with Blood in the Forum, which is actually Marius Scrolls #2. All the novels are set in Ancient Rome, which is the main attractor for me, and seem to have an episodic quality that works well with going out of order or experiencing them as standalones. This one was just a novella, I listened to it on audio and it lasted for two nice walks. The plot has to do with Marius, freshly back from war, trying to acclimate to Rome and its politics during the momentous rise of Tiberius Gracchus and the subsequent tragedy that’s responsible for the title. Not sure I was quite in the mood for it, but it was enjoyable and interesting. The author does a good job of bring the past to life in all of it complexity. For me, the book did more as a historical lesson then as a fictional narrative. But either way, it was well worth a listen. The narrator did a good job with it. The character voices weren’t really distinct enough, but he does have the gravitas necessary for this sort of story. Fans of Ancient Rome would enjoy this one. I received this audiobook gratis through Audioboom for reviewing purposes. Many thanks for the listen, the world is so much more bearable with a book in your ears.

[Kirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific addition to the story line

Mr. Davis has quickly adapted his writing style to be easy to follow and enjoy, his stories ending with a sense of fulfillment that is brought with closure as well as a longing for more. I found this scroll enjoyable and difficult to put down.

[Sumit · Rating 5 out of 5]

What kind of conflict would we be faced with if the vote turned sour? How many bodies would litter Rome’s streets? The eternal city had never been exposed to her own blood. Romans hadn’t raised their hand against Romans within the city confines since Romulus killed his brother Remus at Rome’s founding.

Blood in the Forum is the 2nd novella in The Marius Scrolls series which is a spin-off of The Sertorius Scrolls series, basically throws light on the earlier life of Consul Gaius Marius.
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The story is told in the first-person narrative of Marius, where he tells his own experience in Rome in the form of letters to his protege Quintius Sertorius.
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Freshly return from war, Marius finds the Eternal city, Rome not so prosperous and peaceful as he had thought it would be. The Senate, which has been formed to run the city efficiently works only for the upliftment of patricians class, and the plebeians, the common flok have to bear its costs. But one revolutionary Tribune, Tiberius Gracchus will bring new legislation that will change everything and bring the city to the brink of civil war. The senators will be enraged, Romans took up arms against Roman and for the first time in the history of the Republic, blood will be shed in the forum.
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Once again Vincent had perfectly fleshed out historical characters into life and vividly draws the situation of Rome in the Late Republic period which is filled with political squabbles, treacheries, and murders. Salute to his craft and in-depth knowledge of the ancient Roman period.
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This 107-page novella, with interesting fast-paced narratives and a satisfactory closure at the end, had full potential to be a full-fledged book. Its much better, more engaging than the first one and leaves you with a longing for more.
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Overall I found this novella enjoyable and difficult to put down. It's available free on kindle unlimited. All the readers who love historical fiction and Ancient Rome, this novella is perfect for them for a quick read.

My Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Andrea Oliverio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un racconto senza pretese, vissuto in prima persona con gli occhi di Caio Mario.
Non saprei come giudicarlo, succede tutto molto velocemente, ma è intrinsecò nel fatto che si tratta di un racconto breve.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting novel about the last days of Tiberius Gracchus, as told by Gaius Marius. Proofing wasn't terrible but could have been improved. Shuddered, instead of shuttered, anyone? Context I got was the person was frightened. The last page [108 in my copy] should have been in italics as the first section. Sertorius' voice was heard in both.

[Liviu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A longer, better fleshed out novella about the rise of Marius, this time as protegee of Scipio Aemilianus in the turbulent times of Tiberius Gracchus just after the fall of Numantia where young Marius first came to the attention of the great general (events chronicled in the shorter Son of Mars, https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)

Would definitely interested to read more from the perspective of Marius, but I will definitely try the Sertorius books too soon; this one was very good and I highly recommend it

[Melissa Levine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book (novella) I’ve listened to by this author. Like I said in my first review, going back this far in time and reading/listening to stories of that period (whether fiction or non) is new to me. I love stories with a historical aspect. My go-to eras seem to circulate around the Victorian and Colonial times. So this was much more different.

While the names were a little confusing and getting jumbled in my mind for a bit, I found this story much better, more engaging than the first one. There seemed to be more going on. I can’t wait to start listening to the novel “The Noise of War.” I haven’t looked at the blurb for any of these, but I’d love to learn more about what Gaius Marius did during his life. I enjoyed this story and had a hard time putting it down. I can't wait to hear more.

The narrator was okay. Just joking! He did a great job! I love his voice and would definitely recommend him to others!

I received a free audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

[John Morris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A political masterpiece!

An in depth study into one of Rome's many (murderous) political squabbles. This was a highly entertaining tale with no obvious heroes and villains, just Rome's political class jockeying for position. The populace, as always, at the bottom of the pile. A well recommended read.

[Darian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blood in the Forum is the second novel that I have read from Vincent Davis II. Following immediately after the first novella, Son of Mars, this book focuses on the rise and fall of Tiberius Gracchus and its impact on the young Gaius Marius and the future of the Roman Republic. This book was that rare sequel that was a definite improvement on the first book of this mini-series. Because Amazon does not give me the option to provide 3.5 stars, I will be generous and give it 4 stars.

Rather than risk spoiling the story, I will list the pros and cons of this story below:

Pros
*Unique time period (mid to late Republic, late 2nd century B.C.)

*Brisk pacing

*Good attention to historical accuracy and detail

*Intriguing character (Tiberius Gracchus comes to life in this novel. I liked how the author was able to portray Tiberius in both a sympathetic and sinister light, as a man seeking to address the inequalities that plagued the Res Public and a politician who grasped for more power while cloaking himself as a man of the people, a foreshadow of later politicians who would replace Rome's Republic with an Empire ruled by an Imperial family).

*Good world-building (I liked the description of graffiti on Roman walls and the scenes of tumult in the Roman Forum)

*Great dialogue (I loved the debate between characters in the Roman Rostra)

Cons

*Minor typos (These typos while minor in error frequently occurred; I counted around 20 errors. While not deal-breaking, they did break me out of my immersion at times).

*Awkward wording (There was one passage in the book, near the end, that I felt could have been improved. It begins like this: "this dispute resolved only with the blood of Romans. And a lot of them." Instead of saying "And a lot of them" it would be better to say something filled with foreboding like this "so much blood...." or "there was so much blood in the forum" or even "And their blood drenched the forum." The last suggested sentence would hearken back to the title of the book!

Suggestions

*As a suggestion, I think that the biggest issue I had with the book was the frequent typos and awkward wording that abounded in the book. If both issues were rectified, I think that the book would be measurably better.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Based on the real Tiberius Gracchus, a very interesting Roman tribune. He proposed redistributing land from the state and wealthy landowners to the homeless, to give them farms of their own so they could feed themselves and lesson the drain on the grain dole. He was particularly interested in the homeless veterans, who were doubly hit by Roman policies. At the time, you had to own land to serve in the army, but since not enough people owned land, the soldiers were kept for years in the field because there was no one to replace them. Naturally, the senators were totally against any policy that might take money from their pockets. So they arranged to have him killed (but his policies survived. His family took positions on the land commission. His younger brother proposed even broader land reforms that also led to his death. The date of Tiberius's death (133 BC) is considered to be the start of the Republic's decline and eventual collapse (the republic, not the empire).

There were lots of parallels to today's politics. Senators would heckle speakers and block moves so that votes couldn't be taken; they protected their own pockets to the detriment of the public; they would create delays in voting to try and outlast somebody's term in office; and they would make false accusations that they knew would stick in the public mind before the truth could come out. At least our senators don't target politicians for extermination if they don't like their views (that we know of).

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good historical background

My previous review of the first novella in this series shared my thoughts on how it didn't add much to the overall story. This one is different. The story told here does a good job of providing historical background for the novels that surround it in the series. This one is worth your time. A short read that is well-written and moves quickly.

[Joseph Carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Read

I enjoyed the short story a lot. The author does a good job of capturing the inner turmoil going on in the characters. When you find yourself rooting for both sides in the story, the writer is doing a good job of fleshing them out!

[David Elkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Requim for Tiberius

A great look at an important aspect of Roman history. The short novella packs a punch. You learn something about Rome in this historical look at some key players as the republic slowly perishes

[Abel M Lezcano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Davis Is A Master Storyteller

Another beautiful piece of writing by Vincent B. Davis. His capture of the characters emotions is unparalleled. I hope to read many more of his stories in the future. Please keep sharing your gift!

[Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written historical novel giving the reader a glimpse of Ancient Roman politics. Present day partisanship isn't anything new!

[Dr. R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Read

Fascinating as usual. One of the few authors capable of weaving a good story with technical information and terminology. If he writes it, I intend to read it!

[Kimberly-Dawn Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long Live The Republic

It’s been a few years since I read Roman historical fiction and this novella made me yearn to read more of this amazing time period again. The Narrator did such a great job with both his inflections and gravity in his voice to meet with the subject matter. During this time period returning warriors are being pulled into the political climate of the Times.
I look forward to listening to more of the series as this was so well written and wonderfully performed. It stirred my imagination and helped me to recall my love of Roman Times.

***I received a free copy of this book in lieu of an honest review

[Tony Giannattasio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too short

This was too short and easily should have been three to four times longer than it was.There are too few books about this time in the life of the Roman Republic. The book was well written and will hold your attention. It shows how quickly the politics of a republic can change and the reasons why it did. Considering our chaotic politic condition now it is definitely worthwhile reading and pondering how this might just happen in our country.

[Alex L-m · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read

Though too short for my taste,this covers one of the most important and little covered historical points in Roman history that of the Gracci I wish more books would cover this important precourser of the civil wars.

[Brenda J. Crowder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fair read

Fair read. Enjoyed time period. Needed to flesh out characters more. Did not lay foundation for Marius. What led to her relationship with scoping

[Chris Gidney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun and revealing of life in a Roman town.