politics
Agrippa by Robert Harris review
This fictional memoir by Octavius’s right-hand man shows us bloodshed, betrayal and hectic jockeying for power
TL;DR
- The novel is a fictional memoir from the perspective of Agrippa, Octavius's right-hand man.
- It covers the period from Roman civil war through the assassination of Julius Caesar to the rise of Octavius as Caesar Augustus.
- Agrippa, a significant general and co-ruler, is portrayed as Octavius's childhood friend, whose trust he earned.
- The narrative employs a comically unambitious prose style, reflecting Agrippa's practical, engineering, and military interests over literary pursuits.
- The story depicts a Rome exhausted by civil war, characterized by constant betrayals, shifting alliances, and ambitious rulers.
- A plot twist, based on scholarly speculation, concerns Agrippa's true parentage.