Tribune of the People

Wallace's epic novel triumphs with a vivid historical account of ambitious elite Roman politicians and generals. In 138 B.C.E., Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus is a plebian, son of a war hero, and married into a noble patrician family. Returning from war with Carthage, Tiberius questions the brutal slaughter of whole populations. On the road to another war, this time facing the Numantines of Hispania, Tiberius witnesses starving, homeless veterans whose land was confiscated by greedy patricians. He calls the sight an "even more insidious, more despicable form of conquest and murder." After negotiating a truce with the Numantines that spares the lives of 20,000 Roman soldiers, Tiberius retreats to Rome in humiliation. Saved from exile by his loving father-in-law Appius Claudius Pulcher, Tiberius becomes tribune of the people. He passes the lex agraria land reform law to protect landed veterans. But his political enemies%E2%80%94arrogant cousin Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasca and bully Lucius Rufus Faba%E2%80%94pounce. Wallace fully cultivates ancient Rome, exposing political machinations and carefully crafted events exploited to achieve maximum status. Through intricate plotting, Wallace creates an absorbing balance between brutal war and scheming politics. (Mar.)