When they asked me where was the next one in my series, I was a little like-no, no this is a literary novel. Martins was interested in more Gordianus books because the first book had just sold well enough and they had sold the paperback rights and a few foreign rights. I wanted to be a novelist and I was puttering around with other ideas. Q: When you wrote the first book, did you envision it as a series? He had moved on, but Im still in the late Republic. It was really funny that years later when I was talking to him as an author instead of a student, I told him about remembering that comment, he said that he was now so bored with the Republic and that he was more interested in the Principate. He said the Republic was much more interesting than the Principate-that was his prejudice and I did remember that. I had a history prof at the University of Texas who taught Roman History in two parts-Republic and Principate. You know, it begins with comic books and movies when I was a kid and goes to actually studying history. Ones knowledge of Rome just kind of comes over a lifetime, mine has. Saylor: Well thats what kind of kicked it off-the Cicero trial. Q: So is this why you set the Gordianus series is set in the first century B.C.? So thats how that all sort of came together. And thats the book theyre motivated to actually get written. I think often times a persons first novel is the book they want to read-that nobodys written. And as I read that, I just kept thinking that this could be made into a really good novel.

And the first oration is Sextus Roscius, the case of the man accused a patricide. And the thing I picked up to satisfy the craving was CICEROS MURDER TRIALS, translated by Michael Grant. Actually, there were such things published, but they werent readily available. And at that time Lindsey Davis hadnt yet published and there was no such thing, really. I just had this craving, you know, thats the book I want to read. And I got back to San Francisco and I wanted to read a murder mystery sent in Ancient Rome. I had read science fiction and fantasy for years, but I was beginning to read mysteries - all of the Sherlock Holmes, and I read Umberto Ecos THE NAME OF THE ROSE which of course was an historical mystery and a popular book. So when I came back, I was beginning to read mystery fiction at about that time. My first trip to Rome was in 1987, and of course it was just tremendously exciting being among those ruins the connection was just amazing. Saylor: I had always been fascinated by Rome from childhood and I took a lot of history in college at the University of Texas at Austin.

Q: Where did you get the idea for the first book in the Gordianus Series, ROMAN BLOOD?

Roman blood by steven saylor