Steven Saylor (born March 23, 1956) is an American author of historical novels. He is a graduate of the

University of Texas at Austin The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

, where he studied history and

classics Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

. Saylor's best-known work is his '' Roma Sub Rosa''

historical mystery The historical mystery or historical whodunit is a subgenre of two literary genres, historical fiction and mystery fiction. These works are set in a time period considered historical from the author's perspective, and the central plot involves th ...

series, set in ancient Rome. The novels' hero is a detective named Gordianus the Finder, active during the time of

Sulla Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He won the first large-scale civil war in Roman history and became the first man of the Republic to seize power through force. Sulla had t ...

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the esta ...

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...

, and

Cleopatra Cleopatra VII Philopator ( grc-gre, Κλεοπάτρα Φιλοπάτωρ}, "Cleopatra the father-beloved"; 69 BC10 August 30 BC) was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt from 51 to 30 BC, and its last active ruler.She was also a ...

. Outside this crime novel series, Saylor has also written three epic-length historical novels about the city of Rome, ''

Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council * Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...

'', ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'', and ''

Dominus Dominus or domini may refer to: * Dominus (title), a title of sovereignty, clergy and other uses Art, entertainment, and media * Dominus (band), a Danish death metal band * Dominus (DC Comics), an alien character in DC Comics * Dominus (Mar ...

''. His work has been published in 21 languages. Saylor has also written two novels set in Texas. ''A Twist at the End'', featuring

O. Henry William Sydney Porter (September 11, 1862 – June 5, 1910), better known by his pen name O. Henry, was an American writer known primarily for his short stories, though he also wrote poetry and non-fiction. His works include "The Gift of the ...

, is set in Austin in the 1880s and based on real-life serial murders and trials (the case of the so-called Servant Girl Annihilator). ''Have You Seen Dawn?'' is a contemporary thriller set in a fictional Texas town, Amethyst, based on Saylor's hometown,

Goldthwaite, Texas Goldthwaite is a town in Mills County, Texas, United States, that serves as the county seat. The population was 1,878 at the 2010 census. History Goldthwaite existed as a small village prior to the arrival of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Ra ...

. Saylor contributed autobiographical essays to three anthologies of gay writing edited by John Preston, ''Hometowns'', ''A Member of the Family'', and ''Friends and Lovers'', and prior to his novel-writing career he published gay

erotic fiction Erotic literature comprises fictional and factual stories and accounts of eros (passionate, romantic or sexual relationships) intended to arouse similar feelings in readers. This contrasts erotica, which focuses more specifically on sexual feel ...

under the pen name Aaron Travis. Saylor has lived with Richard Solomon since 1976; they registered as

domestic partners A domestic partnership is a legal relationship, usually between couples, who live together and share a common domestic life, but are not married (to each other or to anyone else). People in domestic partnerships receive benefits that guarantee ...

in San Francisco in 1991 and later dissolved that partnership in order to legally marry in October 2008. The couple split their time between properties in

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and E ...

, and

Austin, Texas Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...

Bibliography

Roma Sub Rosa series

Listed in publication order. For a chronological listing, see the separate Roma Sub Rosa article. *'' Roman Blood'' (1991), in which Gordianus is hired by the great orator and advocate

in 80 BC. Like several novels in the series, this one is based on a trial oration by Cicero, in this case ''In Defence of Sextus Roscius of Ameria'' (''Pro Sexto Roscio Amerino''). *'' Arms of Nemesis'' (1992), featuring

Crassus Marcus Licinius Crassus (; 115 – 53 BC) was a Roman general and statesman who played a key role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. He is often called "the richest man in Rome." Wallechinsky, David & Wallace, I ...

, is set during the slave revolt of

Spartacus Spartacus ( el, Σπάρτακος '; la, Spartacus; c. 103–71 BC) was a Thracian gladiator who, along with Crixus, Gannicus, Castus, and Oenomaus, was one of the escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprisin ...

in 72 BC. *'' Catilina's Riddle'' (1993), featuring

and the title character,

Catilina Lucius Sergius Catilina ( 108 BC – January 62 BC), known in English as Catiline (), was a Roman politician and soldier. He is best known for instigating the Catilinarian conspiracy, a failed attempt to violently seize control of the R ...

, is set during his rebellion in 63 BC. *'' The Venus Throw'' (1995), featuring the poet

Catullus Gaius Valerius Catullus (; 84 - 54 BCE), often referred to simply as Catullus (, ), was a Latin poet of the late Roman Republic who wrote chiefly in the neoteric style of poetry, focusing on personal life rather than classical heroes. His ...

, is set during the trial of Marcus Caelius in 56 BC for the murder of

Dio of Alexandria Dio of Alexandria (; el, Δίων) was an Academic Skeptic philosopher and a friend of Antiochus of Ascalon who lived in the first century BC. Along with being an Academic Skeptic, Dio was an avid believer in the Greek gods and Titans, specifical ...

. *'' A Murder on the Appian Way'' (1996), set just before the civil war between Caesar and

Pompey Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey or Pompey the Great, was a leading Roman general and statesman. He played a significant role in the transformation of ...

, focused on the murder of the rabble-rouser

Publius Clodius Pulcher Publius Clodius Pulcher (93–52 BC) was a populist Roman politician and street agitator during the time of the First Triumvirate. One of the most colourful personalities of his era, Clodius was descended from the aristocratic Claudia gens, one ...

on the

Appian Way The Appian Way ( Latin and Italian: ''Via Appia'') is one of the earliest and strategically most important Roman roads of the ancient republic. It connected Rome to Brindisi, in southeast Italy. Its importance is indicated by its common name ...

outside Rome. *'' The House of the Vestals'' (1997), a collection of nine short stories which take place between the first novel and the second, during the period 80-72 BC. *''

Rubicon The Rubicon ( la, Rubico; it, Rubicone ; rgn, Rubicôn ) is a shallow river in northeastern Italy, just north of Rimini. It was known as Fiumicino until 1933, when it was identified with the ancient river Rubicon, famously crossed by Julius Ca ...

'' (1999), in which Caesar crosses the

and the members of the Senate flee Rome, plunging the Roman world into civil war. *'' Last Seen in Massilia'' (2000) takes place in Massilia (now

Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...

) during the siege of the city by Caesar's troops. *'' A Mist of Prophecies'' (2002) is set in the city of Rome during the Roman civil war. *''

The Judgment of Caesar ''The Judgment of Caesar'' is a historical novel by American author Steven Saylor, first published by St. Martin's Press in 2004. It is the tenth book in his Roma Sub Rosa series of mystery stories set in the final decades of the Roman Republi ...

'' (2004) takes place in Egypt, when Caesar met queen

in 48 BC. *'' A Gladiator Dies Only Once'' (2005), another collection of short stories which take place between the first novel and the second. *''

The Triumph of Caesar ''The Triumph of Caesar'' is a historical mystery novel by American author Steven Saylor, first published by St. Martin's Press in 2008. It is the twelfth book in his '' Roma Sub Rosa'' series of mystery stories set in the final decades of the R ...

'' (2008) is set in Rome during Caesar's triumphal celebrations in 46 BC. *'' The Seven Wonders'' (2012), a

fix-up A fix-up (or fixup) is a novel created from several short fiction stories that may or may not have been initially related or previously published. The stories may be edited for consistency, and sometimes new connecting material, such as a frame s ...

novel, is a prequel recounting the journey of the young Gordianus to see the

Seven Wonders of the Ancient World The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, also known as the Seven Wonders of the World or simply the Seven Wonders, is a list of seven notable structures present during classical antiquity. The first known list of seven wonders dates back to the 2 ...

beginning in 92 BC. * "Ill Seen in Tyre" (2014), in the cross-genre anthology ''

Rogues A rogue is a person or entity that flouts accepted norms of behavior. Rogue or rogues may also refer to: Companies * Rogue Ales, a microbrewery in Newport, Oregon * Rogue Arts, a film production company * Rogue Entertainment, a software com ...

'', edited by George R. R. Martin and Gardner Dozois, set in 91 BC just before the Epilogue of '' The Seven Wonders'' *'' Raiders of the Nile'' (2014) is a direct sequel to ''The Seven Wonders'', about the further adventures of young Gordianus in Egypt and a plot to steal the golden sarcophagus of

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...

, set in 88 BC. *'' Wrath of the Furies'' (2015) is a direct sequel to ''Raiders of the Nile'', where young Gordianus must travel incognito into the lands ruled by Mithridates the Great, set in 88 BC. *''

The Throne of Caesar ''The Throne of Caesar'' is a historical mystery novel by American author Steven Saylor, first published by Minotaur Books in 2018. It is the thirteenth book in his '' Roma Sub Rosa'' series of mystery stories set in the final decades of the Roma ...

'' (2018) is set in Rome during Caesar's murder in March 44 BC.

Roma series

*'' Roma: The Novel of Ancient Rome'' (2007), a 1000-year novel of the rise of ancient Rome from its first settlement to the assassination of Julius Caesar. *''"The Eagle and the Rabbit"'' (2013) - short story set in 146 BC (collected in ''Future, Present, Past'' ) *'' Empire: The Novel of Imperial Rome'' (2010) spans several generations with the end of the reign of

Augustus Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...

in 14 AD through the reign of

Hadrian Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania ...

in 141 AD. *''Dominus'' (July 2021) spans several generations from 165 to 325 AD

Other books

*''A Twist at the End'' (UK title: ''Honour the Dead'') (2000), based on the Servant Girl Annihilator killings in the 1880s in Austin, Texas, closely reconstructs the murders and the ensuing trials, with young William Sydney Porter (

) playing a fictional role. *''Have You Seen Dawn?'' (2003) is a modern-day thriller set in a small town in Texas. *''Future, Present, Past'' (2013) is a collection of three short stories set in different time periods. *''My Mother's Ghost'' (2013) is a collection of three autobiographical essays and a short story. *''A Bookish Bent'' (2013) is a collection of various essay and articles. ;Erotic fiction under the pseudonym Aaron TravisThe complete works published under the Aaron Travis pen name were reissued in

Amazon Kindle Amazon Kindle is a series of e-readers designed and marketed by Amazon. Amazon Kindle devices enable users to browse, buy, download, and read e-books, newspapers, magazines and other digital media via wireless networking to the Kindle Store. ...

and

Barnes & Noble Nook The Barnes & Noble Nook (styled nook or NOOK) is a brand of e-readers developed by American book retailer Barnes & Noble, based on the Android platform. The original device was announced in the U.S. in October 2009, and was released the next m ...

editions in 2012. Novels *''Slaves of the Empire'' (1985) - set in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. *''The Flesh Fables'' (1990) *''Beast of Burden'' (1993) *''Big Shots'' (1993) *''In the Blood'' (1995) Novellas *''Blue Light'' (1980) *''Beirut'' (2012) *''Crown of Thorns'' (2012) *''Eden'' (2012) *''Kip'' (2012) *''Military Discipline'' (2012) *''Short, Brainy, & Hot'' (2012) *''Slave'' (2012) *''Wild West'' (2013) Collections *''Exposed'' (1994) *''Tag Team Studs'' (1997) (with Clay Caldwell) *''Kudzu and Other Stories'' (2012) *''Raw'' (2012) *''Wrestling Tales'' (2012) *''No Shades of Gray'' (2012) Anthologies edited *''QSF x 2'' (1995) (with Lars Eighner)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Saylor, Steven American crime fiction writers American gay writers American LGBT novelists American male novelists Lambda Literary Award winners LGBT people from Texas People from Goldthwaite, Texas People from Port Lavaca, Texas The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction people University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts alumni Writers of historical fiction set in antiquity Writers of historical mysteries 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American novelists 1956 births Living people