our selection of 4 novels for an unexpected dive into the world of art

The novel of Maecenas
by Pascale Roze
Ed. Stock, 486 p. ; €23.90.

Did you know that the patrons owe their name to a Roman knight of Etruscan origin, protector of the poets Virgil and Horace? An esthete who organized recitations in his splendid palace. That his wife Terentia composed, sang, translated the poet Sappho from Greek to Latin? Caius Cilnius Maecenas lived from agriculture and art on his lands of abundance (vines, olive trees, etc.) in the northwest of Italy, in the 1st century BC. Superbly dressed, a ring on each finger, the knight loved to contemplate its mosaics and delicate Etruscan sculptures in their niches. But being the friend of Octavian (future Emperor Augustus) was not an easy task, and Maecenas had to get involved in politics despite himself… The novelist Pascale Roze, passionate about Antiquity, already author of a book on Horace , had the desire to revive this exceptional character.

His work is not a biography – because little is known about Maecenas, who appears mainly in the elegies of his protégés or the mockery of his detractors – but a powerful and exhilarating novel whose references are drawn from the best sources . Immersed in romance, captivated by the charisma of the characters, the reader remains captivated from start to finish.

Muriel Fauriat

Our opinion: PPP