The Ides of January
The Ides of Energyo is the most recent historical novel written by the award-winning Spanish philologist, professor and author Javier Negrete. This historical work was published in 2023 by the Harper Collins Ibérica publishing house. Negrete, best-selling writer such as Odisea y The spartan, is not only a lover of classical literature and history, but has also demonstrated constant improvement as a chronicler. In ides of january They mix their already well-achieved style with a fantastic narrative.
Historical novels—especially well-researched ones—tend to be acclaimed by fans, since reading a book set in the real events of ancient times can be much more attractive and educational than subjecting the reader to an intense study session. Maybe that's why Javier Negrete has become such a popular name, given his exciting way of recounting events that were very important. in the future of the West.
Synopsis of The Ides of January
To begin with, what is a ides?
To give context to this work it is necessary to understand the origin of its name. Ides It is the Latin word that was used in the ancient Roman calendar to designate the 13th day of eight of the twelve months of the year.. Among the months whose thirteenth day was called ides They are: January, February, April, June, August, September, November and December. Likewise, this word was also used to name the fifteenth day of the remaining months, that is: March, May, July and October.
The name of the work is an oracle of what the text will be, therefore, knowing what it refers to, the reader will be able to understand that The Ides of January addresses a day of utmost importance in the history of classical Rome. Only twenty-four hours could define the conditions of life in the Roman Republic. During this period it is possible to witness conspiracies, divine signs in the streets and betrayals from the least expected people.
The birth of one of the most brilliant military minds of the classical era
The suburbs, domus and streets of Rome are metaphorically inflamed by the political uncertainty that prevails in the country. Meanwhile, that same day Quintus Sertorius is about to be born, and, with him, the events that changed the Eternal City forever.
January 13, The consulate of Lucius Opimius and Quintus Fabius Maximus becomes the symbol of a battlefield in the Roman Senate, as there is evident tension between the conservative factions and the revolutionary Gaius Gracchus and his followers.
The latter threaten the former with unleashing violent riots in the city if they do not comply with their requests. The plot of the novel revolves around this conflict, but, more than anything else, at birth, life and work of Quintus Sertorius and his mother, Rhea. At the same time, these characters are interwoven alongside a parade of well-known personalities in the ancient world, from nobles and scholars to murderers and prostitutes.
Main themes of The Ides of January
This novel by Javier Negrete is based on conspiracies, the shifting loyalties and betrayals that arose in the Senate of Rome that changed the history of this ancient city. Likewise, the author covers topics such as how the role of military strategist Quintus Sertorius would shape future conflicts. Together, the writer develops a variety of characters that help establish a plausible story.
The interaction between these characters is a fundamental characteristic of The Ides of January, Because thanks to each of them there is an evolution in the other elements of the plot. None is left over, none is missing. The city of Rome itself He is another personality within the book. The domus of the nobles and the streets are experienced through the words of the author, who nimbly describes the forms and society of the time.
The importance of divine designs
Ancient Rome was characterized by an intrinsic faith towards a selection of gods: the Olympians. These not only served as a reason for return, but also intervened directly or indirectly in the lives of believers. Or, at least, that was what they thought, which is why, while consecrating their existence to them, they asked them for favors. One of the most common was aid in war or the acquisition of power.
En The Ides of January There is a constant discourse regarding the interaction between the gods and their worshipers. This, in turn, also creates an interesting lag in how people behaved in the times of ancient Rome and the fall of the Republic.
About the author, Javier Negrete
Javier Negrete
Javier Negrete was born in 1964, in Madrid, Spain. He studied Classical Philology, and has been a Greek teacher since 1991. As of 2019 he teaches at the Gabriel y Galán Secondary Education Institute in Plasencia. At par, He has written novels and short stories in various genres, such as fantasy, science fiction, erotic literature and historical novels.. Likewise, it has won the main Spanish awards in all these classifications, such as the UPC award or the Ignotus Award for the best story.
His literary career began before 1991, when he wrote the short story The still moon, winning the UPC award that year. Since then, she continued writing short stories, anthologies, essays and short novels. His first long-length work was The Gaze of the Furies, which won the Ignotus award. The author has also written heroic fantasy, demonstrating great talent for changing genres and mastering them with total understanding.
Other books by Javier Negrete
Novels
- Twilight State (1993);
- Nox perpetua (1996);
- Lux Aeterna (1996);
- The Gaze of the Furies (1997);
- Dragon Memory (2000);
- Shadowseeker (2001);
- The myth of Er (2002);
- The Heroes of Kalanum (2003);
- Beloved of the Gods (2003);
- Lords of Olympus3 (2006);
- Alexander the Great and the Eagles of Rome (2007);
- Salamis (2008);
- Atlantis (2010);
- The Zone (2012);
- The daughter of the Nile (2012);
- The Spartan (2017);
- Odyssey (2019).
sagas
Tramorea
- The Fire Sword (2003);
- The Magician's Spirit (2005);
- The Dream of the Gods (2010);
- The heart of Tramórea (2011).
Tales
- The strange journey of Professor Búdurflai (1995);
- In the country of Oneiros (1995);
- Convergent Evolution (1998);
- Malib, city of queen Samikir (2005).
Anthologies
- Shadowseeker (2005);
- Tomorrow still. Twelve dystopias for the 2014st century (XNUMX);
- Scraps of the past: Anthology of historical stories (2015);
Tests
- The great adventure of the Greeks (2009);
- Victorious Rome (2011);
- Undefeated Rome (2013);
- The Roman conquest of Hispania (2018);
- Thor and the Valkyries (2021);
- Rome Betrayed (2021).