The second book in the stunning Roman Empire trilogy by Robert Harris, author of the acclaimed bestsellers Fatherland , Enigma , Archangel , Pompeii , Imperium and The Ghost .

It is 63 BC, the year when Cicero is consul. Most of his time in office is devoted to uncovering and thwarting a violent conspiracy to overthrow the state, ostensibly led by Crassus and a group of disaffected senators.

Underlying it all is the great rivalry between Cicero and Caesar who represent two different types of ambition: one orthodox, the other revolutionary. As Caesar’s power grows, Cicero must face the inevitable compromises that come with power; is it justifiable to use illegal methods in order to save the Republic?

Robert Harris yet again proves himself a master of historical fiction as he takes the reader to the heart of republican Rome with a novel that is at once brilliantly researched and utterly gripping.

罗伯特·哈里斯，一九五七年出生于英国诺丁汉，就读于剑桥大学塞尔文学院时已展露出过人才华，毕业后先后工作于英国广播公司、《观察家报》，并担任《星期日泰晤士报》和《每日电讯报》专栏作家。二00三年，罗伯特·哈里斯荣获英国新闻业者的最高荣誉、英国新闻业的奥斯卡——年度最佳专栏作家——的殊荣。他自一九九三年开始小说创作，首次出版的《祖国》（Fatherland）常被与奥威尔的名作《1984》相比。此后的《密码迷情》（Enigma）、《大天使》（Archangel）、《庞贝》（Pompeii）都是风靡欧美的畅销小说。其作品常常被拍摄成影视作品，国际大导演罗曼·波兰斯基对哈里斯的小说推崇备至。《权谋之业》所属的西塞罗三部曲，是他截至目前最重要，也是最受欢迎的作品。