At the end of this book, Robert Harris states that the majority of the incidents in the book definitely did happen, most of the remainder of the incidents could have happened, and nothing in the book demonstrably did not happen. The thing I most admire about Robert Harris is that he manages to paint this "non fiction" so very convincingly on the amazing canvas which is Rome at the height of its powers. The book chronicles the career of the famous Roman Senator/Lawyer Cicero, and his mammoth personal struggle to reach the pinnacle of Roman political power, i.e. to attain "Imperium". Hence the title of the book. It is narrated by his personal secretary (and slave) Tiro, who proves to be an objective and perceptive voice throughout the book. Tiro chronicles Cicero's enormous personal battles with the Aristocratic Roman establishment in his attempts to achieve his personal goals. In fighting this battle, Cicero finds himself constantly siding with the underdog, the ordinary people of Rome and the provinces (most notably the Sicilians) who appeal to him for help. It is almost as if they realsied that he needs them as much as they need him. He is, however, not simply a one dimensional "champion of the underdog". His good deeds, and his sense of justice are genuinely felt but at times they conflict embarrasingly with his massive ambition. You can sense the emotional difficulty that this causes him throughout his life. In his introduction Tiro makes the following observation about Cicero. "If he does not always appear to be a paragon of virtue, well so be it. Power brings a man many luxuries, but a clean pair of hands is seldom among them." A perfect description of a modern politician!! As ever with Harris the details are fascinating. The workings of the Senate, the pecking order of the senators, the accounting systems for the provincial governors, the complexity of the judiciary, the different levels of societal representation, the voting colleges etc. How much of modern democratic society we owe to this civilisation! I personally, (having never studied Roman or Classical history in any formal manner), find it astonishing how scientifically, culturally and politically advanced it was, and after the decline of the Roman and Ionian civilisations, how far backwards humanity regressed. On top of all that, it is a great read!