Appetite

Material greed, is pervasive in Steven Saylor's Roman Blood.

In Saylor's ancient Rome, it would seem that greed effects those born into the nobility just as significantly as those who are not high-born. Sulla, the Roman dictator in power at the time the narrative takes place, is a prime example of an individual driven by insatiable greed. With dreams of expanding the wealth of the Roman empire, Sulla becomes a successful military logician and a formidable opponent on the battlefield. As dictator of Rome, Sulla enjoys wealth and near-absolute power as the ruler of the most far-reaching empire of the time. In addition, during the campaigns in which Sulla adds slaves, land, and countless treasures to Rome's coffers, Sulla satisfies his own greed by simultaneously increasing his personal fortunes as well. In addition, Sulla's supporters, by virtue of their association with the dictator, also manage to live in...