  This brief review focuses on the low-lying even- and odd-parity excitations
of the nucleon obtained in recent lattice QCD calculations. Commencing with a
survey of the 2014-15 literature we'll see that results for the first
even-parity excitation energy can differ by as much as 1 GeV, a rather
unsatisfactory situation. Following a brief review of the methods used to
isolate excitations of the nucleon in lattice QCD, and drawing on recent
advances, we'll see how a consensus on the low-lying spectrum has emerged among
many different lattice groups. To provide insight into the nature of these
states we'll review the wave functions and electromagnetic form factors that
are available for a few of these states. Consistent with the Luscher formalism
for extracting phase shifts from finite volume spectra, the Hamiltonian
approach to effective field theory in finite volume can provide guidance on the
manner in which physical quantities manifest themselves in the finite volume of
the lattice. With this insight, we will address the question; Have we seen the
Roper in lattice QCD?
