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The Roman Republic is collapsing under the weight of demagogues and politicians concerned only for their advantage. Julius Caesar having crossed the Rubicon has challenged Pompey the Great for domination and both armies are battling in Greece. In Rome itself Caesar's lackeys run the government, the economy is faltering, and debt increases daily. It is in this atmosphere that an Egyptian woman, known only as Cassandra, appears and begins issue prophecies. Gordianus the Finder is not exempt from the problems besetting the citizens of Rome. Without money, he is forced to borrow from Volumnius the banker with no idea how he is going to repay him. His son, Meto, is with Caesar, but Gordianus has disowned him. His other son Eco is concerned with his own family. His daughter Diana and her husband Davus live with Gordianus and his wife Bethesda is suffering from some wasting sickness. On the day when they all go to the forum to find radishes for Bethesda, who is certain they will cure her, Cassandra literally dies in Gordianus's arms. Her last words are that she has been poisoned. Gordianus pays for her funeral and is surprised to see at the funeral pyre the six most powerful women of Rome. Convinced that one of them knows what happened to Cassandra and for other reasons as well, Gordianus sets out to find out who poisoned her. This might lead him into dangerous shoals of rebellion and treason. The history in this book, as in the entire series, is simply splendid. Saylor recreates the Roman Empire and the city of Rome for his reader in such a way that it seems we might visit it just down the street. The sense of place is equally first-rate. Walk the forum with Gordianus, smell the odors of a classical city, understand the secrets and the clandestine activities of Rome Sub Rosa, the title of the entire series. Saylor says, in his afterward, that he wanted to find out what the women of Rome were doing. There is very little in the historic record, but he recreates the lives of these women very nicely. The characterization is very well done. Within their context, the characters are believable and authentic. The reader feels empathy for them as well as an understanding of why they behave as they do. Gordianus is growing old, and we have a sense of his feelings of futility and despondency as the success he has made of his life seems to be melting away. His story parallels that of Rome. The plot is well done. There are secrets as one would expect and not everything is as it is first seen. The sense of a city under siege is manifest and these characters each have their own story to live. The deep mastery of the history of Rome makes the plot believable and original. This is another excellent book in an outstanding series.
Reviewed by Sally A. Fellows, July 2002
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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