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Title: The Tribune's Curse: SPQR VII by John Maddox Roberts ISBN: 0-312-30488-9 Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur Pub. Date: 05 April, 2003 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $22.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (4 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: well written, fascinating history--highly recommended
Comment: Roman Senator Decius Caecilius Metellus is back in Rome, standing for election, when the always dangerous city is convulsed by a Tribune's curse. The Tribune curses Crassus as he sets out for war against the Parthians (a war that ended with Crassus's death and one of the worst defeats that Rome had ever suffered), invoking a number of secret gods and the secret name of Rome itself. Everyone knows that knowledge of the true name constitutes power, and Rome must take extraordinary measures to purify itself. When the Priestly colleges come to Decius and insist that he bring them the name of the one who betrayed Rome's secret name, Decius is thrust into mystery, danger, and death.
Author John Maddox Roberts makes this turbulent era in Roman history come to life. From details of Decius's candidate toga (whitened with chalk to stand out), to the economics of being a Roman politician, to the scheming of the three men--Pompey, Crassus, and Caesar--who rule Rome, THE TRIBUNE'S CURSE drips with authenticity. Better yet, the history lesson is fully integrated into the story. Roberts delivers information as it is needed, involving the reader in the mystery and the history simultaneously.
Decius, with his fears of poverty, his love of wine, and his loving but greedy wife, makes a sympathetic character--important since the story is told as a first person narative. He is positioned high enough in society to have access to information and contacts, yet low enough to be fair game for anyone who thinks that the truth would be better hidden.
Fans of Roman history, historical mysteries, or fine writing won't go wrong with this compelling mystery.
Rating: 5
Summary: Decius solves a very Roman mystery
Comment: The year is AUC 700, or 56 BC by our calendar. Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger, back from several years in Gaul and happily married to his longtime love, the niece of Julius Caesar himself, is plunged into a whirlpool of intrigue when a tribune attempts to derail a powerful politician by invoking a curse on him, using religious elements he had no business using.
Reading this, the reader gets a sense of how alien the Romans really were---and how much they really believed in their religion.
Rating: 5
Summary: exciting, well-researched historical mystery
Comment: After fighting the Gauls for a year under Julius Caesar, Decius Cecilius Metellus, the black sheep of the powerful and wealthy Metellus clan, is glad to be home again in his beloved Rome. Married to Caesar's niece Julia and running for political office that could lead to bigger and more powerful positions, Decius is a very happy man. The populace is not in favor of Tribune Marcus Licinus Craessus going to war against the Parthians.
On the day he is to depart, the fanatical opposition leader, the tribune of the people Caius Ateius Capito delivers a curse on Marcus, daring to speak the secret name of Rome. Decius is ordered to find out how he learned such a sacred name but before he gets very far in his investigation, the mauled body of Ateius is found. Decius must get answers and soon otherwise the frightened populace will start rioting.
John Maddox Roberts, through the use of the first person narration of his protagonist, gives the reader a glimpse into the mindset of the citizens of the Roman Empire on the subject of slavery, magic, politics, and war. The story line is colorful allowing readers to feel as if they have gone back in time to Ancient Rome. THE TRIBUNE'S CURSE is an exciting, well-researched historical mystery.
Harriet Klausner
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Title: SPQR VIII: The River God's Vengeance by John Maddox Roberts ISBN: 0312323190 Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur Pub. Date: 19 January, 2004 List Price(USD): $23.95 |
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Title: SPQR V: Saturnalia by John Maddox Roberts ISBN: 0312320183 Publisher: Griffin Trade Paperback Pub. Date: 02 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: The Jupiter Myth by Lindsey Davis ISBN: 0892967773 Publisher: Mysterious Press Pub. Date: 23 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
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Title: The Temple of the Muses : SPQR IV by John Maddox Roberts ISBN: 0312246986 Publisher: St. Martin's Minotaur Pub. Date: 13 October, 1999 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: SPQR VI: Nobody Loves a Centurion by John Maddox Roberts ISBN: 0312320191 Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin Pub. Date: 01 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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