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This is one of Franklin Watts’ series of fictional diaries. This one is told by a twelve-year-old girl growing up in Rome in AD 74. Her name is Secundia Fulvia Popillia.
Sometimes the diary format can result in a mere catalogue of events with no real story. But that has been avoided in this case and the book is actually quite exciting. Popillia’s elder sister is about to be married to Meltus, a young Roman from a good family. But the marriage is threatened by the behaviour of her elder brother Longus who is always quarrelling with her father.
Then Popillia finds out what is wrong. Longus is determined to marry without his father’s permission. And there is worse. He wants to marry a freedwoman who dances in the theatre. Then Longus disappears. If Meltus’ family ever finds out about this scandal then the marriage will be off. Popillia determines to find Longus and heal the rift with between him and her father.
Within this framework the author manages to impart much knowledge about Ancient Rome quite naturally. First the position of Roman women is made quite clear. Once Popillia knows her letters and numbers there is no need for any further education. Her father tells her she would be better brushing up on her home skills. But, nevertheless, he allows her to sit in on the lessons of her six-year-old brother. Then Popillia can never go out alone. She is allowed out sometimes in a litter carried by slaves. And Roman women are under the control of their fathers, and later, their husbands. But another side of the coin is shown when Popillia meets Livia. Livia is divorced and has a modicum of freedom and independence.
There is also much detail about the various Roman festivals and traditions. This is because Paetas, her brother’s tutor, tells her to practise her writing –– which is why she starts to keep her diary. When she wonders what to write about he suggests she should describe the different Roman festivals.
Different Roman living conditions are also described. Popillia starts off by describing her town house. Then later she goes to stay at the family farm outside Rome. Finally she manages to trace Longus and finds him living in the equivalent of an Ancient Roman slum.
All this is accompanied by fascinating diagrams of the town villa, the country farm and the Roman Forum. There is also a glossary and historical notes.
As if all this is not enough this book also contains hints of rite of passage. Popillia is afraid of growing up. She always remembers that her own mother died in childbirth. But by the end of the book she is resigned to growing up and even acknowledges that it can be fun.
Very highly recommended.
Interest range 10-14
Reading range 8-10
Reading Museum. A Roman eagle without wings and, more significantly, a tile with a cat's pawprint on it. And when Topher Hope is shown this tile by his stepmother we just know which cat made that pawprint! Ka, the time-travelling cat which belongs to Topher. (His name is really Christopher but he is called Topher to distinguish him from his dad who is called Chris).
In this, the third book of a series, Topher is uprooted again. His father and new stepmother have both found new jobs on the south coast. A new house and a new school for Topher, who has trouble settling down. One boy in particular, Brett Durno, goes out of his way to make life difficult for him. To make things worst, Topher is harrassed by a gang of thugs.
As if all this is not enough to contend with,Topher's cat, Ka, is off on her travels again. From time to time Topher finds the stone statuette which means that Ka is back in the past. After this it is not long before Topher joins her.
Topher is now the younger son of Bryn the Elder, the chief of the Atrebates, who live in a compound of roundhouses near the east gate of the Roman city of Calleva. (It is now Silchester). Topher's elder brother Bryn, hates and despises the Romans but Topher makes friends with a Roman boy of his own age and is eventually apprenticed to his father, a mosaic maker. Topher is fascinated by Marcus's wonderful cat Ca.
Then trouble. The Romans are extending one of their roads and it is going to go through a grove of oaks sacred to the Druids. Topher's father would have been able to resolve the problem but he is away and his elder son, Bryn, together with the Druid, takes matters into his own hands. He steals the eagle from the statue of the Emperor in the in the Forum. If Marcus and Topher do not find the eagle in time then the Romans will wreak a dreadful vengeance on the Atrebatans -- perhaps even decimination when one in ten would be put to death by stoning.
Then Ca runs across a wet tile and leaves
the imprint of her pawprint. Later Topher looks at the mud on
her paws and draws an important deduction. Ca has provided him
with a clue. And that is not all Ca does. When Marcus and Topher
are imprisoned by the Druid she uses her claws to free them. And
in the final confrontation Topher tells the Druid that Ca is the
Moon Goddess.
But does this work? Does the Druid actually believe that Ca is
a Goddess?
Written around the theme of forgiveness
and the futality of grudges, revenge and fighting, I think this
is the best of the series so far. The story is clearer and simpler
than the others and gains something from that. The story, both
in the present and the past, holds the interest and the Roman
part is really exciting.
The Roman town of Calleva is vividly brought to life with interesting
little details about mosaic making, the bath-house and the hot
food shop. All this is contrasted with the British compound. There
are also references to Pompeii and Vesusivius.
One thing though. I would have liked a map of Calleva.
History apart this is a story wich will delight all animal lovers. There are so many charming descriptions of Ka.
Purr-fect.
10+
This book was first published in 1973. It tells the story of Roman Britain through the fortunes of one particular family. The capricorn bracelet, which is passed down from generation to generation, provides the link.
The first story is set in A.D. 61. Lucius is the son of a London wine merchant. He often takes wine up to the Roman garrison and he thinks he would much prefer to join the Roman Army rather than follow his father into the wine business. Then London is attacked and destroyed by Boadiccea and the people massacred. Lucius' father is killed but Lucius himself escapes. He stumbles upon a Roman legion. The legionaries take care of him and later Lucius joins the Roman Army and eventually becomes a centurion and gets his Distinguished Conduct bracelet. His legion was the Augustan and its badge a Capricorn - which was a similar device to the one which his father used when sealing his wine jars.
This is how it all begins. The rest of the book tells of five of Lucius' descendants. One helped to build Hadrian's Wall. Another was the leader of a troop of Dacian cavalry and, although inexperienced, he led a fire ride in order to keep the respect of his men. Forty years pass before we hear of the next member of the family. After being wounded in the leg and invalided out of the Roman Army, Lucian Calpurnius goes to live among the Votadini at Trapain Law and becomes apprenticed to a smith. Almost one hundred years later the holder of the Capricorn bracelet is a young frontier scout who fights against the Saxon "sea wolves" and wins his wolfskin in a rather original way.
In the last chapter, the British emperor, Maximus, takes troops from Hadrian's Wall for his campaigns. Before he leaves Lucianos' father tells him he is now responsible for his mother and young son. When he hears of his father's death Lucianos goes with his mother and sister to his mother's people, the Dumnoni. Eventually Lucianos marries a girl of the Tribe. The Capricorn bracelet is the only thing which reminds him of his family's links with Rome. One day he goes down to the Wall on the hunting trail. There are no men there now - only wolves.
In all these stories the Capricorn Bracelet plays its own special part.
An interesting and effective of telling the story of the Romans in Britain.
Comes complete with historical notes at the end. These are useful but I would have liked maps too.
9 +
This book consists of two long short stories -- A Circlet of Oak Leaves and Eagle's Egg. I estimate both stories to be about 12,000 words long. A Circlet of Oak Leaves was first published in 1965 and Eagle's Egg was first published in 1982.
In A Circlet of Oak Leaves Aracos is head man to old Lyr the horse breeder and he comes down to Isca Silurium a couple of times a year to sell three year olds to the garrison horsemaster. But no one in Isca Silurium knows the secret which Aracos has carried since his days when he served in the Roman Army in the medical corps. Then one day a young medic arrives and gives Aracos something which makes him cast his mind back over the years and we learn his secret.
The Roman Army was in Caledonia fighting the Picts. A young Roman pennant-bearer who had endured far more than he could bear was sick with fear at the thought of the battle ahead of him in the morning but a friend came to his rescue. Next day there was a great battle and a feat of heroism, and, later, the award of the Corona Civica and a secret which two men had to carry to the grave.
Contains a detailed description of a Roman battle.
Extremely thought provoking.
In Eagle's Egg Quintus is a young standard bearer with the Ninth Legion. The Legion is sent to Eburacum (York) where he meets a British girl at a well. He gets to know her and her brother who makes mosaic floors. Quintus gets to know Cordaella better and would like to marry her but there is a rule in the Roman Army that only centurions and those above that rank can marry. Quintus feels that there is not much chance of him becoming a centurion.
Then the Ninth Legion is ordered north and, after the defeat of Calgacus and the Picts at the Battle of Mons Graupius, Quintus gets his longed-for promotion -- but for a quite unexpected reason.
An entertaining story which contains much information about Roman Britain.
9 +
This is a humorous account of the life of Julius Caesar from 57BC to his death in 44BC.
There is a note at the beginning saying that the diary of Julius Caesar's slave, Commonus Muccus was found during an archaeological dig.
The name "Commonus Muccus" is a good pointer of what is to follow. The book is full of jokes and deliberate anachronisms. There is a dealer in slaves called Delus Boyus and there newspapers called "The Gauldian," "News of the Woad" and "The Daily Expresso." The diary is told in a very chatty style by Commonus Muccus. He was captured by the Romans when he slipped over to Gaul to see his cousin Horlix and he was with Caesar until his assassination. After this he managed to escape back to Britain.
Despite all the jokes and anachronisms this little book does actually give an informative account of Caesar's life. It covers the invasion of Britain, the Gallic Wars and the politics of Rome. There is also a considerable amount of detail about the Roman Army, methods of fighting such a siege towers and elephants, banquets, gladiators and the arena. There are also a number of very useful sketch maps.
There is even a chance for the reader to learn some very elementary Latin. There is a double page spread about the weapons of a Roman soldier and the Latin names are given. Example, pugio for dagger and scutum for shield.
The book is illustrated throughout with black and white cartoon style drawings.
There is a note at the end in which Professor Celavie gives a number of reasons why the book is a forgery although the main events are recorded accurately. For one thing Communus would not have been able to write at all let alone write in Latin.
Although not for the traditionalists, this book is deceptive. It is surprisingly informative and useful.
9+
All dreams need a dream master to keep
control of them. But young Cyrus's dream master has a hard task.
Cyrus's imagination is so strong that he keeps getting into his
dream himself and that is when there can be trouble. To make matters
worse the dream master's cloak is beginning to wear thin while,
on the other hand, the piece which Cyrus tore off, is becoming
stronger while Cyrus has yet to learn how to control it.
That is the background. Now for the story. It is near the end
of the summer holidays and Cyrus (or Cy as he is usually called)
has yet to begin his project on volcanoes. He asks the dream master
for help and ends up being taken back to Pompeii just before the
eruption of Vesuvius. He meets a Roman boy and girl and makes
friends with them -- even although the boy tells him Cy is their
slave. Cy's first few visits are short but his later visits are
longer and the last part of the book reads like a straight time-travel.
Cy learns a lot about volcanoes and Pompeii. His father rigs up
a scientific experiment and shows him how volcanoes work. Cy learns
about Pompeii both from his actual time travels and, back in his
own time, from visits to the local library. One story element
revolves around the dream master being trapped in Roman times
and Cy having to find a way to rescue him despite the fact that
the dreammaster ends up being chased in the arena by a lion. Another
strand of the story is about Cy's concerns for his new Roman friends.
He is determined to find a way of warning the and getting them
to leave Pompeii before it is too late.
This obviously belongs to the History for Reluctant Historians
genre. True much historical information is imparted. The characters
do come to life -- particularly Cy himself and the crusty old
dream master. Even so I have a few doubts about the format. The
first part of the book tends to be rather bitty and disjointed
and large amounts of information are delivered at once. The second
part of the book reads better.
Despite modern trends, for an easy way to learn history there
is still a lot to be said for a well written straight historical
novel. Or even straight time-slip. Even for young children.
There is a very atmospheric black and white drawing at the beginning
of each chapter.
8-12
Set in Bath –– or AquaeSulis –– in the middle of the fourth century AD.
Julius is the son of a charioteer. When his father was killed in the Arena Julius, his mother and his young brother were bought from the Emperor by a retired army general and taken to Britain. Julius helps to train the horses as well as helping his new master generally. Then Olivia, the young daughter of the general, is kidnapped and Julius has an opportunity to rescue her and win freedom for himself and his family.
Although short this little book contains much information about Britain in Roman times. And this information is woven into the very fabric of the story. Julius is attending his master in the baths when he overhears part of the plot to kidnap Olivia. As well as providing the start of the story this also gives an opportunity for a description of the baths. Then the general’s son insists that Julius should join him in a hunt for the kidnapper. This hunt leads them to the arena and also to a farm outside Aquae Sulis. Quite apart from the story of Olivia, Julius’ young brother falls ill. Julius prays to the goddess Sulis Minerva to save him –– irrespective of the fact that he is now supposed to be a Christian. The old ways die hard.
A good story which is quite exciting and which imparts much historical knowledge painlessly. Comes with a historical note and a glossary. Illustrated in black and white throughout.
7-11
A boys' football team have the team's initials TR embroidered on the front of their shirts. The initials actually stand for "Tanfield Rangers" but one of the team, Michael Winter, or Worm (short for Bookworm) likes to think that the initials really stand for "Time Rangers." This is because certain members of the team find themselves constantly being drawn back into the past. The other team members blame Worm for this as he is more interested in history than football.
In this book (the fourth of the series) they are on a football tour of the Cotswolds. They find that a beautiful part of the country is about to be torn up to make way for a new road. There is an archaeological dig nearby and Worm makes friends with one of the archaeologists. Next day the team managers take the boys to Cirencester to see Chedworth Roman Villa, and also the amphitheatre. After a picnic lunch some of the team have a roly poly race down a grassy bank - and find themselves back in Roman times.
They are sold as slaves and taken to work on a Roman villa. They escape but are recaptured and are taken to the arena. Convinced that their last moments have come they suddenly find themselves back in their own time again. But they have learnt one important thing while they were back in the past - something which can help to save the countryside from the new road.
The history is very basic and the story is told simply for young readers. The characters talk and act like typical twelve year olds.
9 +
This is one of the Flashbacks series for children of 7 - 11.
Luciana lives with her aunt and uncle. Her mother is dead and her father is in the Roman Army. It is 410 A.D. and the Roman Empire is breaking up. Eastern England is under the constant threat of raids from the Saxons and Luciana's aunt leaves -- as do many of the servants. One night Luciana's uncle, Lupus, sneaks out to bury his gold. He does not return.
Luciana is left alone with her dog Ferox. She wants to join her father. She knows he will, with his legion, march down the Roman road which runs from Eburacum (York) to Dubris or Dover. She gathers together a few belongings and, with Ferox, makes her way to the town of Ickinos and Cato, her old tutor.
The only way Luciana can hope to intercept her father will be to cross the fens to Durobrivae (Water Newton). It will be a dangerous journey but Luciana is determined. Cato helps her with the necessary supplies and next day she sets off.
The fenlands are perilous. Luciana faces the danger of drowning in the mud or of catching the marsh fever. Even worse is the threat from the savage people who live in the fens.
In one respect she is lucky. She eventually finds a companion -- Vennorix, a boy travelling smith who helps her.
This is a well told story which moves at a good pace. It gives a vivid picture of the closing years of Roman Britain. The villas of the Romans are contrasted with the huts of the tribesmen of the fens. The atmosphere of the fens is clearly conveyed and we also learn something of the people who live there. There is Bran the coracle maker and Lidda who extracts salt from the sea water which finds its way inland. Luciana comes across as an independent and determined heroine.
There is a useful and much needed map and glossary at the front and the text is enhanced with black and white illustrations. But as I looked at the Crufts obedience champion on the front cover I could not help wondering -- were there really pedigree border collies in Roman Britain?
This is from the Flashbacks series for children aged 7-11.
Lucius and Marinetta have a rather stormy first meeting when the headstrong and reckless Lucius nearly runs Marinetta down with his chariot. Marinetta considers Lucius pompous and arrogant while Lucius thinks Marinetta is unruly and haughty. They both hope that they will never meet again. But they do and they are to have many adventures together.
It is the year 397 A.D. and Rome is under threat on every frontier. There are traitors both among the Romans in Britain and also in Rome itself -- a senator who plots against the Emperor. Titus Calvus is a senior Roman statesman -- he is also Lucius' uncle. Titus intends to travel to Rome to put his information before the the Commander-in-Chief of the Army, but first he goes to spend an evening with Cedric, an important local magistrate to find out what he knows. Lucius goes with him and finds that Marinetta is his daughter.
That evening Cedric's villa is raided and set on fire. Lucius, Marinetta and Titus are taken prisoners and carried across Hadrian's Wall and far into Caledonia. Titus manages to escape but Marinetta and Lucius are sold to pirates and end up in an African slave market. They have many adventures but throughout all Marinetta manages to guard Titus' precious message. There is an exciting climax in Rome itself when Lucius and Marinetta have to outwit assassins.
Eventually they return to Hadrian's Wall. They both realise that their lives are now linked and their future intertwined. The last, prophetic word belongs to Marinetta. She says that Rome brought many good things which will never be lost.
"And beyond that lies Hadrian's Wall. It will last for a thousand years or more."
An exciting adventure story about the last days of the Roman Empire.
This is the story of a thirteen-year-old boy during Queen Boudicca’s revolt against the Romans.
Gareth is a slave of the Iceni tribe. He himself is from the Parisi tribe and he used to live in a little village by the sea. Then a raiding party from the Iceni killed his family and carried him off into slavery.
The Iceni soon see that Gareth can be very useful to them as he has skilled hands. They put him to work in the Queen’s chariot yard helping to build and repair chariots. When Boudicca leaves on her rebellion against the Romans Gareth goes with her army to help repair any broken chariots. In London he finds a Roman girl who has escaped the carnage hiding in the hypocaust of a half-built Roman house. Gareth decides to try to help her. He finds a boat and together with Paula (for that is her name) they escape by river. After several adventures they eventually catch up with the Roman Army. Paula is the daughter of an army officer and an escort is found to take her to a place of safety at the back of the Army with the baggage wagons. Gareth was meant to go with her but he gazes around in amazement and becomes separated from the escort and finds himself caught between the two armies. The battle starts and somehow Gareth manages to survive. Then suddenly Queen Boudicca’s war chariot appears. Her wounded charioteer falls off and, without thinking, Gareth leaps aboard and takes her place.
Gareth has never had any feeling for the Iceni who killed his family and made him a thrall but nevertheless he finds himself falling under the Queen’s spell and he drives the distraught Boudicca back to her palace.
And throughout all his trials and hardships Gareth does make one good friend –– Flame one of Boudicca’s horses.
What happens when they get to the palace? And does Gareth ever see Paula again?
This story is intended for young children and it is simply told. Nevertheless it does give a good picture of Boudicca’s revolt. The point is brought out that her initial successs was because the Roman Army was in Anglesey at the time dealing with the Druids.
The campaign and Boudicca’s final battle are well described. The brutalities of the Iceni when they captured Colchester are mentioned, But, bearing in mind that this is for young children, no actual details are given. And at the end there is a good picture of Boudicca’s palace –– simple but given a kind of dignity by its very size.
This story is full of action and moves at a good pace. It has an authentic background and Gareth and Paula really come to life. It could, however, do with some historical notes and maps. But overall it gives a readable account of Boudicca’s revolt for the young.
7-9
This book is set in Roman Britain. While looking after the pigs in the woods Brenig meets, and makes friends with a Roman boy, Marcus. Then one day Brenig is captured by some Roman soldiers. He is set to work building a Roman road, where he is found by Marcus who arranges for him to be taken to his villa where he is to be a house slave. Once there he learns about Christianity. He is given the chance to put his new faith into practise when he forgives another spiteful slave who had tried to cause trouble for him.
An interesting well told story. Suitable for the general reader as well as for the committed Christian.
8+
This book is about 10,000 words long. It is for children of 7-11.
This is the story of Boudicca's struggle against the Romans told from the viewpoint of Andractin, one of her young warriors. The story starts when some Roman soldiers come to the farm of Andractin's father and demand all their weapons, which must now be handed over to Rome. Then Andractin goes to be trained as a warrior. He is present at the sack of Camolodumun (Colchester) and London. He is wounded in the final battle but survives to go back to the family farm and help to build the land again.
All the main points of the story of Boudicca are clearly brought out. Boudicca was helped in the initial stages by the fact that the Roman Army was away in Wales, destroying the stronghold of the Druids on Anglesey. Then her final defeat was partly caused by the fact that her warriors were intent on ravaging Colchester and London when they should have been trying to destroy the Roman legions.
Remembering that this book is intended for very young children Sally Harris has toned down the actual horror of the carnage of the sack of Colchester and London. The nearest she gets to it is,
"Andractin tried to forget that evening when the live bodies of Roman and pro-Roman British women were offered as thankgivings to Andraste, the terrible goddess of victory."
Very wise for this age group.
Sally Harris has carefully researched this book and there is a useful note on Boudicca and the historical sources. Some of the facts are still hidden in the mists of the past and when this is the case Sally Harris has filled in the blanks with an author's imagination.
It would be useful if this book could be read in conjunction with chapter one of The Capricorn Bracelet by Rosemary Sutcliff and Warrior Priests by Hilma Lloyd Edwards.
Son of Rebellion is a short, yet clear and comprehensive fictionalised account of the life of Boudicca for young readers.
8-12
Roman Britain. The twins Clottus and
Twitta live with their parents and servants in a villa near Veralamium.
Clottus' father, Marcellus, wants his son to be able to ride and
the slave Gorjus has been entrusted with this difficult task.
The twins are both fond of Gorjus and get him to tell them of
his earlier life on the plains of Dacia and how he came to be
taken prisoner by the Romans and later sold as a slave. Then the
cattle fall ill and have to be killed. Marcellus says that he
will have to sell Gorjus. Gorjus runs away and the twins are devastated.
In an attempt to cheer them up Marcellus takes them to the circus
in London and the gladiator fights -- where there is a surprise
for them.
The book is illustrated in black and white cartoon sketches on
every page. These little pictures show much detail of the daily
work of a Roman villa.
A note on the back cover says, Laugh at their hilarious adventures
while you learn all about Roman life.
True there are some attempts at humour. The names of the twins
Clottus and Twitta, the attempts of Clottus to ride his horse
when he falls off into a cow pat, or is thrown into the branches
of a tree, and the expressions on the faces of the animals in
the illustrations. But the Roman background is too cruel for this
humour to succeed. When Gorjus goes to tell his master that the
cattle are ill Marcellus tells him that he had better have a good
reason for interrupting or he will have him whipped. And when
he is angry with his son Marcellus points out that as head of
the family he can have Clottus sold, killed or locked up. Finally
there is the idea that a fight to the death between gladiators
is suitable entertainment for young children.
This little book gives much information about Roman Britain but
I have reservations about the attempts at humour.
7-11
The story of Boadiccea is well known. The Queen of the Iceni led a short but successful uprising against the Romans. She marched on Colchester, destroyed it and massacred the inhabitants before marching to London which she left in flames. Of course the success of her campaign was short lived and she herself was defeated by the Romans shortly after the sack of London. Even so it is remarkable that she managed to defy the might of Rome for so long. How did she manage it?
This little book - it is quite short - supplies the answer - and it is very simple. The Roman legions had been called elsewhere and the eastern parts of the country had been left almost defenceless.
In A.D. 43 there was resistance to the Romans from the tribes of North Wales. The mainspring of this resistance came from the Druids of Anglesey and the Governor General of Britain, Suetonius Paulinus, took a large force into North Wales. On his staff was a young tribune of the name of Julius Agricola, the same Julius Agricola who later became Governor General of Britain and who built Agricola's Wall.
This is the general background to Warrior Priests. It tells the story from the point of view of the Welsh Druids.
The central character is Coel, a boy who has just been initiated into the brotherhood of the Druids. While going for an evening swim Coel and some other young Druids come across two strangers trying to land on the island. The strangers are wearing helmets with crests of eagle feathers. They are Romans.
The chief Druid sends out messengers to try and find out where the Roman Army is hiding, but without success. Then the goddesses choose Coel to leave the island. They will lead him to the Eagles' camp.
Coel leaves with another young Druid - Edryd. In a valley deep among the mountains they find the camp of the Romans. Coel is captured leaving Edryd to get back to Anglesey with the vital information. Meanwhile Coel is taken before a young tribune, Gnaeus Julius Agricola who questions him with the help of an interpreter.
The story ends with a detailed description of the attack on Anglesey and the destruction of the sacred oak grove. Then, at the moment of his triumph, Suetonius Paulinus receives news from a messenger that an army of one hundred thousand Britons is on the march in the South. This army is led by Queen Boadiccea of the Iceni and Camulodunum has just been destroyed and twenty thousand people killed. Paulinus has to march east at once.
Among the devastation on Anglesey Coel finds the dying chief Druid who passes his symbolic breastplate to him.
This story is told from the point of view of the Druids but I must confess that I find myself on the other side. The book opens with a description of a druid sacrifice - a human sacrifice. This filled me with such horror and revulsion that for the rest of the book I was definitely on the side of the Romans, even although I well know just how cruel the Romans could be. But the fact that I feel like this also pays tribute to the force and power of the writing of Hilma Lloyd Edwards.
Governor Paulinus and Julius Agricola both play important parts in this book.
This little book (it is only about 12,000 words long) forms a useful and interesting counterbalance to the much better known story of Boadiccea. No one reading it can ever forget the reason WHY Boadiccea was able to flout the Romans for so long.
Just one point. I should have liked some explanatory historical notes.
It would be useful if this book were to be read in conjunction with Rosemary Sutcliff's Song for a Dark Queen and chapter one of The Capricorn Bracelet.
9 +
This is really a long short story. It was first published in 1972.
After the death of their father,(a government official in Egypt), Titus and Lucilla are returning to Rome with their mother. They intend to stay on their grandfather's farm in the mountains.
On the ship they become friendly with a Greek slave, Leontius. They try to help him to escape but the attempt goes wrong when Lucilla falls overboard. Leontius abandons his escape attempt and saves her, thereby earning the gratitude of the whole family. Even so they are unable to help him.
But Leontius gains his freedom because of two factors -- the greed of the captain Zonas and the skill of the young lawyer Felix.
Zonas tries to trick the customs out of the money they are due for Leontius. He steals Titus' toga and puts it on Leontius, so hiding the fact that Leontius is a slave. But Felix points out that according to Roman law, that once a slave has worn the toga he is free. Zonas has to admit defeat.
A delightful little story written around a single point of Roman law.
Despite the length of this little story the characters do come alive. There is responsible Titus, caring and impetuous little Lucilla, surly, greedy and cruel Zonas, and clever and learned Felix.
A little gem.
8-12
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