|
|
|
3.
|
|
It is Ancient Rome, and Gordianus the Finder has a knack for finding trouble. Stalking about the city's twisting trails looking for clues and finding bodies, Gordianus has had his share of misadventure with nobles and slaves alike. Known to many as the one man in the ancient world who can both keep a secret and uncover one, Gordianus has stories to tell.
...
|
|
6.
|
|
Steven Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series of novels, set in the later Roman Republic and featuring Gordianus the Finder, has garnered unusual acclaim from readers and reviewers alike, establishing him as one of the pre-eminent historical mystery writers. In A Gladiator Dies Only Once, the second collection of his award-winning stories featuring Gordianus, Saylor more than meets his own high standards. Set between the events of his novels Roman Blood and Catilina's Riddle, these previously untold adventures from the early career of Gordianus - when his adopted son, Eco, was still a mute boy and his wife, Bethesda, was but his slave - will delight Saylor's many fans while illuminating details of the ancient world like no other writer can. ...
|
|
7.
|
|
The Roman civil war has come to its conclusion Pompey is dead, Egypt is firmly under the control of Cleopatra (with the help of Rome s legions), and for the first time in many years Julius Caesar has returned to Rome itself. Appointed by the Senate as Dictator, the city abounds with rumors asserting that Caesar wishes to be made King the first such that Rome has had in centuries. And that not all of his opposition has been crushed. Gordianus, recently returned from Egypt with his wife Bethesda, is essentially retired from his previous profession of Finder but even he cannot refuse the call of Calpurnia, Caesar s wife. Troubled by dreams foretelling disaster and fearing a conspiracy against the life of Caesar, she had hired someone to investigate the rumors. But that person, a close friend of Gordianus, has just turned up dead murdered -- on her doorstep. With four successive Triumphs for Caesar s military victories scheduled for the coming days, and Caesar more exposed to danger than ever before, Calpurnia wants Gordianus to uncover the truth behind the rumored conspiracies -- to protect Caesar s life, before it is too late. No fan of Caesar s, Gordianus agrees to help but only to find the murderer who killed his friend. But once an investigation is begun, there's no controlling what it will turn up, who it will put in danger, and where it will end. ...
|
|
8.
|
|
On a chill January evening in 56 B.C., two strange visitors to Rome - an Egyptian ambassador and a eunuch priest - seek out Gordianus the Finder whose specialty is solving murders. But the ambassador, a philosopher named Dio, has come to ask for something Gordianus cannot give - help in staying alive. Before the night is out, he will be murdered. Now Gordianus begins his most dangerous case. Hired to investigate Dio's death by a beautiful woman with a scandalous reputation, he will follow a trail of political intrigue into the highest circles of power and the city's most hidden arenas of debauchery. There Gordianus will learn nothing is as it seems - not the damning evidence he uncovers, not the suspect he sends to trial, not even the real truth behind Dio's death which lies in secrets - not of state, but of the heart. Steven Saylor is the author of the long running series featuring Gordianus the Finder as well as the New York Times bestselling novel, Roma. He has appeared as an on-air expert on Roman history and life on The History Channel. He divides his time between Berkeley, California, and Austin, Texas. On a chill January evening in 56 B.C., two strange visitors to Rome—an Egyptian ambassador and a eunuch priest—seek out Gordianus the Finder whose specialty is solving murders. But the ambassador, a philosopher named Dio, has come to ask for something Gordianus cannot give—help in staying alive. Before the night is out, he will be murdered.
Now Gordianus begins his most dangerous case. Hired to investigate Dio's death by a beautiful woman with a scandalous reputation, he will follow a trail of political intrigue into the highest circles of power and the city's most hidden arenas of debauchery. There Gordianus will learn nothing is as it seems—not the damning evidence he uncovers, not the suspect he sends to trial, not even the real truth behind Dio's death which lies in secrets—not of state, but of the heart. "Imaginative . . . Saylor's style is smooth . . . An absorbing look at a time when men tried to rule themselves wisely and failed."— San Francisco Chronicle"Saylor writes with vision and clarity, balancing sound historical scholarship with a gift for storytelling."— Anniston Star
"Engrossing . . . Intensely dramatic . . . Erotic, funny, compelling . . . A bona fide page-turner."— Detroit Free Press"Steven Saylor transports you to Ancient Rome with spellbinding effectiveness."— Austin Chronicle"Finely etched historical background . . . The finest flower yet of Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series."—Kirkus Reviews
"Engrossing . . . Simmering with eroticism . . . An absorbing brew of Rome's decay."—Publishers Weekly
Table of Contents
CHRONOLOGY
Part One: NEX [death, usually violent death: murder]
Part Two: NOXIA [a fault or offense: a crime]
Part Three: NOX [the goddess Night, sister of Eros; blindness; gloom]
Part Four: NEXUS [a binding or tying together]
AUTHOR'S NOTE ...
|
|
9.
|
|
Torchlight flickers on the elegant marble walls. The sound of a mob echoes in the street. The year is 52 B.C. and the naked body of Publius Clodius is about to be carried through the teaming streets of Rome. Clodius, a rich man turned rabble-rouser, was slain on the most splendid road in the world, the Appian Way. Now Clodius's rival, Milo, is being targeted for revenge and the city teeters on the verge of chaos. An explosive trial will feature the best oration of Cicero and Marc Antony, while Gordianus the Finder has been charged by Pompey the Great himself to look further into the murder. With the Senate House already in ashes, and his own life very much in danger, Gordianus must return to a desrted stretch of the Appian Way - to find the truth that can save a city drunk on power, rent by fear, and filled with the madness and glory of Rome. Steven Saylor is the author of the long running series featuring Gordianus the Finder as well as the New York Times bestselling novel, Roma. He has appeared as an on-air expert on Roman history and life on The History Channel. He divides his time between Berkeley, California, and Austin, Texas. In 52 B.C., Publius Clodius, a Roman patrician turned rabble-rouser, is slain on the most splendid road in the world, the Appian Way. When Clodius's arch rival, Milo, is accused of the crime, the city teeters on the verge of chaos. As Cicero and Marc Antony prepare their orations for the explosive trial to come, Gordianus the Finder is charged by Pompey the Great to take a closer look at the murder. With the Senate House in ashes, and his own life very much in danger, Gordianus must return to a deserted stretch of the Appian Way in search of the truth—a truth that may save, or destroy, a city drunk on power, rent by fear, and filled with the madness and glory that is Rome. "Saylor puts such great detail and tumultuous life into his scenes that the sensation of rubbing elbows with the ancients is quite uncanny."—The New York Times Book Review "Saylor is skilled at spinning a tale out of unlikely historical sources . . . literate, humane, and dramatic."—The Boston Globe "In Steven Saylor's lively imagination, Rome—both glorious and grimy—is revived."—Seattle Times "Really excellent . . . an enthralling re-creation of time and place, fascinating storytelling." —Sir Derek Jacobi
"As always, Saylor sketches the real-life historical background with a masterly hand."—Kirkus Reviews
"Saylor meticulously resurrects ancient Rome, providing another irresistible installment in the continuing chronicles of Gordianus the Finder. . . . Gripping suspense and intrigue superbly supported by a wealth of accurate historical detail."—Booklist
"The suspense never lags as Saylor spins a sophisticated political thriller that also brings his readers up to speed on their Roman history."—Publishers Weekly ...
|
|
10.
|
|
The Roman civil war has come to its conclusion Pompey is dead, Egypt is firmly under the control of Cleopatra (with the help of Rome s legions), and for the first time in many years Julius Caesar has returned to Rome itself. Appointed by the Senate as Dictator, the city abounds with rumors asserting that Caesar wishes to be made King the first such that Rome has had in centuries. And that not all of his opposition has been crushed. Gordianus, recently returned from Egypt with his wife Bethesda, is essentially retired from his previous profession of Finder but even he cannot refuse the call of Calpurnia, Caesar s wife. Troubled by dreams foretelling disaster and fearing a conspiracy against the life of Caesar, she had hired someone to investigate the rumors. But that person, a close friend of Gordianus, has just turned up dead murdered -- on her doorstep. With four successive Triumphs for Caesar s military victories scheduled for the coming days, and Caesar more exposed to danger than ever before, Calpurnia wants Gordianus to uncover the truth behind the rumored conspiracies -- to protect Caesar s life, before it is too late. No fan of Caesar s, Gordianus agrees to help but only to find the murderer who killed his friend. But once an investigation is begun, there's no controlling what it will turn up, who it will put in danger, and where it will end. ...
|
|
11.
|
|
The Roman civil war has come to its conclusion – Pompey is dead, Egypt is firmly under the control of Cleopatra (with the help of Rome’s legions), and for the first time in many years Julius Caesar has returned to Rome itself. Appointed by the Senate as Dictator, the city abounds with rumors asserting that Caesar wishes to be made King – the first such that Rome has had in centuries. And that not all of his opposition has been crushed. Gordianus, recently returned from Egypt with his wife Bethesda, is essentially retired from his previous profession of ‘Finder’ but even he cannot refuse the call of Calpurnia, Caesar’s wife. Troubled by dreams foretelling disaster and fearing a conspiracy against the life of Caesar, she had hired someone to investigate the rumors. But that person, a close friend of Gordianus, has just turned up dead – murdered -- on her doorstep. With four successive Triumphs for Caesar’s military victories scheduled for the coming days, and Caesar more exposed to danger than ever before, Calpurnia wants Gordianus to uncover the truth behind the rumored conspiracies -- to protect Caesar’s life, before it is too late. No fan of Caesar’s, Gordianus agrees to help – but only to find the murderer who killed his friend. But once an investigation is begun, there's no controlling what it will turn up, who it will put in danger, and where it will end. ...
|
|
12.
|
|
In the year 48 B.C., Rome is in the midst of Civil War. As Pompey and Julius Caesar fight for control of the Republic, Rome itself becomes a hotbed of intrigue, riven by espionage, greedy profiteering, and bitter betrayals...
A MIST OF PROPHECIES
A beautiful young seeress staggers across the Roman marketplace and dies in the arms of Gordianus the Finder. Possibly mad and claiming no memory of her past, Cassandra--like her Trojan namesake-was reputed to possess the gift of prophecy. For such a gift there are many in Rome who would pay handsomely...or resort to murder.
Obsessed with Cassandra and her mystery, Gordianus begins to investigate her murder. As he gradually peels away the veils of secrecy that surround Cassandra's life and death, he discovers a web of conspiracy linking many of the city's most ruthless and powerful women. Now Gordianus's pursuit of the truth not only endangers his own life, but could change the future of Rome itself. . .
...
|
|
13.
|
|
As Caesar marches on Rome and panic erupts in the city, Gordianus the Finder discovers, in his own home, the body of Pompey's favorite cousin.Before fleeing the city, Pompey exacts a terrible bargain from the finder of secrets-to unearth the killer, or sacrifice his own son-in-law to service in Pompey's legions, and certain death. Amid the city's sordid underbelly, Gordianus learns that the murdered man was a dangerous spy.Now, as he follows a trail of intrigue, betrayal, and ferocious battles on land and sea, the Finder is caught between the chaos of war and the terrible truth he must finally reveal.AUTHORBIO: STEVEN SAYLOR has had a lifelong fascination with Rome, beginning with the drive-in movies of his boyhood (Cleopatra, Spartacus, Ben Hur), on to his degree in history from the University of Texas, and through his appearances on the History Channel as an expert on Roman politics and life.He is the author of seven volumes in the Roma Sub Rosa series featuring Gordianus the Finder.He splits his time between homes in Austin, Texas, and Berkeley, California....
|
|
14.
|
|
Spanning a thousand years, and following the shifting fortunes of two families though the ages, this is the epic saga of Rome, the city and its people.
Weaving history, legend, and new archaeological discoveries into a spellbinding narrative, critically acclaimed novelist Steven Saylor gives new life to the drama of the city’s first thousand years — from the founding of the city by the ill-fated twins Romulus and Remus, through Rome’s astonishing ascent to become the capitol of the most powerful empire in history. Roma recounts the tragedy of the hero-traitor Coriolanus, the capture of the city by the Gauls, the invasion of Hannibal, the bitter political struggles of the patricians and plebeians, and the ultimate death of Rome’s republic with the triumph, and assassination, of Julius Caesar.
Witnessing this history, and sometimes playing key roles, are the descendents of two of Rome’s first families, the Potitius and Pinarius clans: One is the confidant of Romulus. One is born a slave and tempts a Vestal virgin to break her vows. One becomes a mass murderer. And one becomes the heir of Julius Caesar. Linking the generations is a
mysterious talisman as ancient as the city itself.
Epic in every sense of the word, Roma is a panoramic historical saga and Saylor’s finest achievement to date. ...
|
|
15.
|
|
Torchlight flickers on elegant marble walls. The sound of a mob echoes in the street. The year is 52 B.C. and the naked body of Publius Clodius is about to be carried through the teeming streets of Rome. Clodius, a rich man turned rabble-rouser, was slain on the most splendid road in the world, the Appian Way. Now Clodius's rival, Milo, is being targeted for revenge, and the city teeters on the verge of chaos.
An explosive trail will feature the best oration of Cicero and Marc Anthony, while Gordianus the Finder has been charged by Pompey the Great himself to look further into the murder. With the Senate House already in ashes, and his own life very much in danger, Gordianus must return to a deserted stretch of the Appian Way—to find the truth that can save a city filled with the madness and glory.
...
|
|
16.
|
|
It is Ancient Rome, and Gordianus the Finder has a knack for finding trouble. Known to many as the one man in the ancient world who can both keep a secret and uncover one, Gordianus lays bare some of his most intriguing and compelling adventures. The House of the Vestals collects nine of the award-winning stories of Gordianus the Finder by critically acclaimed, bestselling author Steven Saylor. Filling in some of the gaps between novels, this delightful collection of unique and unforgetable mysteries is Saylor at his finest - revealing the intrigues in the secret history of Rome. ...
|
|
17.
|
|
The Roman civil war has come to its conclusion – Pompey is dead, Egypt is firmly under the control of Cleopatra (with the help of Rome’s legions), and for the first time in many years Julius Caesar has returned to Rome itself. Appointed by the Senate as Dictator, the city abounds with rumors asserting that Caesar wishes to be made King – the first such that Rome has had in centuries. And that not all of his opposition has been crushed. Gordianus, recently returned from Egypt with his wife Bethesda, is essentially retired from his previous profession of ‘Finder’ but even he cannot refuse the call of Calpurnia, Caesar’s wife. Troubled by dreams foretelling disaster and fearing a conspiracy against the life of Caesar, she had hired someone to investigate the rumors. But that person, a close friend of Gordianus, has just turned up dead – murdered -- on her doorstep. With four successive Triumphs for Caesar’s military victories scheduled for the coming days, and Caesar more exposed to danger than ever before, Calpurnia wants Gordianus to uncover the truth behind the rumored conspiracies -- to protect Caesar’s life, before it is too late. No fan of Caesar’s, Gordianus agrees to help – but only to find the murderer who killed his friend. But once an investigation is begun, there's no controlling what it will turn up, who it will put in danger, and where it will end. ...
|
|
18.
|
|
"Saylor rivals Robert Graves in his knack for making the classical world come alive." --(ortland) Oregonian "Engrossing...Ironic and satisfying." -- San Francisco Chronicle The third in Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa novels featuring Gordianus the Finder. Gordianus, disillusioned by the corruption of Rome circa 63 B.C., has fled the city with his family to live on a farm in the Etruscan countryside. But this bucolic life is disrupted by the machinations and murderous plots of two politicians: Roman consul Cicero, Gordianus's longtime patron, and populist senator Catilina, Cicero's political rival and a candidate to replace him in the annual elections for consul. Claiming that Catilina plans an uprising if he loses the race, Cicero asks Gordianus to keep a watchful eye on the radical. Although he distrusts both men, Gordianus is forced into the center of the power struggle when his six-year-old daughter Diana finds a headless corpse in their stable. Shrewdly depicting deadly political maneuverings, this addictive mystery also displays the author's firm grasp of history and human character. On first publication back in 1994, Catilina's Riddle was a finalist for the Hammet Award. ...
|
|
20.
|
|
The hideously disfigured body of Lucius Licinius was found in the atrium. The only clues are a blood-soaked cloak, and, carved into the stone at the corpse's feet, the word Sparta...For Gordianus the Finder, summoned from Rome to a luxury resort on the Bay of Naples, the case is agonizing. The overseer of Marcus Crassus's estate has been murdered, apparently by two slaves bent on joining Spartacus's revolt. The wealthy, powerful Crassus vows to honor an ancient law and kill his ninety-nine remaining slaves in retaliation. From the brutal stench of a slave galley to the limpid, sea-glazed beauty of Baiae and the sulphurous pits of the Sybil at Cumae, Giordanus draws closer to the terrifying truth. Enmeshed in a world of desperate slaves and duplicitous masters, extravagant feasts and sordid secrets, he must risk all he loves, including his life, to stop a senseless slaughter-and save the very future of Rome itself.AUTHORBIO: STEVEN SAYLOR is the author of eight books in the Roma Sub Rosa featuring Gordianus the Finder, most recently Roman Blood.He divides his time between homes in Austin, Texas, and Berkeley, California....
|
|
21.
|
|
In 48 B.C., Roman generals Caesar and Pompey have long engaged in a battle to rule the world. Now, as Pompey plots a reckless stand on the banks of the Nile, Gordianus the Finder-who has brought his wife Bethesda to the river seeking a cure for her in its sacred waters-finds himself suddenly at the heart of a series of treacherous and history-altering events.
While Caesar and Cleopatra embark on a legendary romance, Egypt remains ravaged by the brutal contest between the Queen and her brother King Ptolemy. Worst of all for Gordianus, his once-disowned son and Caesar's right-hand man, stands falsely accused of murder. Caesar's judgment will decide Meto's fate, and it is up to Gordianus to somehow overcome colossal malevolent forces to reveal the carefully obscured truth and spare his son's life.
...
|
|
22.
|
|
'Saylor evokes the ancient world more convincingly than any other writer of his generation.'-The Sunday Times (London) on The Judgment of Caesar Steven Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series of novels, set in the later Roman Republic and featuring Gordianus the Finder, has garnered unusual acclaim from readers and reviewers alike, establishing him as one of the pre-eminent historical mystery writers. In A Gladiator Dies Only Once, the second collection of his award-winning Gordianus stories, Saylor more than meets the high standards of his previous work. Set mainly in the seventeen years between the events of his first novel, Roman Blood, and his third, Catilina's Riddle, these tales will delight his many fans while relating previously untold adventures of Gordianus' early career....
|
|
23.
|
|
Once again, Steven Saylor creates a marvelous novel of Roman life, rich with the bloody pageantry of war, the heartaches, lusts, and passions of a vivid cast of characters, and the sinister intrigues of politics, when one man's private sorrow sweeps him into a world of gaudy excess...and danger...In the city of Massilia (modern day Marseilles), on the coast of Southern Gaul, Gordianus the Finder's beloved son Meto has disappeared-branded as a traitor to Caesar and apparently dead. Consumed with grief, Gordianus arrives in the city in the midst of a raging civil war, hoping to discover what happened to his son. But when he witnesses the fall of a young woman from a precipice called Sacrifice Rock, he becomes entangled in discovering the truth-did she fall or was she pushed? And where, in all of this, could it be connected to his missing son? Drawn into the city's treacherous depths, where nothing and no one are what they seem, Gordianus must summon all of his skills to discover his son's fate-and to safeguard his own life.AUTHORBIO: Steven Saylor has had a lifelong fascination with Rome, beginning with the drive-in movies of his boyhood (Cleopatra, Spartacus, Ben Hur), on to his degree in history from the University of Texas, and through his appearances on the History Channel as an expert on Roman politics and life. He is the author of eight volumes in the Roma Sub Rosa series featuring Gordianus the Finder. He splits his time between homes in Austin, Texas, and Berkeley, California....
|
|
