Arms of Nemesis: A Novel of Ancient RomeMacmillan, 2001 M02 15 - 336 pages It is 72 B.C. and the Spartacus Slave Revolt is raging through the countryside of southern Italy, terrorizing the citizens of Rome, when Gordianus the Finder receives an urgent summons from a mysterious client, calling him to the luxury resort of Baiae on the Bay of Naples. The overseer of a great villa has been killed and all the evidence seems to point to two slaves believed to have since run off to join Spartacus. The master of the house is Marcus Crassus, the richest man in Rome, and he has invoked an ancient Roman law: When slave kills master, justice demands the death of every slave in the household. So in three days, as a part of the funeral games, ninety-nine slaves will be slaughtered in the arena. Crassus has been asking the Senate to grant him a special military command against Spartacus; by decreeing the harshest possible punishment against the remaining slaves, he has turned a potential political embarrassment into a political coup. The truth of the murder is more complicated than it appears; its twisted path leads Gordianus on an extraordinary journey, from a hellish descent into the hold of a Roman slave galley, to an eerie visit to the Cumaen Sibyl, ending at a harrowing gladitorial match. As the hour of the slaughter nears, Gordianus finds himself caught in a web of tantalizing but elusive evidence. But as he begins to discern the solution, he realizes the truth may lead to his own destruction. |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Alexandros Apollonius arms asked atrium Baiae began beneath Bethesda blood boathouse body breath cave cloak Cras Crassus's Cumae dark dead death Dionysius door Eco's Eunus eyes face Faustus Fabius feet fingers funeral Gelina gladiators gods Gordianus Gordianus the Finder guests hand heard horses household Iaia Iaia's killed knew Lake Avernus Lake Lucrinus lamp laughed lips looked Lucius Licinius Lucius's Marcus Crassus Marcus Licinius Crassus Marcus Mummius master Metrobius Misenum mouth murder never night nodded noise nose oars Olympias painting Perhaps pier Pompey pulled Puteoli revolt Roman Rome seemed Sergius Orata shook his head shoulder shrugged Sibyl sighed slaves sleep smell smiled someone Spartacus stared stepped STEVEN SAYLOR stone stood Subura sure sword tell terrace thing thought Thracian told tunic turned villa voice walked wall whispered wine Zeno