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Civil war looms between the forces of Julius Caesar and Pompey, providing an ominous background for Roberts's compelling 12th Roman historical to feature Decius Caecilius Metellus (after 2007's SPQR XI: Under Vesuvius). Recently raised to the post of praetor peregrinus, Metellus is enjoying traveling outside Rome hearing cases involving foreigners, but he gets an unexpected shock at the Oracle of the Dead near the southern Italian town of Baiae. The corpse of Eugaeon, a priest of Apollo, surfaces in the rushing stream of water inside the oracle's temple. Oddly, Eugaeon's body shows no sign of violence but is completely hairless. After the priest's missing colleagues, initially the prime suspects, also turn up dead, the astute sleuth comes to believe that these current killings are but the latest of many. Metellus puts his own life at risk in an exciting case that engages the attention of Pompey himself. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Magistrate Decius Cacilius Metellus is in southern Italy, trying to stay out of the impending conflict between Pompey and Julius Caesar. On a visit to Hecate's Oracle of the Dead, his wife finds the body of a priest of Apollo whose temple is right next to the Oracle. Roberts's 12th Roman mystery is a believable story of murder, greed, and the political nimbleness necessary to stay alive in ancient Rome. Sure to appeal to readers of Lindsay Davis and Albert A. Bell.
Anonymous
Posted October 1, 2008
As much as Decius Metellus loves Rome, he is glad to be a praetor traveling all over the Italian Peninsular hearing cases involving foreigners. It is not a great time in Rome with Caesar and the Senate in a deadlock in which civil war threatens to erupt if the former crosses the Rubicon. If he does the Senate will send Pompey to fight him, but Decius knows Caesar¿s legions are battle tested in Gaul while Pompey¿s has not fought in years. Decius is setting up court in Baiae, but quickly learns the town is not removed from the strife. He and his traveling companions including his wife want to visit the Oracle of the Dead, a site dedicated to Hecate but beneath the Temple of Apollo. Supporters of both are feuding. After traveling through a tunnel to get to the underground river where the Oracle makes pronouncements, one of the Apollo priests is found dead five more priests are also found dead. Decius wonders how they were killed because he followed them through the tunnels and never heard any deadly sounds. The city is outraged and demands Decius find the culprit he agrees since someone wants him dead too. ___ John Maddox Roberts makes Ancient Rome come to life enabling readers to believe they are accompanying Decius on his travels. This allows the audience to understand how people feel about the Caesar-Senate confrontation. Decius represents many folks who believe if Caesar seizes power he will execute employees and supporters (Decius¿ family backs Pompey) of the current. The SPQR saga is one of the consistently best historical mystery series with number XII another winner. ___ Harriet Klausner
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 28, 2012
Okay
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Posted January 22, 2012
I wish to speak with them.
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Posted January 22, 2012
*laughs* ahhh... well then... I have nothing further to say to that :)
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Posted January 20, 2012
Yeah. Sure. Michael: i can tell ou who Kyle likes here too!!! Kyle/Austin: *lunges for Michaels neck* Michael: not like its a big secret or anything.... :) Kiera: *rolls eyes*
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Posted January 23, 2012
For the hottest.
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Posted January 20, 2012
Go to the eighth result dumba**. And go to moonstone fourth result. Deadheart is waiting.
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Posted January 22, 2012
This is fasinating
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Posted January 20, 2012
Go to your dragon cave
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Posted January 21, 2012
Kicks Atlanta out of Gabe's bunk.
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Posted October 23, 2011
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Overview
Decius Caecilius Metellus, this year's magistrate for cases involving foreigners, is living the good life in southern Italy, happy to be away from Rome, a city suffering war jitters over Caesar's impending actions. He thinks he is merely visiting one of the local sights when he takes a party to visit the Oracle of the Dead, a pre-Roman cult site located at the end of a tunnel dug beneath a temple of Apollo. He quickly learns that there is a bitter rivalry between the priests of Apollo and those of Hecate, who guard the oracle.
When the priests of Apollo are all killed, the countryside looks to explode in violence as Greeks, Romans and native Italians of...