The House of the Vestals - Tapa blanda

"Ingenious . . . Saylor offers rich history with great imagination."--"Seattle Times " "Entertainment of the first order."--"The Washington Post Book World" "Saylor's fluid and probing characterization work as effectively in the short story as they have in his admirable Gordianus novels"--"Publishers Weekly " "This collection of short stories . . . shows how a fine hand at historical research can enliven the most traditional and well-titled of genres . . . Gordianus himself is a compelling character."--"The Herald (SC)" "Three groups of readers will find these stories irresistible: history buffs who appreciate Saylor's careful research into Roman politics and Roman mores; fans of his novels who want to find out how the [Finder] first became Lucius Claudius' friend, or how he acquired his faithful slave Belbo; and anyone who enjoys leisurely, literate storytelling."--"Kirkus Reviews" "Saylor serves up a collection of short stories designed to fill in some of the gaps that have piqued the curiosity of devoted fans of his popular Roma Sub Rosa series. Set between the years 80 and 72 B.C., these nine tales document some of the early adventures of Gordianus the Finder. During the course of these cases, Gordianus establishes firm and tender relationships with Eco, his adopted son; Bethesda, his Jewish-Egyptian concubine; Belbo, his loyal manservant and bodyguard; and Lucius Claudius, his generous patron. While each brief mystery presented is a gem in and of itself, readers will delight in the informational overview provided by the collection as a whole. As usual, Saylor does a superb job of seamlessly incorporating the tumultuous history of the Roman Republic into the narrative flow. A welcome addition to the ever fascinating chronicles of Gordianus the Finder."--"Booklist"

These tales tell the story of Gordianus's adopted son Eco's childhood, Gordianus's relationship with Bethesda (first his slave and now his wife), Bethesda's own background, and, perhaps most important, the history of Rome from the end of Sulla's dictatorship up until the time of the Spartacan slave revolt.