Jonathan ben Mordecai
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| Jonathan ben Mordecai | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | The Thieves of Ostia |
| Last appearance | Ongoing |
| Statistics | |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 11-12 |
| Family | Mordecai ben Ezrah (father) Susannah daughter of Jonah (mother) Miriam daughter of Mordecai (sister) Simeon ben Jonah(uncle) deceased Gaius Geminus (brother-in-law) Marcus Geminus (brother-in-law) |
Jonathan ben Mordecai is a fictional character in the popular series of children's books, The Roman Mysteries, written by Caroline Lawrence.
[edit] History
Jonathan ben Mordecai, son of Jewish doctor Mordecai ben Ezrah and beauty Susannah daughter of Jonah was born in Jerusalem, AD 68. During the Siege of Jerusalem in which the Holy Temple was burnt to the ground, Jonathan was seperated from his beloved mother, and he, alongside his father and sister (Miriam) believed her to be dead. He met his neighbour Flavia Gemina when he saved her life from a group of wild dogs and the two became firm friends. Later, he befriended Flavia's African slave, Nubia and mute beggar boy, Lupus who completed the group of detectives. He began a romantic relationship with another of his friends, Polla Pulchra during The Sirens of Surrentum, despite kissing Flavia earlier in the same book.
[edit] Relationship with Pulchra
Jonathan first met Pulchra in The Pirates of Pompeii where he, Flavia, Nubia and Lupus stayed with her father, Publius Pollius Felix in his beautiful villa, the Villa Limona. Pulchra took an immediate liking to Jonathan, and though initially uncomfortable around her, stood up for her suprisingly when Flavia bad-mouthed her. During his stay, she gave him a priceless ruby. Later, on Jonathan's birthday, Pulchra sent him a bottle of lemon perfume, as valuable as the ruby, which he clumsily dropped and smashed. In the Sirens of Surrentum, Pulchra tries to console him after he burns down Rome,(below) the two kiss for the first time.
[edit] The Burning of Rome
In an attempt to show Mordecai that Sussannah is still alive he is banished from Rome by the Emperor Titus, himself a suitor to Susannah. As he runs from the city, he is mugged by a group of boys and healed by fellow Jew, Antheus. Antheus however, is a traitor and plots to destroy Rome. Jonathan succesfully kills Antheus but is unable to stop the flames. Believing that he has killed his mother and friends, Jonathan signs up as a gladiator and attempts to start a new life. He is, however, rescued by his friends who, until recently, believed he was dead. He learns that his mother is alive and living with his father and sister. His dream fullfilled, Jonathan goes back to a normal life. If his life can be called normal...
