SPQR series

The SPQR series is a collection of historical mystery stories by John Maddox Roberts, published between 1990 and 2010, and set in the time of the Roman Republic. SPQR (the original title of the first book, until the sequels came out) is a Latin initialism for Senatus Populusque Romanus ("The Roman Senate and People"), the official name of the Republic.

The stories are told in first-person form by Senator Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger (born c 91-95 BC), nephew of Metellus Pius and member of the powerful Caecilius Metellus family of the Roman Senate. The stories are told in flashback-form by the old Decius, writing during the reign of Augustus Caesar. The stories range from 70 BC (The King's Gambit) to 20 BC ("The King of Sacrifices").

Decius' companions include his slaves Cato, Cassandra, and Hermes; his friends, the Greek gladiatoral physician Asklepiodes and the gangster/politician Titus Annius Milo; and his staunch enemies, the siblings Clodia and Clodius. Along the way, he is often helped by his father, as well as by Cicero and a young Julius Caesar. In later books, Decius is betrothed and then married to the (fictional) niece of Caesar, Julia Caesaris. The dates are all listed at the end of each book in the ab urbe condita calendar system.

Currently, a German company is planning to adapt the series for TV.[1][2]

Novels

  1. The King's Gambit: In 70 BC, Decius uncovers a plot to subvert Lucullus' army in the war against Mithridates[3]
  2. The Catiline Conspiracy (63–62 BC): Decius uncovers Catiline's plot to overthrow the Republic.[4]
  3. The Sacrilege (62–61 BC): Decius investigates Clodius's desecration of the Bona Dea rites.[5]
  4. The Temple of the Muses (60 BC): While visiting Alexandria, Decius investigates the murder of a philosopher at its famous library.[6]
  5. Saturnalia (59 BC): Decius investigates the murder of his kinsman Metellus Celer.[7]
  6. Nobody Loves a Centurion (58 BC): Decius investigates the murder of a centurion of the 10th Legion at the start of the Gallic Wars.[8]
  7. The Tribune's Curse (55 BC): Decius investigates the murder of a tribune who curses Crassus on his way to Parthia.[9]
  8. The River God's Vengeance (53 BC): Decius investigates a collapsed insula, uncovering systematic fraud in the construction trade.[10]
  9. The Princess and the Pirates (51 BC): Decius investigates the murder of his host, the Roman governor of Cyprus, while on the island to deal with an upsurge in piracy. The eponymous princess is the young Cleopatra VII of Egypt.[11]
  10. A Point of Law (51–50 BC): While running for election to the office of praetor, Decius must deal with accusations that he murdered a man who had threatened to denounce him for actions he took while on Cyprus the previous year.
  11. Under Vesuvius: In 50 BC, while touring Campania as praetor peregrinus, Decius investigates a murder near Mount Vesuvius.[12]
  12. Oracle of the Dead (50 BC). As praetor peregrinus, Decius investigates the murders of a group of priests of Apollo during the period just before Caesar crosses the Rubicon.[13]
  13. The Year of Confusion (46–45 BC): During Caesar's dictatorship, Decius is commissioned to oversee the adoption of Caesar's new calendar, and investigates the murders of several astronomers who developed it.[14]
  14. Dolabella (forthcoming)

Short Stories

The series also includes the following short stories, in chronological order:

Roberts also wrote a short story, "The Mountain Wolves", which is also set in ancient Rome, but is not part of the SPQR series.[23]

Chronology

The above dates are approximate because there is contradictory information within the texts.

See also

References

  1. ↑ .
  2. ↑ .
  3. ↑ Originally published as SPQR; ISBN 0-312-27705-9
  4. ↑ ISBN 0-312-27706-7
  5. ↑ ISBN 0-312-24697-8
  6. ↑ ISBN 0-312-24698-6
  7. ↑ ISBN 0-312-32018-3
  8. ↑ ISBN 0-312-32019-1
  9. ↑ ISBN 0-312-30488-9
  10. ↑ ISBN 0-312-32319-0
  11. ↑ ISBN 0-312-33723-X
  12. ↑ Published as Mord am Vesuv in Germany in 2001, and in English in December 2007; ISBN 978-0-312-37088-6
  13. ↑ Published as Das Orakel des Todes in Germany in October 2005, and in English in December 2008; ISBN 0-312-38093-3
  14. ↑ Published in Germany in January 2009, and in English in February 2010; ISBN 978-0-312-59507-4
  15. ↑ Published in Classical Whodunnits (1996), edited by Mike Ashley, ISBN 0-7867-0418-7.
  16. ↑ Published in The Mammoth Book of Historical Whodunnits (1993), edited by Mike Ashley, ISBN 1-84119-373-9.
  17. ↑ Published in Crime Through Time II (1998), collected by Miriam Grace Monfredo & Sharan Newman, ISBN 0-425-16410-1.
  18. ↑ Published in Past Poisons (1998), edited by Maxim Jakubowski, ISBN 0-7472-7501-7.
  19. ↑ Published in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, July/August 2001, pg. 36
  20. ↑ Published in Down These Strange Streets (2011), edited by George R.R. Martin & Gardner Dozois.
  21. ↑ Published in The Mammoth Book of Roman Whodunnits (2003), edited by Mike Ashley, ISBN 0-7867-1241-4.
  22. ↑ Published in The Mammoth Book of Historical Detectives (1995) edited by Mike Ashley, ISBN 0-7867-0214-1.
  23. ↑ Published in Classical Stories: Heroic Tales from Ancient Greece and Rome (1996), edited by Mike Ashley, ISBN 1-85487-812-3.
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