Probus: Or, Rome In The Third Century

by William Ware

Or, Rome In The Third Century by William Ware. This historical-epistolary novel narrates Lucius Piso's letters from Rome and Palmyra, recorded by Nichomachus the chronicler, and displays the rise of Christianity within the Roman Empire during Zenobia's Palmyrene era and Emperor Aurelian's reign. Through Piso's first-person accounts to Fausta, daughter of Gracchus, readers encounter Christian and pagan dialogues, the statues in Piso's library—Moses and Christ—and the shifting politics of Palmyra, Rome, and the imperial court. The letters trace personal conflicts between Christianity and the old Roman religion as representations such as Probus (the Christian teacher) and Fronto (the chief priest) argue over truth, liberty, and the role of religion in state power. The novel interweaves intimate family scenes with public spectacles, such as the Temple of the Sun dedication and the violence surrounding Christian communities, offering a meditation on faith, history, and human virtue in a collapsing empire. Volume I introduces Aurelia, Livia, Zenobia, and Macer, establishing the chiaroscuro of faith and power.

Kindle Edition

Published May 7, 2018