Probus: Or Rome In The Third Century, In Letters Of Lucius M. Piso From Rome

by William Ware

Or Rome In The Third Century, In Letters Of Lucius M. Piso From Rome, To Fausta The Daughter Of Gracchus, At Palmyra by William Ware. This epistolary historical novel is framed by Nichomachus, the former servant of Zenobia, who binds together a sequence of letters from Lucius Manlius Piso written from Rome and Palmyra to Fausta, daughter of Gracchus. Through Piso’s correspondence we follow the political and religious ferment of the empire during the late third century, including the rise of Christianity and its collision with pagan and imperial authority. Piso’s letters, and the surrounding scenes in Rome, Palmyra, and the palace of Aurelian, illuminate key figures of the era—Livia, Julia, Portia, Probus, Fronto, and Demetrius of Palmyra—as they navigate faith, power, and reform. The narrative interweaves personal tale, philosophical debate, and historical event, presenting a panoramic meditation on empire, religion, and human virtue in a pivotal era.

277 pages, Paperback

Published August 12, 2021