The Assassins of Rome

The Roman Mysteries #4

by Caroline Lawrence

Jonathan goes on a secret quest to Rome, and Flavia, Nubia and Lupus set out to find him. Their dangerous mission takes them to the Golden House of Nero where a deadly assassin is rumoured to be at work - and they learn what happened to Jonathan's family during the terrible destruction of Jerusalem nine years earlier.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Historical, Childrens, Middle Grade, Young Adult

209 pages, Paperback

First published October 17, 2002

About the author

Caroline Lawrence won a scholarship to Cambridge to read Classical Archaeology, then did a degree in Hebrew and Jewish studies at University College London. She now lives in London with her English husband and teaches Latin, Greek, Hebrew, Art and French to children.

Series:
* Roman Mysteries
Western Mysteries

Reviews

[Len · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unusually moving volume in the Roman Mysteries series. It certainly does not qualify as an example of the Enid Blyton school of middle grade adventures. Sometimes the exploits of Flavia, Jonathan, Nubia, Lupus and anyone of a number of dogs are remarkably like the Famous Five in togas.

In this story Jonathan, the son of the Jewish doctor Mordecai ben Ezra, is given reason to believe his mother did not die during the Roman occupation of Jerusalem. In fact, she may be alive and well and in Rome as part of a group of Jewish slaves housed in Nero's disused Golden House and brought to Rome by the Emperor Titus. The Golden House was actually a huge palace built on one of the Hills of Rome to satisfy Nero's extravagant demands for luxury.

The news is brought by Jonathan's uncle Simeon who, the Romans believe, is part of a trio of assassins arrived from Judaea to target Titus in revenge for the sack of the Temple in Jerusalem. But is he? And is the assassins' target really Titus? Jonathan sets off with Simeon to travel to Rome and find the answers - some of which are not what he has hoped for.

As with all the Roman Mysteries the author fills the story with facts about Roman life, history and culture, most of them worked artfully into the text without slowing down the adventure as Flavia and the others chase after their friend and are plunged into mystery and danger. However, at only 198 pages - in the hardback edition - everything becomes a little crushed into the space provided. The author could have given herself more room to show the wonder the children would have experienced when entering what was then the greatest city in the Western world. The Colosseum, the Flavian Amphitheatre, alone would surely have struck them in the way New York's skyscrapers amazed European immigrants centuries later, and the size and bustle of the place - so many people, so much activity, so much noise - would have blown them sideways.

Never mind. The story is a very satisfying one. Much more than a kids' historical adventure, it brings Jonathan's emotional turmoil to the fore, and it is his challenge to face growing up when confronted with his hopes and dreams being pushed to one side, that makes the story become a novel worth reading for more than excitement or thrills. I recommend it.

[Ashley Publius · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tells the story of a troubled Jewish boy named Jonathon, who is on the search for his mother with the help of his Uncle Simeon, a secret assassin. Due to Simeon’s arrival, Jonathon’s father is arrested for hiding an assassin, while Simeon and Jonathon escape to Rome. Flavia, who is a bright girl, goes after him with her freed slave, Nubia and meets up with Lupus and Aristo to eventually find Jonathon and return to Ostia. All in all, I liked this book because it mixed in the history of Rome, like how the city looked and what kind of events went on in the arena, with an exciting plot that kept me reading.

[Priscilla Publius · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Roman Mysteries: The Assassins of Rome was a thrilling novel that followed the lives of Jonathan, an obedient, but sensitive 11-year-old, and his friends Flavia, Nubia, and Lupus. After celebrating Jonathan’s birthday, the friends quickly realize that they are about to endure a great adventure when news comes that an assassin is set out to kill Jonathan’s father. As it turns out, the “assassin” is really Jonathan’s Uncle Simeon, and as events unfold, Jonathan tags along on an adventure with Simeon. Flavia, Nubia, and Lupus end up following Jonathan to protect him, and discover, to their disadvantage, that they will not be able to find him so easily, in the great city of Rome. This story kept me hooked the entire time, with suspenseful cliffhangers at the close of chapters, and plot twists that kept me guessing until the final page. Once you pick up this book, it will be difficult to put down! Although it does require some prior knowledge from the previous novels, Caroline Lawrence, the author, did an excellent job of summarizing any important details necessary to the reader’s comprehension of the book. The characters all brought their own perspective to the story, for example, Flavia's confidence and daring leadership helped lead the group to finding Jonathan. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this fun, easy-to-read historical fiction story, not only due to the action and suspense, but because I became attached to the characters that were only slightly younger than I am!

[Catalina Publius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katelynn Branciforte 3/26/12
Publius



In The Assassins of Rome, by Caroline Lawrence, Jonathan and his Uncle Simeon escape to Rome to find Jonathan’s mother/ Simeon’s sister. Jonathan is a determined, secretive, and adventurous character. Flavia and Nubia go into Rome in a truck full of oranges to help find Jonathan. Flavia is a fun, serious, and determined girl. Meanwhile, Aristo and Lupus are on their way to Rome and bring the things that Mordaccari needs in jail. What Jonathan doesn’t know is that he is traveling Rome with an assassin, who was assigned to murder his mother along with two other men. In the end Jonathan’s mother chooses to stay with her love, Titus, while, Flavia, Nubia, Aristo, Lupus, and Jonathan return back to Ostia. This book was exiting and was a page turner. I loved reading it and would love to read the other books in the series.

[Jessica DeWitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gotta love a children's series where the back cover says that this book is "the darkest yet" in the series. I see a lot of hand-wringing in the comments about 'adult themes' in these books, but I think it is brilliant to treat children with the level of respect that assumes that they can handle learning about the darker sides of life and the complexities of adulthood. Anyways, another good one from Lawrence.

[Joy Pixley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun installment of the Roman Mystery series. This book strays even farther away from the "solving a mystery" idea and instead, again, deals with learning old family secrets, but that's fine. I like that we focus on Jonathan this time and on his quest to find out what happened to his mother. I like the mysterious appearance of his uncle, who may or may not be one of the assassins of the title. And I especially liked going on an adventure to Rome and learning so much about that city and Caesar Titus. For some reason the foods really stood out to me this time (so much so that I bought a cookbook with ancient Roman recipes). I liked how courageous Flavia was, if also headstrong, heading off to save her friend without waiting for her tutor to get back (because he definitely would not have given permission, she was right about that!). The tension felt higher in this book than in the first two, excitingly so: at one point it seemed as though everything had gone as wrong as it could, and I despaired for a happy ending! It's not really a spoiler to hint that our intrepid little heroes were able to pull through. Although what the ending told us about Jonathan's mother was pretty depressing—much worse, emotionally speaking, than what I was fearing the ending would be, and an odd lesson to learn for a children's book.

Overall, it's adventurous and educational, with a good balance between action scenes and emotional reactions. It can be read as a standalone, but I would recommend reading the earlier books first, for better context.

[Samar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about 4 friends named Flavia, Nubia, Lupus and Jonathan who all are detectives that are always looking for a mystery. In Ostia Jonathan having his birthday but then a visitor from the past came up to see Jonathan. The next day the visitor disappear and Jonathan too. The best part about the book was when Jonathan found out that his uncle the visitor from the past was the assassin hired to kill Jonathan smother who he hasn’t seen in many years and thought was dead. Another interesting part was when Flavia took a tambourine from the magician and threw it at one of the assassins then hit the other one with the drum stick and then they both died. I recommend this book because it’s so mysterious and it’s really really annoying because it has so many cliff hangars that my head usually wants to burst out. But I’m not saying that a bad thing I’m saying it’s a good thing as well.

[Roman Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was about a group of children who are friends and they live in Ostia but when Jonathan gets confused that there are some assassins in Rome trying to kill Jonathan's mum then it’s up to him to save her. I loved this book because it doesn’t make you bored and there are some bits which make you think how the flip. The best character from the book was Jonathan in my opinion because he was driven and he was talked about the most because somewhere in the middle of the book everyone gets split up into 3 sections and the author is talking about them and then going to the other 2 sections.

[Emilija · Rating 2 out of 5]

2023 52 Book Challenge - 7) A City or Country Name in the Title

I don't think this book is as good as the rest in the series. Maybe it's because Jonathan isn't one of my favourite characters, but I just found the book to be really flat. Flavia, Nubia and Lupus's parts in the book might as well not be there for as good as they were to the plot.

I also didn't feel for Susannah. I thought her reason for abandoning her family was weak, and then her continued reason was poor. Considering that she was the entire point of the book, I didn't really connect with this one.

[Hattie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another thrilling instalment, including a dramatic climax where Flavia kills an assassin using her tambourine as a discus.
The story is bringing in more and more real historical figures and events, which is nice.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series remains the best thing ever.

[Eleanor Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mysterious Roman Drama


Quote from p.1 “ Jonathan, in the past month you’ve survived a volcanic eruption, a coma and a capture by pirates. But now your safe home and it’s a beautiful day. What could possibly go wrong.”

The Assassins Of Rome by Caroline Lawrence is historical fiction book set in the Roman period. The Assassins Of Rome is the 4th book in the “Roman Mystery” series, there are 17 books in total. Caroline Lawrence is a writer, who studied Classical Archeology at Cambridge University and Hebrew Studies at London University.

Four friends live in to adjoining houses. A relative arrives unexpectedly one day, but the next day two of the party have disappeared. The rest of the friends are determined to find them and their quest leads them to a place where a deadly assassin might be at work.

There are four main characters. Flavia, is a Roman girl whose father is a sea captain and is often away. Nubia, an African slave girl, was bought by Flavia and then given her freedom in a previous book. Jonathan, a Christian and Jewish boy, lives next door to Flavia with his father. Finally Lupus, a mute beggar boy, was found by the other three friends and helps them solve mysteries.

In this story, the character I relate to most is Flavia, because she is curious and enjoys solving problems. Despite the obstacles that try to stop them, she is determined to succeed in finding her friend Jonathan. All of the characters are interesting because they have different backgrounds that make them unique and give different perspectives.

You can’t judge a book by its cover and in this book people aren’t always what they seem. For example, Jonathan, when he first sees the person who will help him most, screams. One aspect of the story that I think about, having finished the story, is how Mordeccai, Jonathan‘s father, is put in prison for, “harboring a known assassin” who was actually his wife’s brother, and the risk Mordeccai was taking in associating with him.

The book is set in September 79 AD. It is set in the real past although some characters are fictional. The Emperor and others significant people and places of the time are true to history. I learn a lot of Roman myths and customs from this series.

As this book is historical, a mystery and adventurous, I think it is a great read for almost anyone. I started reading this series when I was 9 and I’m not bored by them yet as each book takes on a new aspect of Roman life or a major event of the time, for example, there is one about Pompeii and one about Vesuvius. This book was not my favorite in the series as it was focused on the Emperor’s palace and the many women who lived there. I prefered The Colossus Of Rhodes as they sail through a lot of different places, which gave it more variety. If you are interested in the books I would recommend that you start at the beginning of the series as there is a lot more about meeting the characters. I particularly like the maps of the towns and the palaces in the book as it helps me to imagine what is going on where and visualize the story.

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[Andrew Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

Caroline Lawrence narrates the dramatic adventures of young Roman friends Jonathan, Flavia Gemina, Nubia and Lupus in a hugely accessible way for young KS2 readers: the plot twists and turns almost continuously to keep thrill-seeking readers engaged, whilst there is still time for plenty of carefully-crafted detail about characters and setting to bring the story to life. Perhaps my favourite aspect of the book series, of which this is the fourth in the sequence, is the immense quantity of detail readers automatically pick up about the culture and lifestyle of the Ancient Romans: supplemented with maps and a glossary of characters (including how to pronounce their Latin names), we learn about amphitheatres, the role of the forum, the structure of the Roman army and slavery, gladiators and means of travel in Roman times. Crucially, the fictional lead characters are interwoven with real historical figures, such as Emperor Titus, Queen Berenice, Josephus, Vespasian and Domitian, so that young readers come away with a clear timeline of Roman history and the key players involved. The lead families' Jewish and Christian heritage enables Lawrence to interweave details of the Romans' destruction of Jerusalem in AD70, and provide endless details of Jewish and Christian beliefs - and Romans' interpretation of them. Perhaps my only reservation is the slightly fantastical way the plot continually turns out unbelievably well for the main protagonists: the children end up guests and friends of the Emperor Titus himself, a scenario which seems rather unlikely. I notice Lawrence dedicates the book to her son, labelling him 'a realist': I wonder if he had similar reservations about her storyline? Nevertheless, there are endless opportunities for cross-curricular topic work in KS2 (meeting the National Curriculum Ancient Rome requirements) linking with history, geography, RE, PE and music, and the quick-moving plot will keep even less naturally enthusiastic readers clutching the book for the full 200 pages.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this instalment Jonathan takes centre stage and we learn more about his past and family. This was something of an improvement on the last book, but in my opinion doesn’t have the charm of the first two books. The story and characters are there but I sometimes feel they could be a little more depth to both the characters and plot. I think part of the reason is that it is a children’s book that covers serious and gritty storylines but in a very child friendly fashion. An example of this is something in the ending that takes away from the reality of the situation and makes the ending happier. when Clio appears, after being presumed dead after the eruption, although I was happy for Lupus to have his friend back! . I would love Lawrence to write a young adult series set in Ancient Rome to experience this depth. I loved how Lawrence manages to weave in lots of information about the times and again I learnt a lot from reading. Again, real life figures are weaved in with fictional characters. I hated how Emperor Titus was used as it made the book feel unrealistic The mystery was interesting but let down with the plot jumping from person to person too often, leaving the story feeling somewhat disjointed. Overall a four or five star read as a children’s mystery, but three-star rating for an adult reading.

[RamSwaminathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this book is very informative of the life in the streets of ancient Rome. I found it scary about how easy it would be for children to become slaves. I was bored in the start of the story because I found the assassin's trying to assassinate Mordecai quite uninteresting. I had thought that they would trap the assassins somewhere in Rome until the assassin gets caught by the authorities. I started to get intrigued when I figured out that Simeon, Johnathan's uncle, was an assassin. Instead of the lives of Flavia, I became more interested in the life of Mordecai and Johnathan's family during the Jewish revolt. When I figured out that Johnathan's mother was alive, I somehow got in sync with Johnathan and couldn't resist finishing the book on the same day. During the end of the book, when the characters reached the end of the book's plot and were in the intermediate stage when they started relaxing till the start of the next book, I couldn't help but wonder how both blessed and cursed these children are. These children have almost died in a Volcanic eruption and almost been captured by slave traders but also met Emperor Titus, Pliny and Pollus Felix, (Very important and dignified people) many times.

[ChroniclesofTania · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fast-paced novel. This time Jonathan goes to Rome by himself on a personal quest with his uncle to find his mother when a secret is revealed to him on his birthday. Flavia and Nubia follow him to Rome having found his note. Last of all Lupus and Aristo noticing everyone left Miriam at home alone follow the rest to Rome.
There is plenty of description of the Palatine Hill, the forum, the poor neighborhood near the Ostia gate and the wealthy neighborhoods on the hills. It's to one of the wealthy villas that Flavia goes with Nubia to stay with her aunt and uncle. Her uncle is a senator. His steward is a slave who helps them find plans to the Golden House where they think Jonathan has gone. The Golden House is where the Jewish female slaves were kept after the sacking of Jerusalem nine years previously. Jonathan and his uncle meanwhile get captured and Jonathan gets branded as a slave of the emperor Titus. The description of the branding is deliciously excruciating. The sights, the smells and culture of Rome are brought alive, especially the building of the Colosseum.

[Isa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este es uno de los libros de la colección que menos veces he leído, y ahora ya sé que no se trata de una casualidad: hay un exceso de Jonatán, que ni es mi personaje preferido ni su familia me interesa tanto. Además, aparece un personaje que me pone nerviosa por lo hipócrita que es y viene para quedarse (aparece en otros libros más adelante, y sigue sin caerme bien).

En su lado bueno, se aprenden sobre muchas cosas de la época: el asedio y la destrucción de Jerusalén por parte de los romanos, quiénes eran los celotes, Tito y Berenice, Nerón... Además se recuperan algunos personajes de libros anteriores, cerrándose alguna línea argumental que había quedado abierta (recomiendo por lo tanto leer los libros anteriores antes de leer este, para una mejor comprensión de lo que está pasando). No es uno de mis libros preferidos, pero estoy disfrutando muchísimo con la re-lectura de la serie.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books definitely pick up as you work through the series! I remember getting this book out of the mobile library for my primary school because I knew one of the boys in my class had read the previous books and enjoyed them, the things we do eh?

This story is quite a bittersweet one. It gives a lot of the history around the Jewish population of Rome and the events of the sacking of Jerusalem by the Emperor Titus, which seems incredible to have actually happened. By bringing it down to the level of Jonathan and his friends, it makes the story stay with you a lot more than it would do if you were just reading about it in a history book.

If I remember correctly, we are going to be seeing a bit more of Titus and Susannah so I’m intrigued to see if I remember what happens or whether it will be a surprise for me.

[Eleni · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's like a 3.5 star, but honestly because of the way that it can reflect some really nasty facts and make it effective for an adult to read but understandable and digestible for children as well and can also take facts and write them into stores in a realistic and respectful way, I gotta bump it to 4.

Sisyphus is so cute. He is also absolutely queer coded and you can't tell me otherwise. He's such a fun little character and I love that he and Aristos hit it off immediately because they're both Greek. ALSO, Sisyphus saying "I'm a Greek; we are not afraid of strong women." LET'S GOOOOOOO

Jonathan getting branded and also finding out all that shit about his mum is ROUGH, man. I mean, poor kid. He's been through so much already and now all this, too?

[Madeleine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another installment in the Roman Mystery series, this time set in Rome with Jonathon as the focus. The action was fast paced but a little confusing as a result, and I felt that the mystery perhaps lacked as much depth as the previous books in the series, though this was in part made up for by focusing on Jonathon and the history of the sack of Jerusalem.
I didn't, however, particularly enjoy the character arc of Titus. With him being one of Lawrence's real-life characters, his atrocities, though not sanitisised, were almost excused by his apology, which felt a bit uncomfortable. Otherwise, it was quite enjoyable!

[Abi Pellinor · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always with this series, I really enjoyed this book. A fun little mystery which should keep you hooked for the duration of the short story, following the four children through Ostia (and Rome in this case) is surprisingly entertaining and you will enjoy learning more about them and seeing their characters develop. This is a middle-grade book so the plot and structure is not very complex, however, it's still enjoyable and fun and I'm looking forward to re-reading the rest of the series once I get my hands on them.

[Melanie Gaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another fun adventure in the Roman Mysteries series! This one focused more on Jonathan and his family. Caroline Lawrence is very knowledgeable about the ancient Roman Empire and clearly did a lot of research to make this series accurate and still enjoyable. My only problem was that I read the first three books probably 15 years ago and did not remember details about many side characters.

[simple_sock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was unsure whether to rate this book 3 or 4 stars but I went with 3.
This was a really great read. I personally think that everyone from about the age of nine to thirteen should read these books. This one is my second favourite in the series.
I love the characters and the plot is amazing. I quite like the reading style but I would say that I am rather on the older side of reading them and I would have enjoyed it more, say, last year. However, I still loved it and totally recommend.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very sensitively told thriller about the four friends from Ostia. Learned a lot about Jewish holidays in this one, and I think this might be one of the first times I've ever paid attention to any examination of imperial succession in ancient Rome. So glad I've come back to this series after almost twenty years (!).

[Niamh Spiers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah I am honestly having the best time experiencing these again! Despite knowing every plot, I am still swept up into the story and excited to find out what happens. This one is especially beautiful in handling family and the ties that bind us to each other in a way that makes it easy for children to understand.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A visitor from the past arrives to see Jonathan’s father. Next day, the visitor is gone- and so is Jonathan. Flavia Gemina, Nubia and Lupus are determined to find their friend,but their search takes them to the Golden House of Nero where a deadly assassin is at work.

[Paula · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author usually has a skillful blend of history and story, but in this case, she went way overboard on historical detail, thus derailing her story. I found it distasteful to have adultery as a plot point in a book for younger children.

[Colin N · Rating 3 out of 5]

A boy named Jonathan and his friends Flavia, Nubia and Lupus go on a mission to find his mother who Jonathan had thought was dead. The clues lead them to Rome and the Golden House of Nero. Along the way, with the help of his friends, Jonathan learns about his family's past and finds his mother.

[Jennifer Wilkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a children’s mystery series - this is great. I’m not comparing it to other four star literature here. Anyway, it’s far fetched and the plot is really a stretch but it is so well done and Ancient Rome comes alive. All Latin/ancient cultures students should read these.