The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection
Caroline Lawrence
Contents
Cover
Title Page
The Thieves of Ostia
Dedication
Scroll I
Scroll II
Scroll III
Scroll IV
Scroll V
Scroll VI
Scroll VII
Scroll VIII
Scroll IX
Scroll X
Scroll XI
Scroll XII
Scroll XIII
Scroll XIV
Scroll XV
Scroll XVI
Scroll XVII
Scroll XVIII
Scroll XIX
Scroll XX
Scroll XXI
Scroll XXII
Aristo’s Scroll
The Last Scroll
Maps
The Secrets of Vesuvius
Dedication
Scroll I
Scroll II
Scroll III
Scroll IV
Scroll V
Scroll VI
Scroll VII
Scroll VIII
Scroll IX
Scroll X
Scroll XI
Scroll XII
Scroll XIII
Scroll XIV
Scroll XV
Scroll XVI
Scroll XVII
Scroll XVIII
Scroll XIX
Scroll XX
Scroll XXI
Scroll XXII
Scroll XXIII
Scroll XXIV
Scroll XXV
Scroll XXVI
Scroll XXVII
Scroll XXVIII
Scroll XXIX
Scroll XXX
Scroll XXXI
Scroll XXXII
Scroll XXXIII
Scroll XXXIV
Scroll XXXV
Scroll XXXVI
Aristo’s Scroll
The Last Scroll
Maps
The Pirates of Pompeii
Dedication
Scroll I
Scroll II
Scroll III
Scroll IV
Scroll V
Scroll VI
Scroll VII
Scroll VIII
Scroll IX
Scroll X
Scroll XI
Scroll XII
Scroll XIII
Scroll XIV
Scroll XV
Scroll XVI
Scroll XVII
Scroll XVIII
Scroll XIX
Scroll XX
Scroll XXI
Scroll XXII
Scroll XXIII
Scroll XXIV
Scroll XXV
Scroll XXVI
Scroll XXVII
Aristo’s Scroll
The Last Scroll
Maps
The Assassins of Rome
Dedication
Scroll I
Scroll II
Scroll III
Scroll IV
Scroll V
Scroll VI
Scroll VII
Scroll VIII
Scroll IX
Scroll X
Scroll XI
Scroll XII
Scroll XIII
Scroll XIV
Scroll XV
Scroll XVI
Scroll XVII
Scroll XVIII
Scroll XIX
Scroll XX
Scroll XXI
Scroll XXII
Scroll XXIII
Scroll XXIV
Scroll XXV
Scroll XXVI
Scroll XXVII
Scroll XXVIII
Aristo’s Scroll
The Last Scroll
Maps
The Dolphins of Laurentum
Dedication
Scroll I
Scroll II
Scroll III
Scroll IV
Scroll V
Scroll VI
Scroll VII
Scroll VIII
Scroll IX
Scroll X
Scroll XI
Scroll XII
Scroll XIII
Scroll XIV
Scroll XV
Scroll XVI
Scroll XVII
Scroll XVIII
Scroll XIX
Scroll XX
Scroll XXI
Scroll XXII
Scroll XXIII
Scroll XXIV
Scroll XXV
Scroll XXVI
Aristo’s Scroll
The Last Scroll
Maps
The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina
Dedication
Scroll I
Scroll II
Scroll III
Scroll IV
Scroll V
Scroll VI
Scroll VII
Scroll VIII
Scroll IX
Scroll X
Scroll XI
Scroll XII
Scroll XIII
Scroll XIV
Scroll XV
Scroll XVI
Scroll XVII
Scroll XVIII
Scroll XIX
Scroll XX
Scroll XXI
Scroll XXII
Scroll XXIII
Scroll XXIV
Scroll XXV
Scroll XXVI
Scroll XXVII
Scroll XXVIII
Scroll XXIX
Aristo’s Scroll
The Last Scroll
Maps
The Enemies of Jupiter
Dedication
Scroll I
Scroll II
Scroll III
Scroll IV
Scroll V
Scroll VI
Scroll VII
Scroll VIII
Scroll IX
Scroll X
Scroll XI
Scroll XII
Scroll XIII
Scroll XIV
Scroll XV
Scroll XVI
Scroll XVII
Scroll XVIII
Scroll XIX
Scroll XX
Scroll XXI
Scroll XXII
Scroll XXIII
Scroll XXIV
Scroll XXV
Scroll XXVI
Scroll XXVII
Scroll XXVIII
Scroll XXIX
Scroll XXX
Scroll XXXI
Scroll XXXII
Scroll XXXIII
Scroll XXXIV
Aristo’s Scroll
The Last Scroll
Maps
The Gladiators From Capua
Dedication
Scroll I
Scroll II
Scroll III
Scroll IV
Scroll V
Scroll VI
Scroll VII
Scroll VIII
Scroll IX
Scroll X
Scroll XI
Scroll XII
Scroll XIII
Scroll XIV
Scroll XV
Scroll XVI
Scroll XVII
Scroll XVIII
Scroll XIX
Scroll XX
Scroll XXI
Scroll XXII
Scroll XXIII
Scroll XXIV
Scroll XXV
Scroll XXVI
Scroll XXVII
Scroll XXVIII
Scroll XXIX
Scroll XXX
Scroll XXXI
Scroll XXXII
Scroll XXXIII
Scroll XXXIV
Aristo’s Scroll
The Last Scroll
The Colossus of Rhodes
Dedication
Scroll I
Scroll II
Scroll III
Scroll IV
Scroll V
Scroll VI
Scroll VII
Scroll VIII
Scroll IX
Scroll X
Scroll XI
Scroll XII
Scroll XIII
Scroll XIV
Scroll XV
Scroll XVI
Scroll XVII
Scroll XVIII
Scroll XIX
Scroll XX
Scroll XXI
Scroll XXII
Scroll XXIII
Scroll XXIV
Scroll XXV
Aristo’s Scroll
The Last Scroll
Maps
The Fugitive From Corinth
Dedication
Scroll I
Scroll II
Scroll III
Scroll IV
Scroll V
Scroll VI
Scroll VII
Scroll VIII
Scroll IX
Scroll X
Scroll XI
Scroll XII
Scroll XIII
Scroll XIV
Scroll XV
Scroll XVI
Scroll XVII
Scroll XVIII
Scroll XIX
Scroll XX
Scroll XXI
Scroll XXII
Scroll XXIII
Scroll XXIV
Aristo’s Scroll
The Last Scroll
Maps
The Sirens of Surrentum
Dedication
Scroll I
Scroll II
Scroll III
Scroll IV
Scroll V
Scroll VI
Scroll VII
Scroll VIII
Scroll IX
Scroll X
Scroll XI
Scroll XII
Scroll XIII
Scroll XIV
Scroll XV
Scroll XVI
Scroll XVII
Scroll XVIII
Scroll XIX
Scroll XX
Scroll XXI
Scroll XXII
Scroll XXIII
Scroll XXIV
Scroll XXV
Scroll XXVI
Scroll XXVII
Scroll XXVIII
Scroll XXIX
Scroll XXX
Aristo’s Scroll
The Last Scroll
Maps
The Charioteer of Delphi
Dedication
Scroll I
Scroll II
Scroll III
Scroll IV
Scroll V
Scroll VI
Scroll VII
Scroll VIII
Scroll IX
Scroll X
Scroll XI
Scroll XII
Scroll XIII
Scroll XIV
Scroll XV
Scroll XVI
Scroll XVII
Scroll XVIII
Scroll XIX
Scroll XX
Scroll XXI
Scroll XXII
Scroll XXIII
Scroll XXIV
Scroll XXV
Scroll XXVI
Aristo’s Scroll
The Last Scroll
Maps
The Slave-Girl From Jerusalem
Dedication
Scroll I
Scroll II
Scroll III
Scroll IV
Scroll V
Scroll VI
Scroll VII
Scroll VIII
Scroll IX
Scroll X
Scroll XI
Scroll XII
Scroll XIII
Scroll XIV
Scroll XV
Scroll XVI
Scroll XVII
Scroll XVIII
Scroll XIX
Scroll XX
Scroll XXI
Scroll XXII
Aristo’s Scroll
The Last Scroll
Maps
The Beggar of Volubilis
Dedication
Scroll I
Scroll II
Scroll III
Scroll IV
Scroll V
Scroll VI
Scroll VII
Scroll VIII
Scroll IX
Scroll X
Scroll XI
Scroll XII
Scroll XIII
Scroll XIV
Scroll XV
Scroll XVI
Scroll XVII
Scroll XVIII
Scroll XIX
Scroll XX
Scroll XXI
Scroll XXII
Scroll XXIII
Scroll XXIV
Scroll XXV
Scroll XXVI
Scroll XXVII
Scroll XXVIII
Scroll XXIX
Scroll XXX
Aristo’s Scroll
The Last Scroll
Maps
The Scribes From Alexandria
Dedication
Scroll I
Scroll II
Scroll III
Scroll IV
Scroll V
Scroll VI
Scroll VII
Scroll VIII
Scroll IX
Scroll X
Scroll XI
Scroll XII
Scroll XIII
Scroll XIV
Scroll XV
Scroll XVI
Scroll XVII
Scroll XVIII
Scroll XIX
Scroll XX
Scroll XXI
Scroll XXII
Scroll XXIII
Scroll XXIV
Scroll XXV
Scroll XXVI
Scroll XXVII
Scroll XXVIII
Scroll XXIX
Scroll XXX
Scroll XXXI
Scroll XXXII
Scroll XXXIII
Scroll XXXIV
Scroll XXXV
Scroll XXXVI
Aristo’s Scroll
The Last Scroll
Maps
The Prophet From Ephesus
Dedication
Scroll I
Scroll II
Scroll III
Scroll IV
Scroll V
Scroll VI
Scroll VII
Scroll VIII
Scroll IX
Scroll X
Scroll XI
Scroll XII
Scroll XIII
Scroll XIV
Scroll XV
Scroll XVI
Scroll XVII
Scroll XVIII
Scroll XIX
Scroll XX
Scroll XXI
Scroll XXII
Scroll XXIII
Scroll XXIV
Scroll XXV
Scroll XXVI
Aristo’s Scroll
The Last Scroll
Maps
The Man From Pomegranate Street
Dedication
Scroll I
Scroll II
Scroll III
Scroll IV
Scroll V
Scroll VI
Scroll VII
Scroll VIII
Scroll IX
Scroll X
Scroll XI
Scroll XII
Scroll XIII
Scroll XIV
Scroll XV
Scroll XVI
Scroll XVII
Scroll XVIII
Scroll XIX
Scroll XX
Scroll XXI
Scroll XXII
Scroll XXIII
Scroll XXIV
Scroll XXV
Scroll XXVI
Scroll XXVII
Scroll XXVIII
Scroll XXIX
Scroll XXX
Scroll XXXI
Scroll XXXII
Scroll XXXIII
The Very Last Scroll
Aristo’s Scroll
The Last Scroll
Maps
About the Author
Copyright
To my mother and father,
for all their love and support
* * *
This story takes place in Ancient Roman times, so a few of the words may look strange.
If you don’t know them, ‘Aristo’s Scroll’ at the back of the book will tell you what they mean and how to pronounce them.
It also explains how Roman numbers work and why the chapters in this book are called ‘scrolls’.
* * *
Flavia Gemina solved her first mystery on the Ides of June in the tenth year of the Emperor Vespasian.
She had always had a knack for finding things her father misplaced: his best toga, his quill pen, and once even his ceremonial dagger. But this time there had been a real crime, with a real culprit.
It was a hot, still afternoon, for the sea breeze had not yet risen. Flavia had just settled herself in the garden by the fountain, with a cup of peach juice and her favourite scroll.
‘Flavia? Flavia!’ Her father’s voice came from the study. Flavia took a sip of juice and quickly scanned the scroll to find her place. She would just read one or two lines. After all, the study was so close, just the other side of the fig tree. Her house – like many others in the Roman port of Ostia – had a secret garden at its centre, invisible to anyone on the street. From that inner garden it was only a few steps to the dining room, the kitchen, the storeroom, a small latrine, and the study.
‘Flavia!’
She knew that tone of voice.
‘Coming, pater!’ she called. Hastily, she set down her cup on the marble bench and placed a pebble on the open scroll to mark her place.
In the study, her father was desperately searching through various scrolls and sheets of parchment on the cedarwood table. Although Marcus Flavius Geminus was extremely competent aboard his own ship, on land he was hopelessly absent-minded.
‘Oh pater!’ Flavia tried to keep the impatience out of her voice. ‘What have you lost now?’
‘It isn’t lost! It’s been stolen!’
‘What? What’s been stolen?’
‘My seal! My amethyst signet-ring! The one your mother gave me!’
‘Oh!’ She winced. Her mother had died in childbirth several years previously, and they both still missed her desperately.
Flavia touched her father’s arm reassuringly. ‘Don’t worry, pater. I always find things, don’t I?’
‘Yes. Yes, you do . . .’ He smiled down at her, but Flavia could see he was upset.
‘Where did you last see it?’ she asked.
‘Right here on my desk. I was just letting these documents dry before I sealed them.’
Flavia’s father planned to sail for Corinth at the end of the week. As a ship owner and captain, it was his responsibility to make sure the paperwork was ready.
‘I left the study for just a moment to use the latrine,’ he explained. ‘When I returned, the ring was gone. Look: the documents are here. The wax is here. The candle is here, still lit. But my ring is gone!’
‘It wasn’t the wind, there’s no hint of a breeze,’ Flavia mused, gazing out at the fig tree. ‘The slaves are napping in their rooms. Scuto is sleeping under the jasmine bush: he didn’t even bark. Yes, it’s a mystery.’
‘It’s one of the few things of hers I have left,’ murmured her father. ‘And apart from that, I need it to seal these documents.’ He ran a hand distractedly through his hair.
Flavia had an idea: ‘Pater, do you have another seal?’
‘Yes, but I rarely use it. My suppliers might not recognise it . . .’
‘But it has Castor and Pollux engraved on it, doesn’t it?’
The Roman Mysteries Complete Collection Page 1