32:
559:
514:
In "The King of
Sacrifices", dated at 20 BC, Decius claims to be in his 73rd year, indicating he was born in either 93 or 92 BC. However, in the story itself Julia is claimed to be "betrothed" to Agrippa, whom she married 21 BC, i.e. at least one year
1129:
447:"An Academic Question" (51 BC): Decius investigates a murder during his visit to Athens mentioned as part of his leisurely trip to Cyprus at the beginning of "The Princess and the Pirates"
1149:
1174:
1169:
1159:
213:. 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
631:
1154:
369:, 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.
1124:
1164:
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222:
In 2015, a German company had planned to adapt the series for TV, however, they have withdrawn from the project in 2022 for financial reasons.
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Roberts also wrote a short story, "The
Mountain Wolves", which is also set in ancient Rome, but is not part of the SPQR series.
508:
504:
464:
53:
441:"Mightier Than the Sword" (53 BC): Decius investigates the murder of a victim found in the basement of a townhouse in Rome.
533:
The
Sacrilege has a clear external date and there is a strong indication that "Statuette" takes place in the same year as
96:
166:
The stories are told in first-person form by
Senator Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger (born c 90-95 BC), nephew of
68:
49:
159:
75:
42:
198:
239:
82:
493:, which can be dated at 62 BC, Decius claims to be turning 29, indicating he was born in 91 BC; however, in
273:
202:
576:
495:
313:
282:
64:
20:
397:, Decius investigates the murders of a group of priests of Apollo during the period just before Caesar
450:"Venus in Pearls" (46 BC): Caesar hires Decius to locate his stolen breastplate before his Pompeian
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470:"The King of Sacrifices" (20 BC): An elderly Decius investigates the death of a candidate for
336:
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194:
485:
The above dates are approximate because there is contradictory information within the texts.
998:
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189:
Decius' companions include his slaves Cato, Cassandra, and Hermes; his friends, the Greek
179:
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178:. The stories are told in flashback-form by the old Decius, writing during the reign of
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503:(95 BC). Confusingly, however, in the same book, Cato claims to have been born "when
451:
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210:
167:
153:. SPQR (the original title of the first book, until the sequels came out) is a Latin
993:
471:
186:) to 20 BC ("The King of Sacrifices"), and have both an exciting and comedic tone.
175:
306:
138:
31:
456:"Beware the Snake" (45 BC): Decius must locate the missing sacred snake of the
558:
554:
430:
The series also includes the following short stories, in chronological order:
154:
434:"The Statuette of Rhodes" (60 BC): Decius finds a corpse at the base of the
298:
190:
345:(51 BC): Decius investigates the murder of his host, the Roman governor of
384:
376:
266:
248:
235:
908:
Published in
Germany in January 2009, and in English in February 2010;
415:, and investigates the murders of several astronomers who developed it.
366:
326:
322:
318:
262:
291:(59 BC): Decius investigates the murder of his kinsman Metellus Celer.
444:"The Etruscan House" (52 BC): Decius investigates a senator's murder.
350:
346:
206:
149:, published between 1990 and 2010, and set in the final years of the
463:"The Will" (44 BC): Decius investigates Caesar's will following his
163:("The Roman Senate and People"), the official name of the Republic.
457:
205:. Along the way, he is often helped by his father, as well as by
25:
892:
in
Germany in October 2005, and in English in December 2008;
411:, Decius is commissioned to oversee the adoption of Caesar's
1098:
Classical
Stories: Heroic Tales from Ancient Greece and Rome
16:
Series of historical mystery stories by John Maddox
Roberts
281:, Decius investigates the murder of a philosopher at its
365:(51–50 BC): While running for election to the office of
339:, uncovering systematic fraud in the construction trade.
872:
in
Germany in 2001, and in English in December 2007;
530:
and "The
Statuette of Rhodes" are clearly erroneous.
1130:
Fictional depictions of Julius Caesar in literature
56:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
193:physician Asklepiodes and the gangster/politician
970:(1998), collected by Miriam Grace Monfredo &
349:, while on the island to deal with an upsurge in
499:, he finds that he was born in the same year as
1150:Fictional depictions of Cleopatra in literature
1175:Fictional depictions of Augustus in literature
1170:Cultural depictions of Publius Clodius Pulcher
1160:Cultural depictions of Marcus Licinius Crassus
234:: In 70 BC, Decius uncovers a plot to subvert
317:(55 BC): Decius investigates the murder of a
297:(58 BC): Decius investigates the murder of a
8:
771:SPQR VI: Nobody Loves a Centurion: A Mystery
721:SPQR IV: The Temple of the Muses: A Mystery
671:SPQR II: The Catiline Conspiracy: A Mystery
421:(unfinished as of Roberts's death in 2024)
383:, Decius investigates a murder near Mount
1077:The Mammoth Book of Historical Detectives
947:The Mammoth Book of Historical Whodunnits
335:(53 BC): Decius investigates a collapsed
116:Learn how and when to remove this message
819:Roberts, John Maddox (19 January 2004).
769:Roberts, John Maddox (10 October 2003).
719:Roberts, John Maddox (13 October 1999).
694:Roberts, John Maddox (13 October 1999).
197:; and his staunch enemies, the siblings
744:Roberts, John Maddox (2 October 2003).
669:Roberts, John Maddox (21 August 2001).
598:
546:have been modified for dramatic effect.
353:. The eponymous princess is the young
846:SPQR IX: The Princess and the Pirates
794:Roberts, John Maddox (5 April 2003).
7:
1056:The Mammoth Book of Roman Whodunnits
821:SPQR VIII: The River God's Vengeance
54:adding citations to reliable sources
1021:Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine
844:Roberts, John Maddox (June 2005).
696:SPQR III: The Sacrilege: A Mystery
14:
542:Roberts has noted that events in
557:
511:were consuls.", which was 93 BC.
261:(62–61 BC): Decius investigates
182:. The stories range from 70 BC (
30:
1155:Cultural depictions of Catiline
1100:(1996), edited by Mike Ashley,
1058:(2003), edited by Mike Ashley,
949:(1993), edited by Mike Ashley,
928:(1996), edited by Mike Ashley,
41:needs additional citations for
1125:Book series introduced in 1990
1079:(1995) edited by Mike Ashley,
1:
1165:Cultural depictions of Pompey
796:SPQR VII: The Tribune's Curse
407:(46–45 BC): During Caesar's
343:The Princess and the Pirates
247:(63–62 BC): Decius uncovers
1135:Historical novels by series
572:Carthage Victorius series:
170:and member of the powerful
1196:
1145:Novels set in ancient Rome
1035:Down These Strange Streets
1024:, July/August 2001, pg. 36
607:"Zum Goldenen Lamm - SPQR"
375:: In 50 BC, while touring
238:' army in the war against
160:Senatus Populusque Romanus
18:
1180:Historical mystery novels
333:The River God's Vengeance
251:'s plot to overthrow the
1140:Mystery novels by series
648:Originally published as
295:Nobody Loves a Centurion
277:(60 BC): While visiting
528:The Temple of the Muses
274:The Temple of the Muses
245:The Catiline Conspiracy
265:'s desecration of the
968:Crime Through Time II
632:"John Maddox Roberts"
544:The Year of Confusion
405:The Year of Confusion
21:SPQR (disambiguation)
926:Classical Whodunnits
890:Das Orakel des Todes
305:at the start of the
50:improve this article
19:For other uses, see
577:Hannibal's Children
501:Marcus Porcius Cato
496:The Tribune's Curse
399:crosses the Rubicon
314:The Tribune's Curse
147:John Maddox Roberts
1039:George R.R. Martin
1037:(2011), edited by
997:(1998), edited by
746:SPQR V: Saturnalia
436:Colossus of Rhodes
395:praetor peregrinus
391:Oracle of the Dead
381:praetor peregrinus
172:Caecilius Metellus
143:historical mystery
914:978-0-312-59507-4
878:978-0-312-37088-6
489:For instance, in
232:The King's Gambit
219:calendar system.
195:Titus Annius Milo
184:The King's Gambit
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1085:0-7867-0214-1
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1075:Published in
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1064:0-7867-1241-4
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1054:Published in
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1007:0-7472-7501-7
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966:Published in
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955:1-84119-373-9
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924:Published in
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898:0-312-38093-3
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888:Published as
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870:Mord am Vesuv
868:Published as
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658:0-312-27705-9
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613:on 2015-11-19
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565:Novels portal
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524:The Sacrilege
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67: –
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65:"SPQR series"
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61:Find sources:
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39:This article
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994:Past Poisons
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615:. Retrieved
611:the original
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472:Rex Sacrorum
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413:new calendar
409:dictatorship
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176:Roman Senate
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48:Please help
43:verification
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321:who curses
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1119:Categories
617:2015-11-18
593:References
535:Saturnalia
481:Chronology
289:Saturnalia
279:Alexandria
155:initialism
76:newspapers
509:Herennius
419:Dolabella
357:of Egypt.
299:centurion
551:See also
515:earlier.
505:Valerius
385:Vesuvius
377:Campania
267:Bona Dea
253:Republic
249:Catiline
236:Lucullus
452:triumph
367:praetor
327:Parthia
323:Crassus
319:tribune
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263:Clodius
203:Clodius
90:scholar
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351:piracy
347:Cyprus
337:insula
269:rites.
226:Novels
207:Cicero
199:Clodia
139:series
135:series
92:
85:
78:
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458:Marsi
137:is a
97:JSTOR
83:books
1102:ISBN
1081:ISBN
1060:ISBN
1003:ISBN
976:ISBN
951:ISBN
930:ISBN
910:ISBN
894:ISBN
874:ISBN
850:ISBN
825:ISBN
800:ISBN
775:ISBN
750:ISBN
725:ISBN
700:ISBN
675:ISBN
654:ISBN
650:SPQR
518:The
507:and
201:and
157:for
131:SPQR
128:The
69:news
520:AUC
379:as
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52:by
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