Publisher's Synopsis
Roman Emperor Nero, is a singer of beautiful songs, his first love, he himself composes, if you don't like them, better keep your opinions unsaid, you'll live a longer life. Nero has killed his mother, wife, brother, all his family, and many former friends. Only unlimited praise, the mighty Caesar enjoys ( but that he is terrible, his voice and music, is a small sacrifice for his friendship and the vast benefits, he showers) ... Petronius, the "Arbiter of Elegance," and close friend of the vicious ruler, has much influence in the court. A well educated and secret writer of The Satyricon, the first novel, with poetry. He doesn't take credit as the author, Petronius likes to live in Rome, not exiled, as others have been. The book ridicules certain Roman patricians, their society, both he is part of ! In the arts, nobody knows more than he. Marcus Vinicius, a military tribune, his nephew, back from a war in Asia Minor, informs his uncle in the opulent steamy Roman Baths, that he has fallen madly in love, with a pretty maiden. While recovering from an injury in the house of Aulus Plautius, a retired, and honored general, who helped in conquering Britain. The girl is the daughter of a foreign king, a Roman hostage, now living in the home, of the General's and Pomponia Graecina, the wife of Aulus, she, becomes very fond of her, treated like a daughter. Since all her relatives perished, Lygia, now considers them her new family. The young patrician soldier must have her as his concubine, but Lygia, is a secret Christian, who though she loves him, will not accept that. Marcus seeks his uncle's influence to get the girl, away from her loved ones. Nero has Lygia, come to his palace to be examined, the Emperor likes attractive women, but the noble, clever, arbiter of elegance, tells him, she is too narrow in the hips, not true, and a compliment today, but it saves the lady. Poppaea, the Emperor's cruel new wife, hates the maiden, naturally, Tigellinus, ambitious head of the Praetorian Guard, he likes to kill, hates Petronius, his arch- rival. Given to Marcus, but with the help of Ursus, Lygia's devoted servant, as big as a giant and as strong as an ox, escapes easily, before reaching the tribune's house . Which so angers the lovesick Marcus, that nothing else matters, but to recover his prize, greatly effecting his health. With the assistance of Christians, including St. Peter and Paul, she is well hidden. Fires break out soon after, in the vast city, countless building are incinerated, the great capital of the world, is tumbling down. People are perishing in its flames, shooting high, into the night sky, bright now as daylight, crowds are streaming out of the infernal, the thick smoke, chokes, the heat and flames, killing thousands, winds spreading the insatiable fires. Everyone but Marcus, the soldier, flee, in a desperate effort to rescue his beloved, enters the doomed town, staggering, in the hopeless search, hardly able to breath, falling but getting up, he must continue the quest, or die trying ... The frightened Nero, afraid of the people's wrath, blames the obscure Christians, for the disaster, many will bravely die in the bloody arena. The Roman masses, must be appeased
