Death of the Sirens
Year 306 CE. Rome lives one of its darkest moments when the struggle for succession among emperors in charge and imperial pretenders turns fierce.
Determined to keep order, Emperor Galerius entrusts his official Aelius Spartianus with the delicate diplomatic mission of delivering a message to young, ambitious prince Maxentius in Rome. It is nothing less than a stern advice to give up the temptation to claim power for himself, and a call to honor the status quo.
Spartianus awaits Maxentius’s summons in Surrentum, a town at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, believed to be the ancient home of the ominous winged creatures of myth known as Sirens. Here he engages in his other interests, writing history and keeping a chronicle of the best brothels in the Empire. When Pelagius Theodorus, a wealthy local merchant, is found murdered in his villa, Spartianus is asked to investigate. Faced with a complex web of evidence and false leads, an unforeseen encounter suddenly changes the nature of his entire mission. Under orders he cannot refuse, he finds himself moving like a pawn on a giant gaming table, aware that he is placing his own life in jeopardy…
A new, fascinating adventure for Aelius Spartianus, soldier and investigator: a tale where hunger for riches, power, family secrets, and political intrigue create the echo of a perilous siren song, as threatening as it is irresistible.
Go Back