The Judgment of Caesar (2004) - 48 BC: Gordianus travels to Egypt in an attempt to find a cure for his wife's illness.A Mist of Prophecies (2002) - 48 BC: Gordianus searches for the killer of a seeress.Last Seen in Massilia (2000) - 49 BC: Gordianus looks for his son Meto in the city of Massilia as it is besieged by the army of Caesar.

Rubicon (1999) - 49 BC: Gordianus investigates a murder close to home as Rome nears civil war.

A Murder on the Appian Way (1996) - 52 BC: Gordianus investigates the death of Publius Clodius Pulcher.

The Venus Throw (1995) - 56 BC: Gordianus tries to discover who murdered an Egyptian diplomat.

Catilina's Riddle (1993) - 63 BC: Gordianus is embroiled in the Catiline conspiracy.

Arms of Nemesis (1992) - 72 BC : Gordianus tries to save the lives of 99 slaves, while Spartacus threatens Rome.

A Gladiator Dies Only Once (2005) - 77-64 BC: Short stories.

The House of the Vestals (1997) - 80-72 BC : Short stories.

Roman Blood (1991) - 80 BC: Gordianus investigates a murder case for the famous lawyer Cicero.

Wrath of the Furies (2015) - 88 BC: Gordianus travels to Ephesus during Mithridates' war against Rome.Raiders of the Nile (2014) - 88 BC: The young Gordianus must travel into the Nile Delta to find a gang of bandits.The Seven Wonders (2012) - 92-90 BC: The young Gordianus travels to see the Wonders of the Ancient World.For publication order, see the author's page. The books are listed below in chronological order. Little Bethesda, his granddaughter (by Diana).Davus, his son-in-law (Diana's husband) who was Gordianus' former slave and bodyguard.Diana, his intellectual and headstrong daughter (by Bethesda).Rupa, his third adopted son, brother to Cassandra a mute.Meto, his second adopted son, was a slave of Crassus who became a soldier serving under Julius Caesar.He followed in his father's (meaning Gordianus) footsteps as an investigator. He recovered his speech in Arms of Nemesis.

Eco, his oldest adopted son, was a mute boy when he first appeared as a key player in the book Roman Blood.Bethesda and Gordianus have a mutually affectionate relationship and are later married after he frees her. Bethesda, his beautiful Egyptian slave purchased from a slave market in Alexandria.The detective is known as Gordianus the Finder, and he mixes with non-fictional citizens of the Republic including Sulla, Cicero, Marcus Crassus, Catilina, Catullus, Pompey, Julius Caesar, and Mark Antony.įor an ancient Roman, Gordianus has an unconventional family: The phrase 'Roma Sub Rosa' means, in Latin, 'Rome under the rose.' If a matter was sub rosa, 'under the rose,' it meant that such matter was confidential.

Roma Sub Rosa is a series of historical mystery novels by Steven Saylor set in ancient Rome and therefore populated by famous historic roman citizens.

Arms of nemesis steven saylor