The Roman Mysteries facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
The Roman Mysteries

Book 1 in the series
The Thieves of Ostia The Secrets of Vesuvius The Pirates of Pompeii The Assassins of Rome The Dolphins of Laurentum The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina The Enemies of Jupiter The Gladiators from Capua The Colossus of Rhodes The Fugitive from Corinth The Sirens of Surrentum The Charioteer of Delphi The Slave-girl from Jerusalem The Beggar of Volubilis The Scribes from Alexandria The Prophet from Ephesus The Man from Pomegranate Street
Author	Caroline Lawrence
Illustrator	Fred van Deelen, Peter Sutton, Richard Carr
Country	United Kingdom
Genre	Historical
Publisher	Orion
Media type	Print (hardback & paperback)

The Roman Mysteries is a popular series of historical novels. These books are written for children by Caroline Lawrence. The first book, The Thieves of Ostia, came out in 2001. The series ended with The Man from Pomegranate Street in 2009. There are 19 main novels in total. There are also "mini-mysteries" and other companion books.

The stories take place in the ancient Roman Empire. This was during the time of Emperor Titus. The books follow four young friends. They solve mysteries and have exciting adventures. Their journeys take them through Ostia Antica, Rome, Greece, and other places. The main characters are Flavia, Nubia, Jonathan, and Lupus.

Meet the Characters

The Four Detectives

• Flavia Gemina: She is a rich Roman girl. Her father is a sea captain. She lives in Ostia.
• Jonathan ben Mordecai: He is a kind and smart Jewish boy. He sometimes worries a lot.
• Nubia: She is an African girl. Flavia freed her from slavery. Nubia is very good with animals.
• Lupus: He is a mute beggar boy. This means he cannot speak. He has a sad past.

Other Important Characters

• Marcus Flavius Geminus: He is Flavia's father. He works as a sea captain.
• Mordecai: He is Jonathan's father. He is a doctor.
• Miriam bat Mordecai: She is Jonathan's older sister.
• Aristo: He is a Greek teacher. He teaches the four children.

Characters Based on Real People

Some characters in the books are based on real historical figures.

• Pliny the Elder: A famous Roman admiral and writer. He wrote about nature.
• Pliny the Younger: Pliny the Elder's nephew. He was also a writer.
• Titus: The Emperor of Rome during the time the stories are set.
• Berenice of Cilicia: A princess who was close to Emperor Titus.
• Domitian: Titus's younger brother. He later became emperor.
• Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus: A well-known Roman historian. He appears as a young man in the books.
• Gaius Valerius Flaccus: A Roman poet. He appears in several novels.
• Titus Flavius Josephus: A famous Jewish historian.
• Julia Flavia: Emperor Titus's daughter.

The Roman Mysteries Books

Here is a list of the main novels in the series:

1. The Thieves of Ostia (2001)
2. The Secrets of Vesuvius (2001)
3. The Pirates of Pompeii (2002)
4. The Assassins of Rome (2002)
5. The Dolphins of Laurentum (2003)
6. The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina (2003)
7. The Enemies of Jupiter (2003)
8. The Gladiators from Capua (2004)
9. The Colossus of Rhodes (2005)
10. The Fugitive from Corinth (2005)
11. The Sirens of Surrentum (2006)
12. The Charioteer of Delphi (2006)
13. The Slave-girl from Jerusalem (2007)
14. The Beggar of Volubilis (2008)
15. The Scribes from Alexandria (2008)
16. The Prophet from Ephesus (2009)
17. The Man from Pomegranate Street (2009)

Collected Editions

The books are also available in special collected editions called "Omnibus" books. Each Omnibus contains three novels.

1. The Roman Mysteries Omnibus I: The Thieves of Ostia, The Secrets of Vesuvius, and The Pirates of Pompeii.
2. The Roman Mysteries Omnibus II: The Assassins of Rome, The Dolphins of Laurentum, and The Twelve Tasks of Flavia Gemina.
3. The Roman Mysteries Omnibus III: The Enemies of Jupiter, The Gladiators from Capua, and The Colossus of Rhodes.

Mini-Mysteries and Short Stories

Caroline Lawrence also wrote shorter stories set in the Roman Mysteries world.

1. Bread and Circuses: A short story first published in 2003. A shorter version was later released as The Code of Romulus for World Book Day in 2007.
2. Trimalchio's Feast and other mini-mysteries (2007)
3. The Legionary from Londinium and other mini-mysteries (2010)

Companion Books

These books offer extra fun and information about the Roman Mysteries.

1. The First Roman Mysteries Quiz Book
2. The Second Roman Mysteries Quiz Book
3. The Roman Mysteries Treasury (2007)
4. From Ostia to Alexandria with Flavia Gemina: Travels with Flavia Gemina (2008)

Planned Spin-offs

In 2008, a new series for older teens was planned. It would have followed Jonathan's twin nephews. The stories would have been partly set in Roman Britain. This series was put on hold.

In 2010, Caroline Lawrence announced a spin-off series for younger readers. This series would feature Threptus. He is an 8-year-old beggar boy from Ostia. Threptus appears in the last Roman Mystery book.

Special Features in the Books

Each Roman Mysteries novel has cool features that make them special.

• Maps and Diagrams: Every book includes at least one map of the area where the story takes place. Sometimes there are also plans or diagrams. These were drawn by Richard Russell Lawrence.
• Scrolls: The chapters in the books are called "scrolls." This is because ancient Roman books were made of rolls of papyrus. The chapters are numbered using Roman numerals.
• Aristo's Scroll: This is the name for the glossary in the books. It explains Roman words and terms. It's named after Flavia's tutor, Aristo.
• The Last Scroll: This is the author's note at the end of each book. It tells readers what parts of the story are fact and what parts are fiction.

TV Series Adaptation

The BBC created a television show based on the books. It is called Roman Mysteries. The first season aired in 2007. The second season followed in 2008.

Images for kids

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  Book 1 in the series

See also

In Spanish: Misterios romanos para niños