Customer Reviews

Slave of Catiline

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For many of us who studied Latin, when it was still being offered in American High Schools, the tales of Paul L. Anderson hold many fond memories. (See the reviews to his "With the Eagles.") We came upon these brilliant stories around our Jr. High years and thought we had made the discovery of the ages, and in many ways we had. These are well-written tales with loads of details about ancient Rome, but they are exciting as well. They remind one of Edgar Rice Burroughs and read just as smoothly -- one adventure after another -- always with a strong, young protagonist a boy can wish to emulate. These are real gems if you can find them. I included a list of titles with my scans. Good hunting and good reading!

"Slave of Catiline," written by Paul Lewis Anderson (1880-1956), was published in 1930.

This story follows the adventures of a slave named Tiberius Rufus who lost his parents in a shipwreck and was raised by fishermen in Sicily. When pirates raided his village, he was captured, sold into slavery, and purchased by a lanista, a trainer of Roman gladiators.

Tiberius distinguishes himself in the arena as a red-haired left-handed net fighter. When this book starts, he is purchased to serve as a bodyguard to a scheming politician named Lucius Sergius Catilina, aka Catiline, who history remembers as the architect of a vast conspiracy to overthrow the Roman Republic in the 1st Century B.C.. These are the tumultuous times bracketed by Sulla, Cicero, and Caesar and, as such, make for a very interesting backdrop for a good, well-crafted story.

Tiberius' master, Catiline, is on the wrong side of history. He is rich, clever and persuasive, but ultimately outwitted by Marcus Tullius Cicero, Rome's greatest orater. Much has been written about Cicero, the self made man who was not born into fortune and status. In "Catiline," we get glimpses of his private and public life as he wrestles with the threat of a rebellion that has strong appeal to many in the upper class.

"Slave of Catiline" focuses on Tiberius Rufus as he struggles with the Roman ideals of honor, civic virtue, dignity, and duty. Tiberius, whose history and destiny make him a wonderful protagonist, must chose between duty to his master and a debt of gratitude he owes Cicero for having spared the life of his best friend.

This is a story about friendship and honor in the face of duty to an increasingly questionable cause. Given that the protaganist is a former gladiator, there is plenty of adventure and many well-written fight scenes though the violence is never graphic.

Anderson's formal, yet accesible prose is a real pleasure and it serves to anchor the story in an earlier time. I'm sure that real gladiators and scheming politicians were far more foul-mouthed than Anderson portrays, but it's a testiment to the author that he conveys the gritty times in language that was acceptable to his own times.

The pace is enjoyable but not relentless like so many modern adventure novels.

"Slave of Catiline" reads like a sequel to Anderson's "Pugnax the Gladiator (Roman Life and Times Series)" which was published nine years later. I recommend reading "Pugnax" first if you can, but the stories stand independent of each other.

Highly recommended!

People say this book is bad and pointless- they're wrong. I had to read it for summer reading, and i was not too inclined. But it was actually pretty good. Action, mystery, and a good plot. Writing pretty good too, but you may need to now some very basic latin. check it out!