Customer Reviews

The Temple of the Muses (SPQR Mystery, Book 4)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

SPQR IV is JMR's best offering of Decius Metellus the Younger. Having so often referred to circumstance or snooping imposed periods of exile we finally get to see how well Decuis travels.
And the result is as well as Todd's Claudia Seferius and better than Davis' Didius Falco.
This installment finds our erstwhile hero appearing as a Roman diplomat at Alexandria, in the Eyptian province. Ably supported by his slave Hermes and the great physician character, Asklepodies he is quickly joined by his now-confirmed betrothed Julia Minor and the female half of Sulla's twin children, Fausta.
As Decius and Julia wrly note towards the end, Decius gets tangled in a web of murder simply because it is, as Ptolemy the Flute-Player notes, his hobby. The murder, mayhem and rioting that he brings as part of his investigatory technique disrputs an entire city to the point that his denouement and great service to the Roman state is swiftly followed by him being tossed on the nearest ship to Rhodes. Never mind.
No venture into Alexandria can occur without philosophical ramblings (Decius' dry comments on the death of Archimedes to Antigones is extremely humorous) and they abound here in plenty, beginning with the death of the mathematician turned secret mechanics-dabbler Iphicrates.
The only thing that slightly disappoints and echoes the previous novel, is that the 'uncovering' is always lame. In this case the three culprits get together, write everything down and neatly recount everything they've done to the listening Decius. These people deserve to be caught if that's the case. You get the feeling JMR hadn't quite yet mastered the art of the murder mystery denouement in the same vein as that master of such - Agatha Christie.
Nevertheless, aside from a poor murder mystery ending, the rest of the tale is extremely good and the dry sardonic innocence of Decius 'snooping' is now firmly established making this tale very humorous.
Buy it.

As an avid reader of ancient history, historical fiction, and mystery novels, I was pleased to stumble upon the SPQR series, which combines all three. No historical fiction I have ever read brings Republican Rome to life better than SPQR. The mysteries through the first four books haven't been all that mystical, but the excitement moves the stories along quite well.

Decius Metellus the Younger is a minor Roman Senator who serves in a series of menial government jobs and finds murder, mayhem, and mystery everywhere he goes. Each of the first three books of the series has ended with Decius fleeing Rome to escape the homicidal fury of those he has angered.

This story is different in that it takes place during one of Decius' many enforced absences from Rome. He goes to Egypt with a diplomatic mission headed by his uncle, Metellus Creticus. The book reads somewhat like a 'Lonely Planet' guidebook as Decius explores the city of Alexandria, visiting the Jewish Quarter, the Palace of the Ptolemies, the Pharos lighthouse, the Library, and many other long forgotten landmarks including the Temple of the Muses.

Decius encounters murder in the Temple, and being offended that so vile a crime could occur in so holy a place, he sets out to solve the murder and avenge the Muses. He manages to get on the wrong side of almost everyone he comes in contact with, evades a number of attempts on his own life, and uncovers a plot to overthrow the Roman influence in Egypt. When he wakes up one morning with a hangover and a murdered courtesan in his bed, things really get complicated. Not only does he get himself arrested for murder, he has a very hard time explaining things to his fiance. Not surprisingly, the story ends with the murder solved, the plot foiled, and Decius leaving the city in a very undignified manner.

How wonderful that this book has finally reappeared in English! I've had to read volumes 4-8 of the SPQR series in German translation (they seem to be very popular in Germany). It's in The Temple of the Muses (vol. 4 of the series) that the hero, Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger, really starts showing his development as a character. In the first volumes, he's a brawling, rather juvenilely endearing figure. Here, however, he grows up. From this volume on, he starts showing the basic quandary of a decent, patriotic Roman in the final years of the Republic. Not only is the story good, the historical background is well done, completely convincing (and accurate where I've checked) without rubbing the history side in the reader's face too much.

One comes away from this book with a good feel for ancient Alexandria and its people, both egyptians, jews and others. Decius keeps things moving in interesting fashion almost like a slapstick movie. As a mystery, there isnt much meat on the bone but as an adventure this is top notch.

How could a Roman Senator attached to a diplomatic mission in Alexandria get in trouble? Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger, despite being ordered to stay out of trouble by his superior officer, his uncle Metellus Creticus, stubbornly walks into much more trouble than even he can handle.

The Temple of the Muses, the fourth novel in the SPQR series, is set in Alexandria, Egypt during the Consulship of Metellus Celer and Lucius Afranius. The Roman mission is mostly to support the Egyptian Pharaoh, Ptolemy. Keeping him happy and in power allows the Romans to profit from the vast wealth of Egypt without the expenses involved with administering the country themselves.

The mystery in this novel is complex. Accordingly, readers may find it difficult to guess the final outcome. A noted philosopher is murdered apparently without motive. Although the philosopher is quite rude and eccentric no one seems to wish him dead enough to kill him. Slowly Decius discovers a plot against the Pharaoh, and wonders if somehow the philosopher had encountered those involved in the plot. Decius keeps getting into trouble when he tries to investigate any of the suspected conspirators.

Possible slips in judgment get Decius in trouble. When he discovers three men conspiring against the state, he promptly challenges them (despite 3-1 odds). Regardless of the fact that his betrothed Julia Minor, niece of Julius Caesar, is in Alexandria, Decius attends numerous parties - rich and lavish events that ply one with food, wine, and exotic entertainment (often sensual in nature). Some participants come with transparent gowns or mostly nude. Most attendees get drunk early in the event.

As usual with the SPQR series, the narration contains numerous historical facts that I find worth knowing. In "The Temple of The Muses" we learn that the term museum derives from ancient Alexandria. The building complex that housed Egypt's archeological collection was near the great Temple of the Muses. The temple was important to the culture, so the building that housed historical artifacts was honored by naming it after its location - literally part of the temple complex.

The second interesting fact is the names and attributes of the nine muses. I especially enjoyed reading about Clio, the muse of history, Thalia, the muse of comedy, and Calliope, the muse of epic poetry.

A third fascinating belief is that philosophers were only supposed to think. They were forbidden to do anything practical and generally were expected to avoid doing anything - especially work. This fact alone tells me I should have become a philosopher.

The Temple of the Muses is an excellent mystery and a good story. I recommend this book to history lovers and mystery lovers everywhere.

The SPQR series of Roman Historical mysteries chronicles the career and adventures of one Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger, a fictional scion of a real Roman political family. John Maddox Roberts does an excellent job of drawing the reader into actual Republican Roman politics and history with entertaining characters and witty dialog- and an occasional gripping action scene. Each book also contains a well researched glossary of Roman terms and the Republican Roman political system.

What is nice about the series is that the History is accurate. In fact, many of the mysteries are "ripped from the headlines" or is that more "chipped from the tablets?"

Decius starts in 70 BC, with his first step upon the cursus honorum.

Here, In SPQR IV The Temple of the Muses, set around 60BC, Decius gets one of his first official duties wearing the well known Toga praetexta, with the broad purple stripe that indicates that Decius is now a junior Senator, what was called a "back-bencher".

The Mystery involves the Famous Library of Alexandria, and Decius gets his first experience with the odd politics of that amazing ancient metropolis. Did you know that some estimates rate that city as being the first to have a population of over one million souls? He also gets in a visit to the famed Pharos of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders. Not to mention starting a riot (Decius didn't know cats were sacred to the Egyptians!) and as is the course for this series- uncovering a nasty and politically motivated murder and plot.


How Decius Caecilius Metellus solves the murder without getting himself into even deeper hot water politically is the crux of this entertaining book- in fact, that is really a common theme running through much of the series. Solving a murder in ancient Rome is one thing- but when it involves politics, you have to know how to solve it without getting banished or executed yourself!

Not only is there a good solid mystery here, there's also some interesting ancient politics and even a casual reader will find out some interesting historical tidbits and facts.

Here in SPQR IV, John Maddox Roberts hits his stride with this series of now 13 excellent historical mysteries. Note that there are also several short stories:

The Statuette of Rhodes, Classical Whodunnits. (set right after this book, if reading these in historical order is important to you)

http://www.amazon.com/Classical-Whodunnits-Murder-Mystery-Ancient/dp/0756783895/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1282337063&sr=1-1

Mightier Than the Sword, The Mammoth Book of Historical Whodunnits (set after Book VII)

The Etruscan House, Crime Through Time II

Venus in Pearls, Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine July/August 2001

The Will, The Mammoth Book of Roman Whodunnits

The King of Sacrifices, The Mammoth Book of Historical Detectives

An Academic Question, Past Poisons

This episode in the SPQR series is a great, fast paced story of Decius uncovering a matter of international intrigue. As with all the SPQR books, the writing is insightful and entertaining, but the structure of the mystery and its unravelling is disappointing.

This book contains a map of Rome, as do the other books in the SPQR series, unfortunately, no part of the story in this book takes place in Rome. Decius spends the duration of this novel in Egypt, however a map of Egypt or Alexandria are missing.

A good book; but not the best of the Decius Metelius series. I've always liked Decius because he mixes it up with Caesar, Pompey, and his old enemy Clodius and because he's a little like Lindsey Davis's Falco - a bit of an unorthodox scamp who doesn't take things entirely seriously (unlike Steven Saylor's Geordanius the Finder who aged too fast and seems a tired old guy. Decius loses his ideals at a slower rate). Anyway, Clodius and Caesar don't appear in this volume, so although Decius's involvement with Caesar's headstrong niece (who wants to stick her nose in Decius' investigation) continues - none of the old conflicts do. Please bring him back to Rome and the people who hate him.

Decius Caecilius Metellus is the star of another series of detective fiction set in era of the Roman Republic. Like Lindsey Davis' Marcus Didius Falco series, it features a wise-guy sleuth who thankfully has the good grace not to think too highly of himself. Above all, Decius is human and is not above enjoying a good bout of drinking or a night of carousing in the one of the city's less reputable quarters. Told in the first person, his comments are snide, meant to amuse and soften the historical aspect of the novel by bringing it into the more modern perspective of current sensibilites regarding universal issues like cult religions, proper behavior or the octopus of the political bureaucracy.
In this particular offering, the historical phase of the story is particularly entertaining as it enlightens the reader with regard to the lost city of Alexandria. Decius is part of an envoy to the city of Alexandria, so we are privy to his first hand encounter of a city built on a grid, newer and so different from Rome. As Decius tours, so do we. We visit some of the wonders of the ancient world: the fabled great Library, the temple of the Muses (Museum) and the great Pharos lighthouse. Amidst this backdrop, Decius entertains with his impressions of the alien Hellenic Egyptians (Berenice, Cleopatra and Ptolemy) and the strange barbarian cults which are housed in foreign temples along Alexandia's wide thoroughfares. We are enlightened as to his thoughts of the more prominent Romans of his day: Julius Caesar, Crassius, Sulla and their progeny,Sulla's daughter. Fausta and Decius' fiance, Julia Minor, daughter of Lucius Caesar. When a mathematician from Chios is murdered, Decius plods about like a toga clad Sherlock Holmes--infuriating most of the dignitaries he interviews for the sake of determining the truth. When another murder occurs and the body is found naked beside Decius in his own bed, it becomes brutally clear that Decius has stumbled upon a much more insidious political plot not meant to eliminate one or two unlucky people, but to undermine Rome's entire influence over Egypt.
I read this book without the benefit of reading the first three SPQR novels, so I am ill-equipped to discuss the author's development of his main character and the substories which involve his lesser players. I can only say that the book was enjoyable as a stand-alone and could only get better with the anticipated knowledge reading the other stories would provide.

Decius Caecilius Metellus has an odd penchant for using curiosity and logic to deduce grand political intrigues threatening the ancient Roman Republic. Decius's optimistic cynicism and amusing asides make for lively reading, but outrage the stolid Roman virtues of dignitas and gravitas expected of young Senators like him. Since Decius rarely succeeds in actually doing something against the powerful villains like Crassus, Pompey, or Caesar at the heart of this series (but not this interlude), he frequently finds it necessary to leave town. In this episode of his saga, the noble Roman family Caecilius Metellus is up to its ears in trouble again, but in Egypt rather than its usual Roman haunts. Decius is a minor functionary in the Roman embassy situated in the remarkable town of Alexandria, where he is soon nosing after murder in the famous Library, snooping on a new religious cult, questing after dreadful new engines of war, and attempting to save beautiful Egyptian princesses and even the puppet ruler Ptolemy. We also get a glimpse of the 10-year-old Cleopatra before she was quite able to snare her first Roman. Once again the plot spirals into politically catastrophic events--will Decius save the Roman-Egyptian alliance?--even though the events seem loosely plotted and made up, even fantastical, rather than more tightly historic as elsewhere in the series or in the tales of Steven Saylor. I find Decius quite a likeable character; I'm glad the series continues.

There's a didactic subtext to these stories: pay attention and we can learn much about the organization of Roman society and politics, its economic basis and strategic considerations (especially re Egypt in this book), and the origin of modern terms like politics or Muse-um. Roberts does a great job of fusing geography and story here: the exotic city of classical Alexandria and its many extraordinary buildings--not just the Lighthouse or the Library--are ably evoked, and their forms play several crucial roles in the story. Unfortunately, the map and glossary of the city of Rome that again appear in this volume are quite off the mark, helping not at all with the descriptions of Alexandria and the Egyptian mystery religions that are so prominent in the text. The editor also allows Roberts to indicate that this book 4 takes place before book 3, is that right?