Romanitas (novel)
Encyclopedia
Romanitas is an alternate history novel by Sophia McDougall
, published by Orion Books. It is the first of a planned trilogy of novels based on a world where the Roman Empire
has survived to contemporary times and now dominates much of the world.
(and heir apparent
since the death of his father), is informed by his servant Varius that his father Leo and his mother were murdered by a conspiracy concerned about Leo's ambition to abolish slavery. While this is happening, Varius' wife eats sweets given to Marcus by his cousin Makaria and dies of poisoning. Varius promptly arranges for Marcus to flee to a hidden refuge in Spain
, run by Delir, an anti-slavery activist
and secret ally of Leo. Meanwhile, a British
slave named Una, who has the ability to read minds
, rescues her brother Sulien who has been falsely accused of rape and sentenced to crucifixion
.
The three runaways meet in Gaul
. Despite initial suspicion, they agree to help each other and travel to the refuge. However, Varius has been arrested and the conspirators force him to reveal the location of the refuge.
Upon discovering that Varius has confessed to murdering him, Marcus decides to go to Rome to reveal he is in fact still alive, planning to reveal the conspiracy in public so the conspirators will be unable to kill him. He runs away from the refuge and travels to Rome, evading the soldiers sent to capture him. Una and Sulien follow him, but are unable to find him in time to prevent him revealing himself. Marcus reveals himself but is captured and taken to a hospital. There he is injected with a hallucinogen
by one of the conspirators so that when Emperor Faustus is taken to him, Marcus appears to be mad. As many of the Imperial family have succumbed to a hereditary madness in the past (including, apparently, Marcus' other uncle, Lucius), Faustus agrees to keep Marcus in seclusion.
The runaway slaves make it to Rome, and manage to rescue Marcus from the asylum where he is being held. Thereafter, Marcus succeeds in revealing the truth about Varius' innocence to the emperor, as well as the plot to kill him. Makaria manages to exculpate herself from any involvement in the conspiracy, pouring suspicion onto the emperor's current wife, Tulliola.
Sophia McDougall
Sophia McDougall is a British novelist, playwright, and poet.-Novelist:McDougall is best known internationally as the author of alternate history novels published by Orion Publishing Group and based on the premise that the Roman Empire survived to contemporary times.-Books:*Romanitas , Orion Books...
, published by Orion Books. It is the first of a planned trilogy of novels based on a world where the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
has survived to contemporary times and now dominates much of the world.
Plot summary
Marcus Novius Faustus Leo, the teenage nephew of the emperorRoman Emperor
The Roman emperor was the ruler of the Roman State during the imperial period . The Romans had no single term for the office although at any given time, a given title was associated with the emperor...
(and heir apparent
Heir apparent
An heir apparent or heiress apparent is a person who is first in line of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting, except by a change in the rules of succession....
since the death of his father), is informed by his servant Varius that his father Leo and his mother were murdered by a conspiracy concerned about Leo's ambition to abolish slavery. While this is happening, Varius' wife eats sweets given to Marcus by his cousin Makaria and dies of poisoning. Varius promptly arranges for Marcus to flee to a hidden refuge in Spain
Hispania
Another theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
, run by Delir, an anti-slavery activist
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
and secret ally of Leo. Meanwhile, a British
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
slave named Una, who has the ability to read minds
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
, rescues her brother Sulien who has been falsely accused of rape and sentenced to crucifixion
Crucifixion
Crucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
.
The three runaways meet in Gaul
Roman Gaul
Roman Gaul consisted of an area of provincial rule in the Roman Empire, in modern day France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and western Germany. Roman control of the area lasted for less than 500 years....
. Despite initial suspicion, they agree to help each other and travel to the refuge. However, Varius has been arrested and the conspirators force him to reveal the location of the refuge.
Upon discovering that Varius has confessed to murdering him, Marcus decides to go to Rome to reveal he is in fact still alive, planning to reveal the conspiracy in public so the conspirators will be unable to kill him. He runs away from the refuge and travels to Rome, evading the soldiers sent to capture him. Una and Sulien follow him, but are unable to find him in time to prevent him revealing himself. Marcus reveals himself but is captured and taken to a hospital. There he is injected with a hallucinogen
Psychedelics, dissociatives and deliriants
This general group of pharmacological agents can be divided into three broad categories: psychedelics, dissociatives, and deliriants. These classes of psychoactive drugs have in common that they can cause subjective changes in perception, thought, emotion and consciousness...
by one of the conspirators so that when Emperor Faustus is taken to him, Marcus appears to be mad. As many of the Imperial family have succumbed to a hereditary madness in the past (including, apparently, Marcus' other uncle, Lucius), Faustus agrees to keep Marcus in seclusion.
The runaway slaves make it to Rome, and manage to rescue Marcus from the asylum where he is being held. Thereafter, Marcus succeeds in revealing the truth about Varius' innocence to the emperor, as well as the plot to kill him. Makaria manages to exculpate herself from any involvement in the conspiracy, pouring suspicion onto the emperor's current wife, Tulliola.
Analysis
Romanitas presents itself, above all, as a dystopian novel mainly by virtue of the stark differences between the world that we live in and the alternate route of history that the book is set in. McDougall's vision of the modern Roman Empire has it spanning roughly two thirds of the world's land mass. Politically speaking, absolute power still belongs to the emperor alone, with the resulting singularity of vision causing both tranquility and chaos on a massive scale.External links
- Romanitas Official site
- Review of Romanitas by The International Writers Magazine
See also
- Gunpowder EmpireGunpowder EmpireGunpowder Empire is an alternate history novel by Harry Turtledove. It is the first part of the Crosstime Traffic series.-Plot summary:In the novel, Jeremy and Amanda Solter are two teenagers living in the late 21st century...
- Warlords of UtopiaWarlords of UtopiaWarlords of Utopia is an original novel by Lance Parkin set in the Faction Paradox universe. It has been described as 'possibly [Parkin's] finest accomplishment to date'....
- Roma EternaRoma EternaRoma Eterna is a 2003 novel by Robert Silverberg which presents an alternate history in which the Roman Empire survives to the present day.-Plot introduction:...