Valerius. a Roman Story
1821
A young Roman-Briton leaves his quiet life behind for the heart of the ancient world. Valerius has spent his days in the misty provinces of Britain, but when his father dies and an inheritance calls him to Rome, he sets sail with only his loyal servant Boto for company. What begins as a straightforward journey to claim his birthright becomes something far more complex. The city that greets him is intoxicating and dangerous, a place where sophistication masks sharper cruelties, where every corner promises either glory or ruin. Through encounters with thieves, scholars, and shadowy figures from his father's past, Valerius must learn who he truly is when the comforts of home dissolve. Written in 1821, this is early historical fiction at its most Romantic: a young man's education in the ways of the world, suffused with antiquarian fascination for the ancient past and all the longing that implies.
