By Benita Kane Jaro

Description

Political intrigue: a novel on the life of Julius Caesar.
Marcus Caelius Rufus, a young politician, has holed up in a country town in the midst of a bloody and prolonged civil war. Great forces contend for Rome, and Caelius has ties to them all—the charismatic Julius Caesar, his beloved teacher Cicero, the hero Pompey the Great. Which side is he on? He must choose. Now he must reconsider who he is: his childhood and education, his loves and friendships, his complex relationship to Caesar, the man who has come to dominate his life. Before he is done, he will discover the shocking truth about Caesar, about Rome, and about himself. This book is a vivid and exciting read.

Special Features

• Based on historical documents of the time: letters, histories, commentaries, poems, all translated by the author in new and dynamic versions
  
• Contains portraits of all the great figures of the late Roman Republic: Caesar and Cicero, Pompey, Cato, Mark Antony, Curio, Caelius and a host of others
  
• May be read independently as a single novel, or as the third volume of the trilogy The Key, The Lock, The Door in the Wall
  
• Features maps of Rome and the Empire, specially drawn for the novel
  
• Includes reader-friendly list of Principal Characters and a Chronology of Events in the novel

Author Bio

Benita Kane Jaro is the author of the Roman trilogy The Key, The Lock, The Door in the Wall, as well as Betray the Night. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from California State University, Northridge, and an MFA in Creative Writing from American University, Washington, DC. Her interest in the ancient world began in early childhood and has continued all her life, as has her love of fiction, particularly novels. She lives near Washington, DC, with her husband, several large antique automated musical instruments, two carousel horses, and a lot of much-loved and misfiled books.

Comments and Reviews

History comes alive! Jaro gives full voice to the men who laid the foundations of culture and society. In telling the tale of Marcus Caelius Rufus, she brings insight into the makings of men and the unmakings of the Roman Republic. In The Door in the Wall, we see not just the history of a culture, a society, but a reflection of our contemporary current: a world also rife with political machinations, maneuvers and corruption that cuts to the core.

— A. M. Homes

Benita Kane Jaro recreates the major characters and events in the waning Roman Republic with a solid command of the ancient sources and the kind of disciplined imagination that brings history alive. Through the eyes of Cicero's witty and perceptive protege, Marcus Caelius Rufus, we are presented a compelling picture of the folly, corruption, and ruthless ambition that destroyed the Roman Republic and replaced it with Caesar—who is portrayed with deep insight into his essential nature.

— Allen Ward
Department of History
University of Connecticut

...assiduously researched, intelligently written...readers interested in the period will find this book more lively than the...sagas currently on the market.

— Publishers' Weekly

Early Rome comes to teeming life in this character-driven book about the days of Julius Caesar, Cicero, Pompey the Great and other famous figures.

— Pasadena Star-News

The book centers around...Marcus Caelius Rufus, who finds himself playing the ever popular late Republican game of guessing who is going to win the civil wars. Catullus is present and the whole thing sounds exciting.

— The Classical Outlook

Press Release