By Benita Kane Jaro

Description

See Cicero in his mileau: a novel on his life and times.
Benita Kane Jaro presents the major characters and events in the waning Roman Republic from the point of view of Cicero, the greatest orator and finest statesman of ancient Rome. She also depicts the conflict that led to the collapse of the Republic and Cicero's single-handed struggle which staved off its collapse for 15 years.

In The Lock, the principal figures of the age: Julius Caesar, Cicero, Pompey the Great make their appearance and play out their fateful struggle. The novel has a deep rethinking of the character of Marcus Tullius Cicero and a reassessment of his life and work. His warmth and wit, his intelligence, his integrity and his courage make him a hero for our time as well as his own.

Built around the letters and speeches of Cicero, many of which appear in the novel in new and lively translations by the author, The Lock is historically accurate and carefully researched. It may be read independently as a single novel, or as the second volume of the trilogy The Key, The Lock, and The Door in the Wall. It features maps of Rome and the Empire, specially drawn for the novel, and includes a reader-friendly list of Principal Characters and a Chronology of Events in the novel. No other novel so deeply examines Cicero and his times.

Special Features

• Built around the letters and speeches of Cicero, many of which appear in the novel in new and lively translations by the author
• Historically accurate and carefully researched
• May be read independently as a single novel, or as the second 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

Upcoming Special Events

Benita Kane Jaro at the University of Maryland
May 1, 2004

Benita Kane Jaro will be speaking about her historical novels on "Catullus' world" at the May 1, 2004 workshop on Catullus and Horace here at the University of Maryland, College Park (the final workshop in a series of seven on the new, 2004-2005, Catullus-Horace Advanced Placement Latin Syllabus). There have been 25-30 students taking part in each of these workshops, which offer continuing education credit from the Maryland State Department of Education—a diverse group consisting of secondary school Latin teachers in Maryland, Virginia and Pennsylvania; advanced undergraduates and graduate students at the University of Maryland simultaneously enrolled in a Latin seminar on Catullus and Horace; and intermediate Latin students in introductory Catullus and Horace courses.

Benita Kane Jaro will join the participants for lunch after the morning translation and discussion session and then—from 1 to 3—talk about the challenges she faced in making Catullus' world fictionally accessible to contemporary audiences.

Copies of her three novels will be available for puchase and signing.

Click here for more information on conferences

Comments and Reviews

The Lock,by Benita Kane Jaro (281 pages, June 2002), is the third in a trilogy of vivid historical novels set near the end of the Roman Republic. The Key (1988) focused on the poet Catullus, while The Door in the Wall (1994) revolved around the intrigues and relationships of Julius Caesar. The Lock centers more on the Roman senator Cicero and his attempts to prevent the collapse of democracy and thwart the machinations of Pompey in his bid for sole control of Rome. Written engagingly and with a clear grasp of the complexities of Roman politics, The Lock shows how the ancients came to grips with some of the same choices and challenges that we face today. $19.95. Bolchazy-Carducci, 1000 Brown Street, Unit 101, Wauconda, IL 60084. ISBN 0-86516-535-1.
- Stephanie Orphan, Editor, C&RL News (October 2002)

The Lock, by Benita Kane Jaro: Guide rating 4 of 5 stars

Far removed from sensibilities that made a man's appearance in the house of the Vestals a national disaster, and without the help of an author like Jaro, it's hard for us to take the Bona Dea incident seriously. A carefully researched story about Cicero's role in public life, based largely on his letters [that] demonstrates the operation of the offices and decaying legal system of the late Roman Republic [and] shows Clodius as a real threat to Roman society and not just a transvestite in the Bona Dea scandal.
- N. S. Gill
Ancient history guide,
About.com

Benita Kane Jaro is an exciting writer of great skill and grace. Courage, too...The result is a powerful and moving story, as freshly minted as today's news and as haunting as the deepest memory.
-George Garrett

If there is to be a worthy successor to Mary Renault, or to Marguerite Yourcenar, it may be Benita Kane Jaro.
-Doris Grumbach

Through her deft use of dialogue and descriptive detail, Benita Kane Jaro imaginatively brings to life the personalities and political intrigues of ancient Rome in the turbulent days of Julius Caesar. She is especially successful at recreating the smells, sights, sounds and tastes experienced by her characters, and thereby summoning up the physical texture as well as the intellectual substance of lived reality.
-Judith Peller Hallet, Professor of Classics, University of Maryland

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