The Triumph of Caesar

The Triumph of Caesar

Author	Steven Saylor
Country	United States
Language	English language
Series	Roma Sub Rosa
Genre	Historical mystery
Publisher	St. Martin's Press
Publication date	2008
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	320 pp
ISBN
Preceded by	A Gladiator Dies Only Once
Followed by	The Seven Wonders

The Triumph of Caesar is a historical mystery novel by American author Steven Saylor, first published by St. Martin's Press in 2008. It is the twelfth book in his Roma Sub Rosa series of mystery stories set in the final decades of the Roman Republic. The main character is the Roman sleuth Gordianus the Finder.

The year is 46 BC. Having won the civil war, Julius Caesar is now the master of Rome. Gordianus the Finder and his family return home after their recuperative trip to Egypt, and are given grim news: Gordianus's friend, Hieronymus (whom Gordianus rescued from human sacrifice in Last Seen in Massilia) has been murdered. Caesar's wife, Calpurnia, who has become more superstitious and paranoid with each passing day, believes there is a plot to kill her husband. In Gordianus's absence, she hired Hieronymus to investigate, and now his murder seems to lend credence to the threat. Calpurnia is frantic, since her information indicates that the prospective assassin plans for Caesar to be dead by the end of his great triumph.

As each day of the triumph goes by, Gordianus has no better plan than to follow in Hieronymus's footsteps, interviewing everyone he spoke with in the last days of his life. As he does so, Gordianus becomes conscious of just how many people have reason to want Caesar dead:

While all of these people seem to have the motive for plotting against Caesar, few seem to have the inclination (for instance, Antony seems more interested in spending his days in debauchery, and Cicero is slavishly devoted to his new young wife, Publilia) and those that do (such as Vercingetorix and Arsinoe) seem to lack opportunity.