The Servant of Aphrodite is a delightful, easy read book packed with excitement, unexpected twists and turns, and a guided tour of Second Century Rome and her gourmet fare. An inferior meal would ruin his reputation and business, so Panderius goes to extraordinary lengths to ensure his customers are served the finest cuisine, and the reader is privy to those discussions. His high-end brothel/restaurant is frequented by the sons of wealthy Senators who are accustomed to the best food Rome has to offer. Panderius boasts an astounding knowledge of ancient methods of food preparation, spices, wines, and culinary delicacies, which is deftly woven into the story. Somehow it all worked, and the Republic thrived. In return, Panderius did favors for Sulla. Panderius, a client of Sulla, was opposed by Caepio and Marius and thusly supported by Sulla. “Clients” of the powerful and wealthy did the dirty work and reaped favors in return. The reader is introduced to the highly charged political scene in Rome, which Maty aptly dubs a “snake pit.” It appears that the Senate was comprised of competing factions who owed one another favors and supported their favorites while attempting to ruin their opponents. As he is the author of Ancient Rome on 5 Denarii a Day, I felt as if I were on a guided tour, one that Maty is well qualified to lead. I was particularly intrigued with Maty’s detailed knowledge of the streets and buildings of ancient Rome. I blame myself for this confusion because when the action heated up, so did my reading speed. On Occasion, I lost track of who was talking and had to reread the section to sort it out. A quick Internet search revealed that British English uses a single quotation mark rather than the double marks used in American English. Initially, I was slightly distracted by Maty use of single quotation marks to denote dialogue.
#Arausio map full
Once I started reading, not even Florida’s balmy weather (don’t mean to rub it in) or a house full of Thanksgiving guests could keep me away. It’s an exciting book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and is so engaging, the pages fly by. Readers, however, are unaware of Panderius’ planning until he springs his trap. Always two steps ahead of his attackers, he is able to handle whatever obstacles they throw at him. Panderius is the ancient equivalent of James Bond, fictional British Secret Service agent 007. So Panderius’ enemies relentlessly pursue him in the law courts and dark alleys of Rome, (spoiler!) all attempts fail. Gaius Marius just wants Panderius dead for his own personal reasons. (Arausio was Rome’s greatest military disaster surpassing even that of Cannae). Caepio, an aristocratic Commander at Arausio, wants him dead so that he cannot testify about the Battle of Arausio in which the Cimbri/Teutons destroyed 80,000 Legionaries and an equal number of auxiliaries and camp followers.
#Arausio map series
Panderius is back in Rome for the sequel, peacefully running his brothel, when he finds himself the target of an increasingly determined series of attempts on his life. Lucius Panderius is the protagonist in both novels that also feature other notable historical personalities such as Consuls Caepio, Marius, and Sulla. The storyline of The Servant of Aphrodite is built upon the aftermath of the Roman military disaster at Arausio in 105 BC and is a sequel to Maty’s earlier book The Gold of Tolosa. Maty currently splits his time between writing at home in Canada's Monashee Mountains (British Columbia) and providing e-learning courses for Cambridge University's Institute of Continuing Education. Maty has personal military experience both as a conscript in Rhodesia and with the Territorial Army in Britain, and he was a journalist and full-time professor. John’s College, Oxford University, specializing in the history of Classical Greece, the Late Republic, and Early Imperial periods of Rome. He earned his Doctorate in Ancient History from St. The Servant of Aphrodite is a reflection of Maty’s extensive travel, interesting background, and in-depth knowledge of ancient Rome. Since 2003 he has authored over twenty successful books. He possesses the necessary writing skills, intellectual brilliance, experience, and background to write a novel that is not only gripping, but also educational, and interesting. Professor Philip Matyszak (Maty) is definitely such an author. It takes an exceptional author to write an intriguing and suspenseful book like The Servant of Aphrodite.
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