Young Writers Society

Roman soldiers attack twelve year old Atticus’s village, killing and abducting the helpless and stupefied villagers. His father takes him up and rushes out of their burning hut, where his mother and sister are left for a merciless death. Atticus is then separated from his father and sold to a slave trader, his life shattered in the space of three days.
The author, Barry Denenberg, follows the tale of this common Roman twelve year old henceforward. ‘Atticus of Rome’ is a story based on the times of glorious Rome at 30 B.C. Atticus’s intelligent eyes and sweet face are spotted by the greatest advocate of Rome, Lucius Opimius, who is to be his master. Lucius Opimius, a true noble Roman and a close associate of the Emperor, soon nurses Atticus back to health with his household of servants. Lucius, who lost his wife in childbirth, develops a special attachment to Atticus, who almost clings to his master, treated by other slaves with jealous hostility. The only person to whom Atticus does go close to through the story would be Aristide, Lucius’ trusted astrologer. Soon, we find Lucius retiring from public life and marrying a fifteen-year-old girl in a marriage keenly elaborated by the author. Likewise, Barry Denenberg describes the customs and ways of the Romans in those times with amazing precision. Lucius’ new bride, Lady Claudia turns out to be alternatively normal and mysterious.
To Atticus’s pride, Lucius allows only him to accompany him on his daily rounds of Rome. Here we learn that Lucius is also the best friend of the Emperor. So much like a Roman story, we then learn of a plot to kill the Emperor. Because Lucius is a high-profile personality in Rome, he dispatches Atticus to spying errands, taking advantage of the fact that he is noticed as much as an a dog in Rome. Startlingly, Lady Claudia is discovered to be a part of the plot to kill the Emperor. Slowly, all the plotters are discovered and killed without any display of mercy.
Meanwhile, the gladiatorial games have got underway, with many of them suddenly cancelled because of the plot to kill the Emperor. In a fairytale end to the story, Atticus discovers his father in the Coliseum as a gladiator and saves him. To bring us back to the harsh reality of Rome the story ends with the death of Lucius Opimius by poisoning of some food he had eaten. Lady Claudia is exiled to a distant island and Atticus and his father prepare to travel to Greece in search of a more peaceful life. Atticus is reported to have been given all of Lucius’ property.
As a storybook, this has many flaws. The storyline is a weak one, taken and inspired from films and stories down the years. However, what Barry Denenberg should be credited for is the real and exact picture he presents of Rome in those times. For someone looking for a good story to read, this is not one for him or her. This is for someone with an interest in the glory of the Roman Empire and a sufficient interest in books.