A Gladiator Dies Only Once, Steven Saylor
A Gladiator Dies Only Once, Steven Saylor
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A Gladiator Dies Only Once
The Further Investigations of Gordianus the Finder

Author: Steven Saylor

Narrator: Geoffrey Howard

Unabridged: 8 hr 16 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/01/2013

Synopsis

Steven Saylor's Roma Sub Rosa series, set in the later Roman Republic and featuring Gordianus the Finder, has garnered unusual acclaim from readers and reviewers alike, establishing him as one of the preeminent historical mystery writers. In A Gladiator Dies Only Once, the second collection of his award-winning stories featuring Gordianus, Saylor more than meets his own high standards. Set between the events of his novels Roman Blood and Catilina's Riddle, these nine stories of previously untold adventures from the early career of Gordianus—when his adopted son, Eco, was still a mute boy and his wife, Bethesda, was but his slave—will delight Saylor's many fans while illuminating details of the ancient world like no other writer can.Included are "The Consul's Wife," which involves a twisted search for truth behind a threatening blind item in the Acta Diurna. In "The White Fawn," Gordianus must deal with a kidnapping and murder during the revolt of Sertorius. "Archimedes' Tomb" tells the story behind Cicero's discovery of Archimedes' tomb. Finally, "If a Cyclops Could Vanish in a Blink of an Eye" brings up a perplexing domestic situation in Gordianus' own home.

About Steven Saylor

Steven Saylor is a freelance writer, editor, and the author of novels set in ancient Rome. He studied history at the University of Texas at Austin. Saylor’s writing has appeared in the Threepenny Review, San Francisco Bay Guardian, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, and the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. He lives in Berkeley, California, and Austin, Texas.

About Geoffrey Howard

Geoffrey Howard (a.k.a. Ralph Cosham) (1936–2014) was a British journalist who changed careers to become a narrator and screen and stage actor. He performed in more than one hundred professional theatrical roles. His audiobook narrations were named “Audio Best of the Year” by Publishers Weekly, and he won seven AudioFile Earphones Awards, and in 2013 he won the coveted Audie Award for Best Mystery Narration for his reading of Louise Penny’s The Beautiful Mystery.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Clemens on March 02, 2023

**Should Read as 4.5 Stars** This book is the second set of short Roman mysteries, and these are brought to us in a very exciting and educational way by the author. At the back of the book you'll find a partial Chronology and some accurate historical details within the Historical Notes. Storytelling is......more

Goodreads review by Ensiform on March 14, 2015

Nine stories of Gordianus the Finder’s early career, showing the relationships and decisions that shaped him into the well-connected and -respected figure he is in the later novels. In “The Consul’s Wife,” consul Decimus Brutus, hires Gordianus to ascertain whether his wife is placing coded messages......more

Goodreads review by Nick on November 11, 2024

Read this a ton when I was in junior high and it holds up pretty well! Lots of Wikipedia searches of various historic Roman figures (some obvious, others very niche) so was a fun refresher......more

Goodreads review by Sara on February 24, 2025

Voltar aos livros de Gordiano relembra-me os meus tempos de estudante universitária, do qual fiquei ainda mais fascinada em conhecer mais sobre a Roma Antiga devido ás cadeiras de cultura clássica. Foi na biblioteca da minha universidade que foi apresentada a este fabuloso detetive, e voltar de novo......more

Goodreads review by Gregoire on March 13, 2017

une série d'enquêtes situées à l'époque romaine par notre enquêteur de talent : GIORDANUS the Finder que l'on suit avec toujours autant de plaisir... même si le mécanisme est toujours un peu semblable, on se plonge avec délice dans cette époque grâce à l'attention que l'auteur porte aux détails J'ai......more

Quotes

“The stories are admirably varied—some are extensive mysteries; others offer short, sharp slices of life. All are marvelous reads in themselves and marvelous reflections of ancient Rome.” Booklist

“This collection of nine short stories establishes events in Gordianus the Finder’s early career between his first adventure and his third. Followers of this historical series, especially, will appreciate these scenarios.” Library Journal

“The twisty fair-play plotting that marks Saylor’s best novels is very much in evidence…[An] excellent volume.” Publishers Weekly

“All [the stories] engagingly evoke the last days of the Roman Republic and show the often tumultuous domestic lives of Gordianus’ lofty real-life acquaintances.” Kirkus Reviews

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