The Man from Pomegranate Street
Encyclopedia
The Man from Pomegranate Street is a children's historical novel by Caroline Lawrence
. The novel, the seventeenth and last in the Roman Mysteries
series, was published in 2009. It is set immediately after the death of Titus
, primarily in the countryside around Rome
.
. The title probably refers to Domitian
, the brother of Titus, who lived on the street in his youth. However, Gaius Valerius Flaccus also has a house on the street.
Still under the shadow of the imperial edict, Flavia, Nubia and Lupus follow Jonathan to Italia, hoping to help him warn the Emperor Titus that his brother Domitian is trying to kill him, and to clear their names. In Rome the children and their tutor Aristo discover Titus has died of a headache and fever whilst on his way to his villa in the Sabine Hills, and that Domitian has been proclaimed emperor.
The children meet Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, once betrothed to Flavia, with his new tutor, Hilario. Tranquillus helps them investigate Titus's death. On the road, they find some clues and Flavia contracts a fever.
Flaccus arrives to tell them that Domitian has issued a decree saying he will give pardons to any who go and ask for his forgiveness. They go to Domitian's villa on Lake Albanus and obtain a pardon. They run into old acquaintance, Ascletario, Titus's Egyptian soothsayer. He tells them where to find Jonathan who has been starved and beaten by the emperor's blind torturer Messallinus, but a trap has been set and the children are captured.
While Nubia is forced to recline beside Domitian, Flavia bravely stands up to him, fuelled by her anger at Flaccus's apparent indifference toward her. Aristo declares his love for Nubia but is led away to fight in the arena, while Nubia and the emperor watch. However, it is learned that the beast Aristo is supposed to fight is actually a small black rabbit. When he succeeds, Domitian gives him his reward: Nubia. The two marry in the arena that same day.
Meanwhile, Flavia, Jonathan and Lupus disagree on whether the truth is always a good thing. When Jonathan confesses to Titus's murder, Flavia is stunned, but she soon guesses that the true culprit is Jonathan's father, Mordecai ben Ezra. Domitian overhears her declaration, and gives them all 24 hours to leave Italia never to return. After Jonathan runs away, disgusted that Domitian knows about his father whom he was trying to protect, Flaccus meets the group and offers them his assistance, driving them to Rome in an ox cart. He is shocked to hear they have been exiled, and explains to Flavia that although he loves her he cannot give up his family name, his wealth and status to join her. Heartbroken, Flavia returns with the others to Ostia.
Flavia and the other three go to Jonathan's house after finding Flavia's house locked up. Susannah and Hephzibah are tending Jonathan who returned home, and Flavia finds out that her father has just married Diana Cartilia Poplicola. Titus's doctor, Pinchas ben Aruva, tells them that Titus actually died of a tumour in his brain, revealed by an autopsy, and that Mordecai is no longer being sought for his murder.
On their final journey through Ostia to the Delphina, crowds of people whom the children have helped wish them farewell, including a coolly ironic Marcus Artorius Bato.
As the Delphina sails out of the harbour, a boat approaches the ship with a man, his servant and a dog on it. Recognizing Flaccus, Flavia faints. Flaccus helps her up and he tells her that he has given up his name and his wealth to be with her, protecting his family from disgrace by feigning his own death.
The novel's final chapter returns to the wedding preparations. It is revealed that Flavia, Nubia and Aristo are now living at the Villa Vinea in Ephesus
, given to them in The Prophet from Ephesus
. Lupus has joined a pantomime troupe for which he plays the drums and Jonathan is a practicing doctor in Ephesus, though taking time out to search for his missing nephew, Popo (Philadelphus). Flaccus remains a lawyer, helping the poor as well as the wealthy in Ephesus.
Flavia tells Pulchra they have recently learned that although Mordecai did not actually kill the Emperor, he was about to when he saw a boy that looked exactly like Jonathan, and could not go through with it. So her deductions had not been completely wrong after all.
As the groom's party approaches, Pulchra is surprised to see that Flavia's husband-to-be Jason is actually Gaius Valerius Flaccus whom all Rome believes died in a shipwreck. She promises not to reveal the secret, but asks Flavia in return to investigate a mystery in Samos
.
Another theme is Love Triumphant, with no less than three marriages. Nubia and Aristo finally realize that their love is mutual, and are married by Domitian. Flaccus overcomes misunderstanding and ambition to follow Flavia into exile. Flavia's father marries Cartilia's sister Diana, who had once, like Flavia, forsworn love.
Caroline Lawrence
Caroline Lawrence is an English American author, best known for The Roman Mysteries series of historical novels for children. The series is about a Roman girl called Flavia and her three friends: Nubia , Jonathan and Lupus...
. The novel, the seventeenth and last in the Roman Mysteries
The Roman Mysteries
The Roman Mysteries is a series of historical novels for children by Caroline Lawrence. The first book, The Thieves of Ostia, was published in 2001, finishing with The Man from Pomegranate Street, published in 2009, and 17 more novels were planned, plus a number of "mini-mysteries" and companion...
series, was published in 2009. It is set immediately after the death of Titus
Titus
Titus , was Roman Emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death, thus becoming the first Roman Emperor to come to the throne after his own father....
, primarily in the countryside around Rome
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
.
Title
Pomegranate Street is a residential street of wealthy townhouses on Rome's Quirinal HillQuirinal Hill
The Quirinal Hill is one of the Seven Hills of Rome, at the north-east of the city center. It is the location of the official residence of the Italian Head of State, who resides in the Quirinal Palace; by metonymy "the Quirinal" has come to stand for the Italian President.- History :It was...
. The title probably refers to Domitian
Domitian
Domitian was Roman Emperor from 81 to 96. Domitian was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty.Domitian's youth and early career were largely spent in the shadow of his brother Titus, who gained military renown during the First Jewish-Roman War...
, the brother of Titus, who lived on the street in his youth. However, Gaius Valerius Flaccus also has a house on the street.
Plot introduction
The novel is set in September, AD 81. Flavia Gemina sets out to investigate the death of Titus, believing his brother Domitian to be guilty of murder and unworthy to be the next emperor.Plot summary
The main story is introduced by a framing sequence set three years later, at the time of Flavia's wedding. Her friends Nubia and Pulchra and her stepmother help her to prepare, while she explains to Pulchra why she stopped being a 'detectrix'.Still under the shadow of the imperial edict, Flavia, Nubia and Lupus follow Jonathan to Italia, hoping to help him warn the Emperor Titus that his brother Domitian is trying to kill him, and to clear their names. In Rome the children and their tutor Aristo discover Titus has died of a headache and fever whilst on his way to his villa in the Sabine Hills, and that Domitian has been proclaimed emperor.
The children meet Gaius Suetonius Tranquillus, once betrothed to Flavia, with his new tutor, Hilario. Tranquillus helps them investigate Titus's death. On the road, they find some clues and Flavia contracts a fever.
Flaccus arrives to tell them that Domitian has issued a decree saying he will give pardons to any who go and ask for his forgiveness. They go to Domitian's villa on Lake Albanus and obtain a pardon. They run into old acquaintance, Ascletario, Titus's Egyptian soothsayer. He tells them where to find Jonathan who has been starved and beaten by the emperor's blind torturer Messallinus, but a trap has been set and the children are captured.
While Nubia is forced to recline beside Domitian, Flavia bravely stands up to him, fuelled by her anger at Flaccus's apparent indifference toward her. Aristo declares his love for Nubia but is led away to fight in the arena, while Nubia and the emperor watch. However, it is learned that the beast Aristo is supposed to fight is actually a small black rabbit. When he succeeds, Domitian gives him his reward: Nubia. The two marry in the arena that same day.
Meanwhile, Flavia, Jonathan and Lupus disagree on whether the truth is always a good thing. When Jonathan confesses to Titus's murder, Flavia is stunned, but she soon guesses that the true culprit is Jonathan's father, Mordecai ben Ezra. Domitian overhears her declaration, and gives them all 24 hours to leave Italia never to return. After Jonathan runs away, disgusted that Domitian knows about his father whom he was trying to protect, Flaccus meets the group and offers them his assistance, driving them to Rome in an ox cart. He is shocked to hear they have been exiled, and explains to Flavia that although he loves her he cannot give up his family name, his wealth and status to join her. Heartbroken, Flavia returns with the others to Ostia.
Flavia and the other three go to Jonathan's house after finding Flavia's house locked up. Susannah and Hephzibah are tending Jonathan who returned home, and Flavia finds out that her father has just married Diana Cartilia Poplicola. Titus's doctor, Pinchas ben Aruva, tells them that Titus actually died of a tumour in his brain, revealed by an autopsy, and that Mordecai is no longer being sought for his murder.
On their final journey through Ostia to the Delphina, crowds of people whom the children have helped wish them farewell, including a coolly ironic Marcus Artorius Bato.
As the Delphina sails out of the harbour, a boat approaches the ship with a man, his servant and a dog on it. Recognizing Flaccus, Flavia faints. Flaccus helps her up and he tells her that he has given up his name and his wealth to be with her, protecting his family from disgrace by feigning his own death.
The novel's final chapter returns to the wedding preparations. It is revealed that Flavia, Nubia and Aristo are now living at the Villa Vinea in Ephesus
Ephesus
Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era...
, given to them in The Prophet from Ephesus
The Prophet from Ephesus
The Prophet from Ephesus is a children's historical novel by Caroline Lawrence. The novel, the sixteenth in the Roman Mysteries series, was published in 2009. It is set during the reign of Titus, primarily in the Roman province of Asia.-Plot introduction:...
. Lupus has joined a pantomime troupe for which he plays the drums and Jonathan is a practicing doctor in Ephesus, though taking time out to search for his missing nephew, Popo (Philadelphus). Flaccus remains a lawyer, helping the poor as well as the wealthy in Ephesus.
Flavia tells Pulchra they have recently learned that although Mordecai did not actually kill the Emperor, he was about to when he saw a boy that looked exactly like Jonathan, and could not go through with it. So her deductions had not been completely wrong after all.
As the groom's party approaches, Pulchra is surprised to see that Flavia's husband-to-be Jason is actually Gaius Valerius Flaccus whom all Rome believes died in a shipwreck. She promises not to reveal the secret, but asks Flavia in return to investigate a mystery in Samos
Samoš
Samoš is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Kovačica municipality, in the South Banat District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,247 people .-See also:...
.
Themes
One of the themes of the novel is the difficulty of the search for Truth. Flavia wants the truth, but is misled by prejudice, rumour and ambiguous prophecy. Jonathan accuses Flavia of putting her desire to know before her concern for individuals. He thinks he knows the truth, but is mistaken. Messallinus seeks the truth through torture, but obtains only lies. Domitian seeks truth by trickery but hears only a flawed theory. Even the direct approach through scientific investigation in the form of an autopsy yields two possible explanations, of which the most palatable is accepted by the emperor.Another theme is Love Triumphant, with no less than three marriages. Nubia and Aristo finally realize that their love is mutual, and are married by Domitian. Flaccus overcomes misunderstanding and ambition to follow Flavia into exile. Flavia's father marries Cartilia's sister Diana, who had once, like Flavia, forsworn love.