The Slave-girl from Jerusalem
Encyclopedia
The Slave-girl from Jerusalem is a children's historical novel by Caroline Lawrence
. The novel, the thirteenth in the Roman Mysteries
series, was published in 2007. It is set in December A.D. 80
in and around Ostia
, and deals with death, slavery and the Roman legal system.
owned by the wealthy landowner Dives, she claims that she was manumitted
(set free), but Dives has just died, and his heir, Nonius Celer, says he has no proof of her freedom and insists on keeping her as part of the estate.
Miriam asks Flavia, Jonathan, Nubia, and Lupus, to help prove Hepzibah is free. But they have barely started investigating when the town is upset by a series of murders: first, Papillio, one of the town Decurion
s, and then Mercutor, a freedman
on Dives's (now Celer)'s estate.
Before long, Celer brings charges against Hepzibah for murder. His theory is that the Decurion would have confirmed that she was never set free; and the freedman must have suspected that Dives didn't die of natural causes – Hepzibah killed him. She had a motive: Dives was a soldier (as was Celer's father) in the legions that sacked Jerusalem during the Great Revolt
.
Hepzibah is tried in the basilica
; the children's old friend, Pliny
offers to help, but withdraws quickly when Celer retains the legendary orator Quintilian
to present his case. The children turn to their other friend, aspiring lawyer Gaius Valerius Flaccus
("Floppy").
During the first day in court, however, things do not go well; Quintilian is polished and smooth, while Flaccus's speech comes off as rehearsed and insincere. The evidence against Hepzibah is strong: witnesses say that Dives wanted to marry her, but she ran away, screaming that she hated him. Hepzibah is forced to admit this is true. Moreover, the two murder victims were killed by someone unfamiliar with a sword, most likely a woman.
Even worse, the children's old ally, local magistrate Marcus Artorius Bato, appears as a witness for Celer, and does everything possible to slander Hepzibah and her friends, including the children and every member of their family. Elsewhere, Celer's agents have been digging up dirt against the children to discourage them from helping Hepzibah, and Nubia is forced to go into hiding when it is revealed that her own manumission was not legally completed.
Before he died, Papillio managed to whisper a clue to Nubia to "find the other six." At first, Flavia believes that this is a reference to the siege of Masada
, of which there were only seven survivors, including Hepzibah. But then she realizes that, under Roman law, a will
requires seven witnesses. The two murder victims must have been witnesses to Dives's real will, and they have to find the other five.
On the second day, Flaccus rallies and gives a riveting oration, while Lupus and Jonathan search the town for the real will. But in the middle of the trial, Flavia solves the case, and whispers the solution to Flaccus, who is so overjoyed that he kisses her in full view of the gallery.
What really happened was: Celer knew he had been cut out of Dives's will, so he killed Dives and forged a will, then tried to eliminate the seven witnesses to the real will. Hepzibah had to be silenced, because Celer suspected that she might be one of the seven, or even that Dives's real will left the estate to her.
The proof? Flavia realizes that the wounds on Papillio and Mercutor's bodies show that they were both killed by a left-handed man – which also explains the killer's unfamiliarity with a sword, since left-handed men are not allowed to serve in the Roman army. Flaccus demonstrates, then points out that Celer is left-handed.
For the finale, Lupus and Jonathan deliver the copy of Dives's real will, which Flaccus reads aloud to confirm that Celer had a motive:
The will also names the seven witnesses to it, including the murdered men.
Trapped, Celer confesses, but angrily says that he had a better claim to the estate than anyone else: Dives built his fortune using a relic looted from the Temple of Jerusalem; Celer's father saved Dives's life, at the cost of his own, when they were both trapped by a fire in the Temple; in exchange, Dives promised to make the elder Celer's family his heirs, but selfishly changed his mind later.
Hepzibah is acquitted, and several citizens step forward to bring suit against Celer. It is revealed that Bato received a large sum of money
from Celer in exchange for his testimony. Quintilian, impressed by Flaccus's speech (and not at all abashed at having represented a murderer in court) offers Flaccus an apprenticeship with him in Rome.
But the novel ends on a tragic note: Miriam dies in childbirth at the age of fifteen, giving birth to her twin sons.
in the short story "Death by Vespasian", which takes the form of a letter from Bato to the Emperor
.
The deceased Dives is portrayed as genuinely regretful of his past actions, and as trying to make up for it by leaving his property to Hepzibah, to his Jewish slaves, and to the synagogue. Yet at the same time, he built his fortune by stealing a religious artifact, and at the cost of his comrade's life. Also, his guilt appears less noble when it is mixed with desire, even lust
, for Hepzibah.
He is also portrayed as a hypocrite
: in his will, he claims to despise his clique of fortune hunters and gives them a mocking goodbye; yet he was happy to receive their attention while he was alive, and so kept his real will a secret. Had he not done so, he might never have been murdered, which allowed Celer to produce the forgery as genuine.
.
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 thirteenth 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 2007. It is set in December A.D. 80
80
Year 80 was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Augustus and Domitianus...
in and around Ostia
Ostia Antica
Ostia Antica is a large archeological site, close to the modern suburb of Ostia , that was the location of the harbour city of ancient Rome, which is approximately 30 km to the northeast. "Ostia" in Latin means "mouth". At the mouth of the River Tiber, Ostia was Rome's seaport, but, due to...
, and deals with death, slavery and the Roman legal system.
Plot summary
Jonathan's sister, Miriam, is approached by Hepzibah, a girlhood friend from Jerusalem. Hepzibah is in serious trouble. Formerly a slaveSlavery in ancient Rome
The institution of slavery in ancient Rome played an important role in society and the Roman economy. Besides manual labor on farms and in mines, slaves performed many domestic services and a variety of other tasks, such as accounting...
owned by the wealthy landowner Dives, she claims that she was manumitted
Manumission
Manumission is the act of a slave owner freeing his or her slaves. In the United States before the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which abolished most slavery, this often happened upon the death of the owner, under conditions in his will.-Motivations:The...
(set free), but Dives has just died, and his heir, Nonius Celer, says he has no proof of her freedom and insists on keeping her as part of the estate.
Miriam asks Flavia, Jonathan, Nubia, and Lupus, to help prove Hepzibah is free. But they have barely started investigating when the town is upset by a series of murders: first, Papillio, one of the town Decurion
Decurion (administrative)
A decurion was a member of a city senate in the Roman Empire. Decurions were drawn from the curiales class, which was made up of the wealthy middle class citizens of a town society....
s, and then Mercutor, a freedman
Freedman
A freedman is a former slave who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves became freedmen either by manumission or emancipation ....
on Dives's (now Celer)'s estate.
Before long, Celer brings charges against Hepzibah for murder. His theory is that the Decurion would have confirmed that she was never set free; and the freedman must have suspected that Dives didn't die of natural causes – Hepzibah killed him. She had a motive: Dives was a soldier (as was Celer's father) in the legions that sacked Jerusalem during the Great Revolt
First Jewish-Roman War
The First Jewish–Roman War , sometimes called The Great Revolt , was the first of three major rebellions by the Jews of Judaea Province , against the Roman Empire...
.
Hepzibah is tried in the basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
; the children's old friend, Pliny
Pliny the Younger
Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus, born Gaius Caecilius or Gaius Caecilius Cilo , better known as Pliny the Younger, was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and educate him...
offers to help, but withdraws quickly when Celer retains the legendary orator Quintilian
Quintilian
Marcus Fabius Quintilianus was a Roman rhetorician from Hispania, widely referred to in medieval schools of rhetoric and in Renaissance writing...
to present his case. The children turn to their other friend, aspiring lawyer Gaius Valerius Flaccus
Gaius Valerius Flaccus
Gaius Valerius Flaccus was a Roman poet who flourished in the "Silver Age" under the emperors Vespasian and Titus and wrote a Latin Argonautica that owes a great deal to Apollonius of Rhodes' more famous epic....
("Floppy").
During the first day in court, however, things do not go well; Quintilian is polished and smooth, while Flaccus's speech comes off as rehearsed and insincere. The evidence against Hepzibah is strong: witnesses say that Dives wanted to marry her, but she ran away, screaming that she hated him. Hepzibah is forced to admit this is true. Moreover, the two murder victims were killed by someone unfamiliar with a sword, most likely a woman.
Even worse, the children's old ally, local magistrate Marcus Artorius Bato, appears as a witness for Celer, and does everything possible to slander Hepzibah and her friends, including the children and every member of their family. Elsewhere, Celer's agents have been digging up dirt against the children to discourage them from helping Hepzibah, and Nubia is forced to go into hiding when it is revealed that her own manumission was not legally completed.
Before he died, Papillio managed to whisper a clue to Nubia to "find the other six." At first, Flavia believes that this is a reference to the siege of Masada
Masada
Masada is the name for a site of ancient palaces and fortifications in the South District of Israel, on top of an isolated rock plateau, or horst, on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. Masada is best known for the violence that occurred there in the first century CE...
, of which there were only seven survivors, including Hepzibah. But then she realizes that, under Roman law, a will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
requires seven witnesses. The two murder victims must have been witnesses to Dives's real will, and they have to find the other five.
On the second day, Flaccus rallies and gives a riveting oration, while Lupus and Jonathan search the town for the real will. But in the middle of the trial, Flavia solves the case, and whispers the solution to Flaccus, who is so overjoyed that he kisses her in full view of the gallery.
What really happened was: Celer knew he had been cut out of Dives's will, so he killed Dives and forged a will, then tried to eliminate the seven witnesses to the real will. Hepzibah had to be silenced, because Celer suspected that she might be one of the seven, or even that Dives's real will left the estate to her.
The proof? Flavia realizes that the wounds on Papillio and Mercutor's bodies show that they were both killed by a left-handed man – which also explains the killer's unfamiliarity with a sword, since left-handed men are not allowed to serve in the Roman army. Flaccus demonstrates, then points out that Celer is left-handed.
For the finale, Lupus and Jonathan deliver the copy of Dives's real will, which Flaccus reads aloud to confirm that Celer had a motive:
- the estate is left not to Celer, but to one of Dives's Jewish freedmen;
- Hepzibah's freedom is confirmed, and she is left a sizable portion of the income (usufructUsufructUsufruct is the legal right to use and derive profit or benefit from property that either belongs to another person or which is under common ownership, as long as the property is not damaged or destroyed...
) from the estate; - a similarly sizable portion is left to the synagogueSynagogueA synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
in Ostia; - in mockery, Dives leaves a pittance to the sycophants and fortune-hunters who have surrounded him all his life, and to his so-called friend, Celer, nothing except a coil of rope, "with which he may hang himself."
The will also names the seven witnesses to it, including the murdered men.
Trapped, Celer confesses, but angrily says that he had a better claim to the estate than anyone else: Dives built his fortune using a relic looted from the Temple of Jerusalem; Celer's father saved Dives's life, at the cost of his own, when they were both trapped by a fire in the Temple; in exchange, Dives promised to make the elder Celer's family his heirs, but selfishly changed his mind later.
Hepzibah is acquitted, and several citizens step forward to bring suit against Celer. It is revealed that Bato received a large sum of money
Bribery
Bribery, a form of corruption, is an act implying money or gift giving that alters the behavior of the recipient. Bribery constitutes a crime and is defined by Black's Law Dictionary as the offering, giving, receiving, or soliciting of any item of value to influence the actions of an official or...
from Celer in exchange for his testimony. Quintilian, impressed by Flaccus's speech (and not at all abashed at having represented a murderer in court) offers Flaccus an apprenticeship with him in Rome.
But the novel ends on a tragic note: Miriam dies in childbirth at the age of fifteen, giving birth to her twin sons.
Continuity
The events of the novel are mentioned in the collection Trimalcho's FeastTrimalchio's Feast and other mini-mysteries
Trimalchio's Feast and other mini-mysteries is a collection of stories by Caroline Lawrence, published in 2007 as part of the Roman Mysteries series. The stories are set in Ostia and Rome between AD 79 and AD 81, in the intervals of time between the novels...
in the short story "Death by Vespasian", which takes the form of a letter from Bato to the Emperor
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....
.
Death
Death is a major theme in the novel:- It opens with Jonathan having a premonition that someone in his family will die soon, and his chance encounter with the hired mourners at Dives's funeral;
- After becoming conscious of their own mortality, all four of the children make their own wills, as do Miriam and Marcus's patron, Cordius. In her will, Miriam also includes a message that she foresaw her own death, and chose to sacrifice her own life rather than those of her sons;
- Papillio the decurionDecurion (administrative)A decurion was a member of a city senate in the Roman Empire. Decurions were drawn from the curiales class, which was made up of the wealthy middle class citizens of a town society....
dies in Nubia's arms, and Mercutor the freedmanFreedmanA freedman is a former slave who has been released from slavery, usually by legal means. Historically, slaves became freedmen either by manumission or emancipation ....
is found dead in Hephzibah's room. - In fact, this is the first novel in the series dealing with the deliberate murder of a human being; the first book, The Thieves of Ostia was based around the murder of household dogs, and the previous novel, The Charioteer of Delphi featured sabotage leading to sometimes fatal accidents, but not with deliberate killing as its goal.
- The book ends with Miriam's death in childbirth and her funeral.
Roman Law
The book illustrates several unique aspects of the legal system in Ancient Rome:- A person's last will and testamentWill (law)A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
requires seven witnesses; in the modern world, fewer witnesses are required, and sometimes none at all, in the case of holographic willHolographic willA holographic will is a will and testament that has been entirely handwritten and signed by the testator. Normally, a will must be signed by witnesses attesting to the validity of the testator's signature and intent, but in many jurisdictions, holographic wills that have not been witnessed are...
s (i.e., wills that are entirely handwritten by the testator). - In addition to the formal ceremony, payment of a "freedom tax" is required to complete a slave's manumission; Nubia's freedom is jeopardized when it is revealed that Flavia never paid this tax;
- Lawyers, like physicians, are not legally allowed to accept payment for their services; compensation usually comes in the form of gifts during traditional festivals, such as SaturnaliaSaturnaliaSaturnalia is an Ancient Roman festival/ celebration held in honour of Saturn , the youngest of the Titans, father of the major gods of the Greeks and Romans, and son of Uranus and Gaia...
; - Freed slaves may own property, but there are restrictions on their ability to inheritInheritanceInheritance is the practice of passing on property, titles, debts, rights and obligations upon the death of an individual. It has long played an important role in human societies...
it; for that reason, Dives cannily leaves Hepzibah a portion of the income from his estate, rather than a portion of the estate itself; - Criminal enforcement is largely private in Ancient Rome; unlike today, there is no public system of enforcement, such as a prosecuting attorney ostensibly bringing a case on behalf of the community (e.g., People vs. _______, or Crown vs. ________.) For instance, Celer confesses to murder in the gallery, before several witnesses, but the judge states that he has no authority to try Celer unless another citizen brings suit against him.
- Many aspects of a Roman legal trial seem strange to a modern viewer; for instance, the emphasis on oration rather than evidence, and the permissibility of character assassinationCharacter assassinationCharacter assassination is an attempt to tarnish a person's reputation. It may involve exaggeration, misleading half-truths, or manipulation of facts to present an untrue picture of the targeted person...
. - Court procedure and the practice of rhetoric are portrayed during the murder trial.
Characters
Both the villain, Celer, and the primary victim, Dives, are presented as somewhat ambivalent. Celer is a cold-blooded murderer, who kills out of greed, but his motive becomes somewhat understandable when he reveals Dives's own selfishness.The deceased Dives is portrayed as genuinely regretful of his past actions, and as trying to make up for it by leaving his property to Hepzibah, to his Jewish slaves, and to the synagogue. Yet at the same time, he built his fortune by stealing a religious artifact, and at the cost of his comrade's life. Also, his guilt appears less noble when it is mixed with desire, even lust
Lust
Lust is an emotional force that is directly associated with the thinking or fantasizing about one's desire, usually in a sexual way.-Etymology:The word lust is phonetically similar to the ancient Roman lustrum, which literally meant "purification"...
, for Hepzibah.
He is also portrayed as a hypocrite
Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is the state of pretending to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually have. Hypocrisy involves the deception of others and is thus a kind of lie....
: in his will, he claims to despise his clique of fortune hunters and gives them a mocking goodbye; yet he was happy to receive their attention while he was alive, and so kept his real will a secret. Had he not done so, he might never have been murdered, which allowed Celer to produce the forgery as genuine.
Historical references
- The novel contains many references to the first Jewish-Roman WarFirst Jewish-Roman WarThe First Jewish–Roman War , sometimes called The Great Revolt , was the first of three major rebellions by the Jews of Judaea Province , against the Roman Empire...
of AD 66-73:- Dives was a soldier in one of legions that laid siege to JerusalemSiege of Jerusalem (70)The Siege of Jerusalem in the year 70 AD was the decisive event of the First Jewish-Roman War. The Roman army, led by the future Emperor Titus, with Tiberius Julius Alexander as his second-in-command, besieged and conquered the city of Jerusalem, which had been occupied by its Jewish defenders in...
; - Jonathan and his family, as well as Hepzibah, were refugees from that siege;
- Hepzibah was one of the few survivors of the siege of MasadaMasadaMasada is the name for a site of ancient palaces and fortifications in the South District of Israel, on top of an isolated rock plateau, or horst, on the eastern edge of the Judean Desert, overlooking the Dead Sea. Masada is best known for the violence that occurred there in the first century CE...
, while the rest of the Jewish freedom fighters committed mass suicideSuicideSuicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. - Before the events of the book, Hepzibah and her mother were interviewed by JosephusJosephusTitus Flavius Josephus , also called Joseph ben Matityahu , was a 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian and hagiographer of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the 1st century AD and the First Jewish–Roman War, which resulted in the Destruction of...
, author of the history The Jewish WarThe Wars of the JewsThe Jewish War , in full Flavius Josephus's Books of the History of the Jewish War against the Romans , also referred to in English as The Wars of the Jews and The History of the Destruction of Jerusalem, is a book written by the 1st century Jewish historian Josephus.It is a description of Jewish...
.
- Dives was a soldier in one of legions that laid siege to Jerusalem
- QuintilianQuintilianMarcus Fabius Quintilianus was a Roman rhetorician from Hispania, widely referred to in medieval schools of rhetoric and in Renaissance writing...
the rhetorician appears as a minor character.
TV Adaptation
The Slave-girl From Jerusalem was the last novel adapted for the television seriesRoman Mysteries (TV series)
Roman Mysteries is a television series based on the series of children's historical novels by Caroline Lawrence. It is reportedly the most expensive British children's TV series to date at £1 million per hour....
.