Quo Vadis? by Henryk Sienkiewicz [Pocket Hardcover]

First published in 1896 (384 pages)

This glorious saga unfolds against the backdrop of ancient Rome - from the Forum to the Coliseum, from banquet halls to summer retreats in Naples, from the luxurious houses of the nobility to the hovels of the poor, Quo Vadis? richly depicts a place and time still captivating to the modern imagination. 

Set at a turning point in history (A.D. 54-68), as Christianity replaces the era of corruption and immorality that marked Nero's Rome, Quo Vadis? abounds with compelling characters, including:

Vinicius, the proud centurion who has fallen deeply in love with a mysterious young woman who disappears the night they meet. Vinicius will not easily win her love, for she is a Christian, one of the group of dedicated believers led by the apostle Peter.  Christians are rare in pagan, hedonistic Rome, and suffer great persecution;

Petronius, uncle to Vinicius, an elegant, witty courtier who scoffs at love and religion but finds his nephew's passion charming; and

Nero himself, enemy of all Christians, a despotic emperor who plunges Rome deeper and deeper into depravity.  The decadence of his banquets is staggering; and even worse, his mad laughter is heard echoing in the amphitheater as gladiators duel to the death.