A Day of Fire: A Novel of Pompeii (43 page)

Sex work was entirely normalized and legal in the Roman world, but the people involved in the trade were classified as
infamia
and treated shabbily. However, I was fascinated by a note about Emperor Vespasian’s ruling on prostitution in Thomas A. J. McGinn’s work on
Prostitution, Sexuality and the Law in Ancient Rome
that formed a bit of a loophole. Allegedly, slaves sold with the express condition that they not be used in prostitution would be
freed
if they were so used.

That knowledge, combined with graffiti in Pompeii describing two tavern whores, inspired the characters of Prima and Capella. It helped to know that such tavern girls might have once belonged to Empress Poppaea Sabina, who is thought to have been born and raised in Pompeii. And though the empress is commonly thought of as a scheming strumpet, the historian Josephus presents a very different picture of her, describing her as deeply religious woman.

That made her an ideal candidate for Capella’s former mistress, and, of course, the prominence of the Temple of Isis in the ruins of Pompeii made that the obvious choice for a narrative about salvation in an era before Christian dominance. Though Egyptian in origin, Isis was thoroughly embraced by the Roman world at the time of the disaster in Pompeii. And the henotheistic cult—with its adoption of Egyptian spirit bodies—provided a framework for thinking about the
soul
that has evolved throughout religious history to the modern day.

As for Pansa, he is based on a real figure, and his family history in Pompeii is grounded in fact. What became of him though, we don’t know. As for the deaths of the refugees in my story, I based them on the plaster casts found in what is now known as the Garden of the Fugitives, and I like to think the figure straining to rise on his arms is Sabinus. We’re told that after the eruption, the emperor wished two former consuls to coordinate relief for the refugees; it made sense that Kate Quinn’s Senator Marcus Norbanus should be one of them.

Pompeii was an embodiment of the Roman dream, a touchstone of human striving, which is part of why we are still haunted by the disaster to this day. So my challenge in this story was to offer a redemptive arc while showing the disaster from both inside the doomed city and from the outside, in the aftermath. That’s why I chose two sisters, connected in spirit and heart. And, of course, I gave Capella a present tense, first person narrative so as to leave ambiguity over whether her story was real or simply the way Prima, in her guilt, hoped and imagined it to be.

—Stephanie Dray

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

STEPHANIE DRAY is a multi-published, award-winning author of historical women’s fiction and fantasy set in the ancient world. Her critically acclaimed historical Nile series about Cleopatra’s daughter has been translated into more than six different languages, was nominated for a RITA Award, and won the Golden Leaf. Her focus on Ptolemaic Egypt and Augustan Age Rome has given her a unique perspective on the consequences of Egypt's ancient clash with Rome, both in terms of the still-extant tensions between East and West as well as the worldwide decline of female-oriented religion. Before she wrote novels, Stephanie was a lawyer, a game designer, and a teacher. Learn more at:
StephanieDray.com
.

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BEN KANE worked as a veterinarian for sixteen years, but his love of ancient history and historical fiction drew him to write fast-paced novels about Roman soldiers, generals, and gladiators. Irish by nationality but UK-based, he is the author of seven books, the last five of which have been Sunday Times top ten bestsellers. Ben's books have been translated into ten languages. In 2013, Ben walked the length of Hadrian’s Wall with two other authors, for charity; he did so in full Roman military kit, including hobnailed boots. He repeated the madness in 2014, over 130 miles in Italy. Over $50,000 has been raised with these two efforts. Visit Ben at:
http://www.benkane.net

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E. KNIGHT is an award-winning, indie national best-selling author of historical fiction. Under the name Eliza Knight, she writes historical romance and time-travel. Her debut historical fiction novel,
My Lady Viper
, has received critical acclaim and was nominated for the Historical Novel Society 2015 Annual Indie Award. She regularly presents on writing panels and was named Romance Writers of America’s 2013 PRO Mentor of the Year. Eliza lives in Maryland atop a small mountain with a knight, three princesses, and a very naughty puppy. For more information, visit Eliza at
www.elizaknight.com
.

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MICHELLE MORAN was born in Southern California. After attending Pomona College, she earned a Master’s Degree from the Claremont Graduate University. During her six years as a public high school teacher, Moran used her summers to travel around the world, and it was her experiences as a volunteer on archaeological digs that inspired her to write historical fiction. She is the internationally bestselling author of the novels
Nefertiti
,
The Heretic Queen
,
Cleopatra’s Daughter
,
Madame Tussaud
, and
The Second Empress
, which have been translated into more than twenty languages. Visit her online at
MichelleMoran.com
.

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SOPHIE PERINOT is the author of the acclaimed debut,
The Sister Queens
, which weaves the story of medieval sisters Marguerite and Eleanor of Provence who became queens of France and England respectively. Perinot has both a BA in History and a law degree. A long-time member of the Historical Novel Society, she has attended all of the group’s North American Conferences, serving as a panelist at the most recent. When she is not visiting corners of the past, Sophie lives in Great Falls, Virginia. Learn more at:
www.SophiePerinot.com
.

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KATE QUINN is the national bestselling author of the Empress of Rome novels, which have been variously translated into thirteen different languages. She first got hooked on Roman history while watching
I, Claudius
at the age of seven, and wrote her first book during her freshman year in college, retreating from a Boston winter into ancient Rome. She and her husband now live in Maryland with an imperious black dog named Caesar. Learn more at
http://www.katequinnauthor.com
.

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VICKY ALVEAR SHECTER is the award-winning author of the young adult novel,
Cleopatra’s Moon
(Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, 2011), based on the life of Cleopatra's only daughter. She is also the author of two biographies for kids on Alexander the Great and Cleopatra. The
Los Angeles Times
called
Cleopatra’s Moon
—set in Rome and Egypt—“magical” and “impressive.”
Publisher’s Weekly
said it was “fascinating” and “highly memorable.” Her upcoming young adult novel,
Curses and Smoke: A Novel of Pompeii
(Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic), releases June 2014. She has two other upcoming books for younger readers,
Anubis Speaks!
and
Hades Speaks!
Vicky is a docent at the Michael C. Carlos Museum of Antiquities at Emory University in Atlanta.

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A Day of Fire

“Introduction” copyright © 2014 by Michelle Moran

“The Son” copyright © 2014 by Vicky Alvear Shecter

“The Heiress” copyright © 2014 by Sophie Perinot

“The Soldier” copyright © 2014 by Ben Kane

“The Senator” copyright © 2014 by Kate Quinn

“The Mother” copyright © 2014 by E. Knight

“The Whore” copyright © 2014 by Stephanie Dray

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portion thereof—including the introduction or authors’ notes—in any form. The digital version is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. Thank you for respecting the authors’ work and copyrights.

This is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Cover Design and Interior format by The Killion Group

http://thekilliongroupinc.com

Roman Eagle logo by Erebus-Art.com.

ISBN-10: 0990324567

ISBN-13: 978-0-9903245-6-0