Nobody Loves a Centurion (SPQR VI) Paperback – October 1, 2003

The story begins with Decius Caecilius Metellius the Younger traveling to Gaul to join Caesar in his war with the Helvetii. Decius is also anxious to be away from Rome as his mortal enemy, Claudius, has become a high official with the authority (in Rome only) to arrest and convict without appeal.Decius has a slow start in his assignment with Caesar's Tenth Legion. While the entire legion is wearing casual field attire, he arrives in a fancy parade uniform which leads to much kidding. Then he interferes with a centurion disciplining his troops. By long tradition, an officer never interferes with a centurion. Caesar disciplines him with extra duty. Later, without authorization, he replaces that centurion's guard with some of his own cavalry troops. For that infraction Caesar considers serious punishment. As a result of his own errors, the entire 10th Legion thinks Decius is a fool and distrusts him. Decius is his own worst enemy.Finally, the legion's 1st Spear, the ranking centurion in the legion, is killed, and Caesar assigns Decius to investigate and find the guilty parties. If he doesn't, then eight of the centurions men will be executed. One of the eight's family is a client of Decius' family, so family honor is at risk.Decius discovers that the crime is complex. There are many suspects, as the victim is a Centurion who was hated by many. The Centurion was unusually cruel to his own men, which made him feared and despised. Even the nearby Helvetii and Germans become prime suspects. Decius fears that he may not be up to the job.Nobody Loves a Centurion displays John Maddox Roberts' knowledge of the inner working of Roman Legions. The detailed description of Legion communications, fortifications, and chain of command is impressive. As a military veteran, I felt at home in the10th Legion, as most of their procedures, organization and culture are still active in modern armies.Decius uses investigative techniques that are foreign to the legion, so he meets resistence but solves the crime. The ending is complete and satisfying but surprising, even to Decius. This historical novel is excellent. I highly recommend Nobody Loves a Centurion.

John Maddox Roberts hit upon a great character and put him in all kinds of fun situations. Decius Caecilius Metellus is a swashbuckling young Roman senator who has a bloodhound's nose for ferreting out criminals, a playboy's talent for getting himself into all kinds of odd romantic entanglements, and a young turk's ability for getting himself in public fights that embarass his conservative, upper crust family. Each of the novels in this series builds until that moment when Caecilius says "I'm going to do something stupid" and then the fun really begins. Invariably he gets himself into a life-or-death struggle with a mixed bag of colorful and cunning evildoers. Each novel gives us a view of Roman life at the end of the late Republic, while at the same time drawing us inexorably into the emotional intelligence and derring-do of young Caecilius. In this installment (Nobody Loves a Centurion) Caecilius finds himself in the ranks of Julius Caesar's much venerated Gaulish Legion as it prepares itself for the coming war with the Gauls. His arrival in camp, way overdressed in customized armor, is one of the most hilarious and humiliating moments in Caecilius' oh so many humbling moments. Without giving the plot away, the Primus Pilus of the Legion turns up dead, and the chief suspects are a group of legionaires who have been harshly treated.... Young Caecilius must hustle to find out who the murderer was to save the legionaires, all the while being watched closely by the daunting Julius Caesar. Along the way Caecilius encounters a wide array of interesting rogues and beauties. And in the end the evil-doer murderer is a great surprise. Each of these novels are great fun, and Nobody Loves a Centurion is one of the best for action and adventure. Its a great read, and readers will enjoy every minute.

In this superb novel, the sixth of the "SPQR" series, Decius Caecilius Metellus the Younger finds himself serving as a junior officer in the Army of Julius Caesar in Gaul. Surrounded by hostile Gallic and German tribes, deep in "uncivilized" country far from Rome, the army is in a precarious position. Decius, no seeker of military glory, is less than sanguine about his prospects. Can things get worse? Well, yes. The Legion's most hated Centurion is found murdered, and Caesar himself commissions Decius, who has a reputation as an accomplished "snooper," to get to the bottom of it. If he does not, Caesar will execute the men under the Centurion's command, one of whom is Decius' personal friend and client.This is a tightly written mystery set against the fabulous background of Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul. The author does a superb job of impressing upon the reader the harsh discipline and politics of the Roman Army, and the difficulties that this sometimes poses for Decius. This is one of the very best novels in this excellent series. It moves at a rapid pace, never loses the reader's interest, and rocks the reader with an ending that will satisfy and delight. Highly recommended. RJB.

Another book where we venture out of Rome while our hero is being shuffled off the scene for various reasons. Here Decius has joined Caesar's staff in Gaul in the early days of what will be the making of Caesar militarily. A centurion is found dead and the son of Burrus, a client of Decius, along with his men are suspected because they had been singled out for punishment by the dead man. Caesar puts Decius in charge of the investigation. Germans and Gauls are mixed up in the investigation and we get an interesting look into the workings of the Roman legions. As usual all the pieces are there but so obliquely that you can't solve the particulars ahead of time even when you have the shape of the motive.

This time Decius is visiting Gauls and as usual he puts himself in trouble.

Roberts erzählt den Cursus honorum eines fiktiven Jungen aus gutem Plebejerhaus. Ein Buch mehr in Rom, ein Buch außerhalb. In diesem Band muß er aus Rom weg, da Feind Clodius grad Tribun ist. Allerlei historische Figuren werden in den Bänden vorgestellt. Der Alltag des Roms ohne Strom wird amerikanisch praktisch und freundlich mit überaschenden Einsichten vorgestellt.

Wieder ein spannender Krimi aus dem alten Rom, der uns diesmal in den Alltag der Legionäre und das Leben in einem römischen Heerlager entführt.

loved all this series

Book as described and quick delivery.