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Judge Marcus Flavius Severus Mystery #6
Across the River Styx: A Judge Marcus Flavius Severus Mystery in Ancient Rome
Across the River Styx is the 6th in the series of highly acclaimed and best selling Judge Marcus Flavius Severus mysteries in Ancient Rome. This story takes place in the year 168 CE during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. Severus has just returned from Athens (Mission to Athens) where he took his family to escape the Antonine plague in Rome and while there to solve a murder. Now, a year and a half later, the plague in Rome has subsided and Judge Severus has resumed his place on the panel of judges in the Court of the Urban Prefect.
Across the River Styx opens on the first day of October as Judge Severus takes his seat on the Tribunal to decide a case of illegal possession of weapons within the city of Rome in violation of the law against public violence. On the same day, he is called to a murder scene across the Tiber where an official of a Jewish synagogue has been strangled and a valuable chalice stolen. The chalice was on loan from the museum in the Temple of Peace and is part of the loot taken during the destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem almost 100 years earlier. The Jewish community in Rome at the time of the story is about 50,000 strong and has 12 known synagogues.
Just as he begins his investigation into the murder, Judge Severus catches yet another case -- what appears to be the theft of water from one of Rome’s major aqueducts. Then a person under the protection of his Court is thrown out the window of his apartment building. These crimes seem on the surface to be unrelated. Or are they? As the multiple investigations unfold, a different reality emerges.
The investigations lead Severus and his aides through the City of Rome, to the turbulent region across the Tiber, to the teeming Subura behind the center of the City, to one of Rome’s best brothels, to a glass store in Trajan’s market and to other places throughout the City. In addition, Severus sends his assessor Flaccus to the city of Carthage to track down a suspect.
As in previous cases, Judge Severus is aided by his judicial assessor, Flaccus, his private secretary and freedman Alexander, his police aides Vulso and Straton, his court clerk Proculus and his wife Artemisia.
This book, as the others in the series, is not only a mystery, but also captures the daily life of ancient Rome and is a sojourn into the world of courts, police and criminal law of the period. All laws, rescripts and legal procedures are from Roman law sources.
Alan Scribner was an Assistant District Attorney in the office of Frank S. Hogan in New York County and a criminal defense attorney. He is also an independent scholar of Ancient Rome, co-author with J.C.Douglas Marshall of Anni Ultimi: A Roman Stoic Guide to Retirement, Old Age and Death. Scribner is the author of the Judge Marcus Flavius Severus Mysteries in Ancient Rome series: Mars the Avenger, The Cyclops Case, Marcus Aurelius Betrayed, The Return of Spartacus and Mission to Athens.
Across the River Styx opens on the first day of October as Judge Severus takes his seat on the Tribunal to decide a case of illegal possession of weapons within the city of Rome in violation of the law against public violence. On the same day, he is called to a murder scene across the Tiber where an official of a Jewish synagogue has been strangled and a valuable chalice stolen. The chalice was on loan from the museum in the Temple of Peace and is part of the loot taken during the destruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem almost 100 years earlier. The Jewish community in Rome at the time of the story is about 50,000 strong and has 12 known synagogues.
Just as he begins his investigation into the murder, Judge Severus catches yet another case -- what appears to be the theft of water from one of Rome’s major aqueducts. Then a person under the protection of his Court is thrown out the window of his apartment building. These crimes seem on the surface to be unrelated. Or are they? As the multiple investigations unfold, a different reality emerges.
The investigations lead Severus and his aides through the City of Rome, to the turbulent region across the Tiber, to the teeming Subura behind the center of the City, to one of Rome’s best brothels, to a glass store in Trajan’s market and to other places throughout the City. In addition, Severus sends his assessor Flaccus to the city of Carthage to track down a suspect.
As in previous cases, Judge Severus is aided by his judicial assessor, Flaccus, his private secretary and freedman Alexander, his police aides Vulso and Straton, his court clerk Proculus and his wife Artemisia.
This book, as the others in the series, is not only a mystery, but also captures the daily life of ancient Rome and is a sojourn into the world of courts, police and criminal law of the period. All laws, rescripts and legal procedures are from Roman law sources.
Alan Scribner was an Assistant District Attorney in the office of Frank S. Hogan in New York County and a criminal defense attorney. He is also an independent scholar of Ancient Rome, co-author with J.C.Douglas Marshall of Anni Ultimi: A Roman Stoic Guide to Retirement, Old Age and Death. Scribner is the author of the Judge Marcus Flavius Severus Mysteries in Ancient Rome series: Mars the Avenger, The Cyclops Case, Marcus Aurelius Betrayed, The Return of Spartacus and Mission to Athens.
254 pages, Paperback
Published August 14, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 7, 2024
Fast-paced escapist mystery set during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. Judge Severus and his staff, along with members of the Urban Cohort, must solve several murders [one a defenestration] and theft of a valuable chalice from a synagogue in the Subura [a dangerous place, in any case], and the illegal rerouting of water from one of the aqueducts. Are these crimes all connected? Much "pounding of shoe leather", interviews, and the judge's deductive reasoning.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
November 29, 2019
With “Across the River Styx,” Alan Scribner continues his intriguing series of mysteries set in the Rome of Marcus Aurelius. In the opening pages, Judge Marcus Flavius Severus challenges readers to find the links between five separate crimes he’s been investigating in and around Rome.
Despite a complicated plot, the story moves with an energy sometimes missing in earlier books. Severus is in charge here and serves as a reliable narrator. Rome is a character too, but always an entertaining one. We learn a great about the ancient city, but on an as-needed basis: no lengthy descriptions just for description’s sake.
A very polished and satisfying mystery.
Despite a complicated plot, the story moves with an energy sometimes missing in earlier books. Severus is in charge here and serves as a reliable narrator. Rome is a character too, but always an entertaining one. We learn a great about the ancient city, but on an as-needed basis: no lengthy descriptions just for description’s sake.
A very polished and satisfying mystery.
June 24, 2025
One of the best of the Judge Severus mysteries. In a complex case with many suspects, we see several murders that are connected, but not by an obvious chain of cause and effect. Woven in is the sack of the Second Jewish Temple by the Roman general Titus, later to become emperor, and portrayed in relief on the Arch of Titus in Rome. You can still see it! I think this happened around 70 AD, while the action of the book happens around 160, so it's a lifetime ago from the point of view of the characters. But there's a synagogue where one of the temple vessels is borrowed for display on the anniversary of the destruction, and not only is the rabbi murdered, but the chalice is stolen at the same time.
We get a description of Carthage (I think it's actually Leptis Magna, the Roman colony founded on the ruins of Carthage, which was destroyed at the end of the Punic wars in about 200 BC. You can still see the ruins of Leptis Magna, too.)
Like the other books in the series, this one shows the Romans as rather like us. We get to see what they eat, how they travel, and how police procedures are radically different in a time period when physical evidence was difficult to interpret, before photography, before DNA was known, when the accused had few rights and could be tortured to get confessions. It shows the Roman Empire had a concept of justice but many difficulties between apprehending a suspect and getting a conviction. The book reflects a great knowledge of Roman history but is still readable to people with little background in it.
Like today, Rome had many people who were making a living out of crime, as well as many who were getting paid to round up and prosecute them. An interesting and fast moving read.
We get a description of Carthage (I think it's actually Leptis Magna, the Roman colony founded on the ruins of Carthage, which was destroyed at the end of the Punic wars in about 200 BC. You can still see the ruins of Leptis Magna, too.)
Like the other books in the series, this one shows the Romans as rather like us. We get to see what they eat, how they travel, and how police procedures are radically different in a time period when physical evidence was difficult to interpret, before photography, before DNA was known, when the accused had few rights and could be tortured to get confessions. It shows the Roman Empire had a concept of justice but many difficulties between apprehending a suspect and getting a conviction. The book reflects a great knowledge of Roman history but is still readable to people with little background in it.
Like today, Rome had many people who were making a living out of crime, as well as many who were getting paid to round up and prosecute them. An interesting and fast moving read.
May 31, 2025
I am beginning to really dislike the Stoics.
Because Severus is so inconstant. He says he believes one thing, and then does the opposite.
But the mystery is good, and not just a background for the Author's regrettable preaching. Even if our characters have to have a bit of luck.
What really irks me are all the unnescessary repeatings. Some facts have to be reapeated in each book, yes, but as there is no need to repeat that greeting kisses are "in the Roman fashion" every time they occur, surely.
I could do without full menues every single time someone eats, too. And what everyone wears...
And. Why is there so little mention of Roman religion and superstition?
Because Severus is so inconstant. He says he believes one thing, and then does the opposite.
But the mystery is good, and not just a background for the Author's regrettable preaching. Even if our characters have to have a bit of luck.
What really irks me are all the unnescessary repeatings. Some facts have to be reapeated in each book, yes, but as there is no need to repeat that greeting kisses are "in the Roman fashion" every time they occur, surely.
I could do without full menues every single time someone eats, too. And what everyone wears...
And. Why is there so little mention of Roman religion and superstition?
December 26, 2020
I think it is interesting that he deals with the Jewish diaspora living in and around Rome(albiet lightly), and thought this should take precedence over my own ideas which do not directly relate to plot or the story.
It is my understanding that Plato(A) taught we had/were an eternal spirit, whereas Aristotle(B) taught that our soul(~) was approx. equivalent with our 'image'...which I thought made little sense, until I thought of this is a social setting where our self image is both a complex(bundle of ideas and perceptions), and in terms of projection, in a jungian sense(of our internal subjective perceptions) besides simply a projected self image... Generally it is said others only see that which we project, our 'image', which may be so, mostly, but there are still other perceive-rs. I was also reading about the theory of 'emergent dualism' (C)and an article that sums it up very well, both it's pros and cons called 'against emergent dualism' on philarchive.org . If you call these three ideas A, B, and C I'm leaning toward the merits of B and C resulting in a sort of quasi-A state as a natural state of things(trying to not bash A). No one should discount A, or dismiss B and C in favor of D (materialism) imo.
This has little to do with the book, which is well written except for addressing the title and what a reader might seek or expect when picking this off a shelf. Severus reminds me of Judge Rinder in some sense(it wonders me he could solve this without investigating a character which was ignored also, but it worked out well.).
It is my understanding that Plato(A) taught we had/were an eternal spirit, whereas Aristotle(B) taught that our soul(~) was approx. equivalent with our 'image'...which I thought made little sense, until I thought of this is a social setting where our self image is both a complex(bundle of ideas and perceptions), and in terms of projection, in a jungian sense(of our internal subjective perceptions) besides simply a projected self image... Generally it is said others only see that which we project, our 'image', which may be so, mostly, but there are still other perceive-rs. I was also reading about the theory of 'emergent dualism' (C)and an article that sums it up very well, both it's pros and cons called 'against emergent dualism' on philarchive.org . If you call these three ideas A, B, and C I'm leaning toward the merits of B and C resulting in a sort of quasi-A state as a natural state of things(trying to not bash A). No one should discount A, or dismiss B and C in favor of D (materialism) imo.
This has little to do with the book, which is well written except for addressing the title and what a reader might seek or expect when picking this off a shelf. Severus reminds me of Judge Rinder in some sense(it wonders me he could solve this without investigating a character which was ignored also, but it worked out well.).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2025
Fine
Another fine volume in the series. I think each book has been an improvement over the previous volume, with one glaring exception. They ALL need a better copy editor. There are so many grammatical and spelling mistakes that it really detracts from the enjoyment of the book. Still, a good read.
Another fine volume in the series. I think each book has been an improvement over the previous volume, with one glaring exception. They ALL need a better copy editor. There are so many grammatical and spelling mistakes that it really detracts from the enjoyment of the book. Still, a good read.
October 23, 2018
Decent read
I started in the middle of the series and found it interesting but not my favorite. Something about the language seemed off to me. Latin has a very different syntax but still it was spoken every day.
I started in the middle of the series and found it interesting but not my favorite. Something about the language seemed off to me. Latin has a very different syntax but still it was spoken every day.
February 27, 2019
A very good murder mystery
A really good story. It to pics the times and lives with the Romans in a very accurate way. And it was a fun read.
A really good story. It to pics the times and lives with the Romans in a very accurate way. And it was a fun read.
November 27, 2019
Good plot, disrupted by historical diversions, stilted dialogue, and poor editing.
April 28, 2020
Salve Discipoli
A solid Roman procedural. I can see Raymond Burr working his way through this with or without wheelchair. It was the chalice from the palace...
A solid Roman procedural. I can see Raymond Burr working his way through this with or without wheelchair. It was the chalice from the palace...
December 21, 2020
This entire series is just a pleasure to read. I love the descriptions of roman life and I always enjoy a good mystery. This book, and all of the books in this series deliver on both.
January 16, 2021
Always delivers an enjoyable read
One becomes addicted to the characters and the period. In addition, each story, when finished, leaves the reader with a sense of completion.
One becomes addicted to the characters and the period. In addition, each story, when finished, leaves the reader with a sense of completion.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews