History Literature / TheRomanMysteries

* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: In ''Trimalchio's Feast'' the titular monkey doesn't necessarily make things better, but he certainly makes things more chaotic and amusing.

* EnthusiasmVersusStoicism: ''The Sirens of Surrentum'' explores the differences between the Classical Greco-Roman philosophies of Epicureanism and Stoicism, with examples of characters that actively pursue each of the two philosophies. The contrast might also be compared to EmotionsVsStoicism.

* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler:Jonathan experiences this at the end of ''The Enemies of Jupiter'' when he blames himself for a massive fire that killed thousands of people. It results in examples of HurtingHero, ItsAllMyFault, and SurvivorGuilt. For a time, he also adopts an alter ego called Ira ([[MeaningfulRename meaning wrath]]) that almost results in BecomingTheMask. When his friends first try to shake him out of it, he expresses a ThatManIsDead attitude toward his real name and identity. His new identity includes some of the elements of MaddenIntoMisanthropy, ADarkerMe, and something that may even be mild form of SplitPersonality.]]

* BlackVikings: Averted in the books, which contain a realistic depictions of the racial and cultural mix of the Roman Empire. However, in the TV adaptation, there are two examples of black Roman patricians.

* ''The Code of Romulus'' (2007): A novella published for World Book Day.

* TakingTheVeil: [[spoiler: Melissa, Lupus' mother]], does the pagan version of this when she dedicates her life to serving Apollo.

* ArrangedMarriage: Common practice during the time period in which the books are set, the marriage of Jonathan's parents is explicitly stated to have been arranged and many of the other marriages depicted were probably also arranged. [[spoiler: Although inverting the usual trope it's Mordecai - who enforced the arranged marriage - who comes off sympathetically rather than Suzannah.]] This custom causes conflict between Flavia and her father when her father wants to arrange a betrothal for her.

** DeathFakedForYou: [[spoiler: This is done inadvertently. A boy that had stolen Jonathan's ring is killed in a fire. Finding his body makes everyone think that Jonathan is dead, which is fine with Jonathan because he wants to leave his identity behind and become a gladiator.]]

* HappilyMarried: Flavia's parents before her mother died in childbirth. Gaius and Miriam [[spoiler: before she dies in childbirth. Seeing a pattern?]] By the end of the series [[spoiler:Aristo and Nubia count, and it's strongly implied Flavia and Flaccus will be too.]] Mordecai portrayed his marriage as this [[spoiler:but it's later revealed Suzannah was in love with another man and all she'll admit to Jonathan is that she wasn't ''un''happy.]]

* HeroicDolphin: In ''The Dolphins of Laurentum''. The main characters swim and play with dolphins, and [[spoiler: Lupus even rides one.]] A dolphin rescues [[spoiler: Lupus after he nearly drowns from staying underwater too long while diving. It is also strongly implied that the same dolphin discouraged Lupus from deliberately leaving behind another diver who had been trapped by a giant octopus, though in fairness to Lupus he had a good reason for wanting the trapped person to die.]] The book also references several examples of the use of dolphins in Myth/ClassicalMythology and Roman urban legends, including stories of shipwrecked sailors being rescued by dolphins and boys riding on dolphins. A ship is named Delphina.
* HistoricalFiction

* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler:Jonathan experiences this at the end of ''The Enemies of Jupiter'' when he blames himself for a massive fire that killed thousands of people. It results in examples of HurtingHero, ItsAllMyFault, and SurvivorGuilt. For a time, he also adopts an alter ego called Ira ([[MeaningfulRename meaning wrath]]) that almost results in BecomingTheMask. When his friends first try to shake him out of it, he expresses a ThatManIsDead attitude toward his real name and identity. His new identity includes some of the elements of MaddenIntoMisanthropy, ADarkerMe, and something that may even be mild form of SplitPersonality.]]

* RagsToRiches: Lupus goes from being a begger boy to [[spoiler: owning his own ship.]]

* TomBoy: Flavia, and to a greater degree Diana, are mild tomboys by modern standards but are most especially tomboys by Roman standards.
** TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Flavia and Miriam are an amicable version while Flavia and Pulchra are more antagonistic. Nubia falls somewhere in the middle of the spectrum.

* TeamPet: Nipur, Scuto and Tigris are {{Canine Companion}}s of Nubia, Flavia and Jonathan respectivly.

* TwoferTokenMinority: Jonathan in his family is Jewish and Christian. Of course, being a Christian may not seem to be a minority thing to most modern Western readers, but they are minorities in pagan Rome.

* UnexpectedInheritance: [[spoiler: Lupus is the heir to Venalicus when he dies, and gets the slave ship Vespa. The ship is turned into the [[MeaningfulRename Delphina]] and is used to replace the ship that Marcus Flavius lost in tsunami.]]

* ColdBloodedTorture: Discussed in ''The Slave-girl from Jerusalem'' when Nubia almost gets tortured for information. [[spoiler: In''The Man From Pomegrante Street'' Jonathan suffers weeks of whipping and starvation to protect his father.]]

* OhMyGods: Pollux!

* YouMeddlingKids: The most notable example of this is the ending of ''The Thieves of Ostia''

* RealityEnsues: Jonathan dreams of [[spoiler: bringing back his enslaved MissingMom and reuniting his parents. This is despite knowing their ArrangedMarriage had problems and his mother was unfaithful to Mordecai. He eventually succeeds in getting them back together but his mother is still distant from the family and they never achieve the happy, idyllic marriage he imagined.]]
** Also Pulchra's crush on Jonathan. [[spoiler: They kiss in ''The Sirens of Surrentum'' but by the DistantFinale she's married to a wealthy Roman citizen. No, the daughter of one of the most powerful men in Rome ''won't'' be marrying a middle class doctor's son who follows an illegal religion.]]

* CleanFoodPoisonedFork: Locusta, a master poisoner, tells of a murder she heard about. The victim was given food with mild poison, but when they made themselves throw up using a feather they died from the lethal poison applied to the feather's tip.

* FamousLastWords: RealLife Emperor Nero's [[FamousLastWords/RealLife Real Life Famous Last Words]] are referenced in ''The Beggar of Volubilis'', though it is suggested that they may have actually been something less grandiose. Emperor Vespasian's [[FamousLastWords/RealLife Real Life Famous Last Words]] are also quoted in ''The Thieves of Ostia'.'

* BonusMaterial: A glossary and a note from the author about the actual history behind the story is added to the end of each book. Some of the books also include maps and diagrams.

* ColorCodedCharacters: The four main character's clothing: Flavia almost always wear blue, Nubia wears yellow, Lupus green and Jonathan wears cream earlier on and brown as the series continues. This extends to secondary characters as Aristo wears [[{{RedIsHeroic}} red]], Miriam [[{{GracefulLadiesLikePurple}} purple]] and Pulchra [[{{PinkMeansFeminine}} pink]].

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: The Romans were big fans of this. Several historically accurate examples of particularly brutal and horrific executions appear ''The Gladiators from Capua''. Some of the examples include criminals being FedToTheBeast and EatenAlive. Sometimes this involves being ChainedToARock.

* DrowningMySorrows: Several adult character do this.

* ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin: Both the series title and many of the individual story titles

* FairPlayWhodunnit: Most of the stories

* GiantWallOfWateryDoom: This happens off screen as the result of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, which results in [[spoiler: Marcus Flavius Geminus being shipwrecked and loosing his ship and all the money he had invested in his cargo, causing him to almost go bankrupt.]]

* HairTriggerTemper: Lupus looses his temper easily, especially when people ask him about his past or mention his missing tongue.
* HappilyEverAfter: The end of the final book, where [[spoiler: Flavia get married. There is also an example of WealthyEverAfter, as the main characters have been given a luxurious villa and lots of money.]]

* KilledOffForReal: Several minor characters in early books [[spoiler: such as Pliny the Elder, Simeon Jonathan's uncle and Flavia's future step-mother. In later books more significant characters Miriam and Uncle Gaius are also killed off.]]

* MadeASlave: Nubia starts the series as a slave. Many other children are also kidnapped and enslaved, forming the basis of the plots for ''The Pirates of Pompeii'' and ''The Colossus of Rhodes.'' [[spoiler: The Four Detectives are briefly captured in ''The Pirates of Pompeii'' and are going to be sold as slaves. Jonathan is also briefly enslaved in ''The Assassins of Rome'' and at the end of ''The Enemies of Jupiter'' he uses the brand mark to pose as a slave. Three of the Four Detectives are captured yet again in ''The Colossus of Rhodes''.]].

** MysteryFiction: Most of the stories

* NeverFoundTheBody: [[spoiler: Gaius Flavius Geminus dies at sea in a shipwreck. The body is never recoved, however it is strongly implied that he was KilledOffForReal.]]

* ParentsAsPeople: As the series continues the adult's own flaws and issues are dealt with: [[spoiler: Jonathan's mother abandoned her family to be with another man, Gaius runs away out of grief after Miriam dies and the previously saintly Mordecai becomes an alcoholic.]]

** Also Pulchra's crush on Jonathan. [[spoiler: They kiss in ''Sirens to Surrentum'' but by the DistantFinale she's married to wealthy roman citizen. No the daughter of one of the most powerful men in Rome ''won't'' be marrying a middle class doctor's son who follows an illegal religion.]]

** [[{{WrongGuyFirst}} Wrong Girl First]]: [[spoiler: Aristo realizes his feelings for Miriam were just infatuation and falls in love with Nubia instead.]]

* YourCheatingHeart: A surprising number of examples for a book with a target audience of 8-to-12-year-old children. [[spoiler: Felix in ''The Sirens of Surrentum'' is revealed to be a serial philanderer. Also, it is revealed that the mother of one of the main characters ran off with the man she had wanted to marry but could not because of an ArrangedMarriage]].

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* TheHero: Flavia is the main focus of the stories especially early in the series, but all her friends have their moments in the spotlight and books focusing on them which often connect to their backstories. (Nubia:''The Gladiators from Capua'' and ''The Scribes from Alexandria.'' Jonathan:''The Assassins of Rome'' and ''The Enemies of Jupiter''. Lupus:''The Dolphins of Laurentum'' and ''The Colossus of Rhodes''.)

** MysteryArc: Most of the stories

* ItWasADarkAndStormyNight: The opening of the short story "'The Five Barley Grains" in ''The Legionary from Londinium & Other Mini Mysteries'' starts out this way. [[WordOfGod Caroline Lawrence]] said that like [[{{Peanuts}} Snoopy]], she always wanted to start a story with that stock phrase.

* ArtifactAlias: Nubia is a former slave whose real name is Shepenwepet. She is renamed Nubia as that is the name given to all female Nubian slaves. Even after being freed, she continues to go by Nubia, saying "Nubia can be my new name for my new life".

* TheBigGuy: Caudex is a large, strong slave that often acts as a a body guard for the main characters.

* BirdsOfAFeather: Flavia and [[spoiler: Flaccus,]] who are both bossy and judgmental but also prove to be brave, kind-hearted and highly intelligent.

* BreakTheCutie: Nubia and Lupus's backstories where the first is enslaved and the second has his tongue cut out and is forced to become a beggar. Their lives improve in present day however. In contrast Jonathan undergoes this within the series itself as he [[spoiler: gets branded as a slave, suffers gladiator training, has to carry the guilt of accidentally killing 20,000 people, loses his beloved sister and suffers weeks of ColdBloodedTorture. Of all the main characters he's the only one who doesn't get a proper happy ending and is still described as a wanderer in the DistantEpilogue.]]

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: All the characters freak out over free Romans being kidnapped and enslaved, but most of them give little thought to the enslavement of non-Romans or those born to slavery. Notable exceptions are Nubia, who was herself a slave, and Dr. Mordecai, who is against all slavery. This is not an example of dissonance on the part of the author, but an accurate potrayal of the values of the time period. Likewise, it accurately presents Roman marriage customs and Roman views on {{Blood Sport}}s and execution as entertainment.

* EnthusiasmVersusStoicism: ''The Sirens of Surrentum'' explores the differences between the Classical Greco-Roman philosophies of Epicureanism and Stoicism, with examples of characters that actively persue each of the two philosophies. The contrast might also be compared to EmotionsVsStoicism.

* HappilyMarried: Flavia's parents before her mother died in childbirth. Gaius and Miriam [[spoiler: before she dies in childbirth. Seeing a pattern?]] By the end of the series [[spoiler: Aristo and Nubia count, and its strongly implied Flavia and Flaccus will be too.]] Mordecai portrayed his marriage as this [[spoiler: but its later revealed Suzannah was in love with another man and all she'll admit to Jonathan is that she wasn't ''un''happy.]]

* HeroicBSOD -[[spoiler: Jonathan experiences this at the end of ''The Enemies of Jupiter'' when he blames himself for a massive fire that killed thousands of people. It results in examples of HurtingHero, ItsAllMyFault, and SurvivorGuilt. For a time, he also adopts an alter ego called Ira ([[MeaningfulRename meaning wrath]]) that almost results in BecomingTheMask. When his friends first try to shake him out of it, he expresses a ThatManIsDead attitude toward his real name and identity. His new identity includes some of the elements of MaddenIntoMisanthropy, ADarkerMe, and something that may even be mild form of SplitPersonality.]]

** In the TV adaption this is their door-slave Caudex instead.

* ItWasADarkAndStormyNight: The opening of the short story "'The Five Barley Grains" in ''The Legionary from Londinium & Other Mini Mysteries'' starts out the way. [[WordOfGod Caroline Lawrence]] said that like [[{{Peanuts}} Snoopy]], she always wanted to started a story with that stock phrase.

** MysteryMagnet -Flavia

** [[spoiler: Lupus has to decide between saving his friends and stopping his mother from being sacrificed. He saves his friends and although the sacrifice doesn't actually take his mothers life it means he can never see her again.]]
* TheScapegoat: [[spoiler: Jonathan]] is blamed for burning of Rome, causing him to become a CondemnedContestant.
* ScarsAreForever: Lupus's missing tongue

** "He will [[Franchise/StarTrek live long and prosper]]

* ThatManIsDead: [[spoiler: Jonathan]] takes this on when he becomes a gladiator and adopts a new name.

* ThisIsMyNameOnForeign: [[spoiler: Lupus's actual name is Lukos. However, both names simply mean "wolf." This does not follow the trope perfectly, because it is not an alias that Lupus picks for himself.]]

* TrueCompanions: The four main characters Flavia, Jonathan, Nubia and Lupus, who acknowledge they have a bond closer than friends or family. The circle often extends to include Aristo, Marcus, Mordecai, Miriam, Gaius, occassionally Caudex and Alma, and later on [[spoiler: Flaccus.]]

* YourCheatingHeart: A surprising number of examples for a book with a target audience of 8-12 year old children. [[spoiler: Felix in ''The Sirens of Surrentum'' is revealed to be a serial philander. Also, it is revealed that the mother of one of the main characters ran off with the man she had wanted to marry but could not because of an ArrangedMarriage]].

* ''The Roman Mysteries Treasury'' (2007): A companion book with [[AllThereInTheManual additional background information]] about the characters and factual information about TheRomanEmpire.

* AllThereInTheManual: ''The Roman Mysteries Treasury'' contains additional information about the characters, their backgrounds and the setting (namely TheRomanEmpire),

* {{Patronymic}}: The books accurately depict the use of patronymics in period cultures. Notable examples are Jonathan ben Mordecai and Mordecai ben Ezrah.

* ArrangedMarriage: Common practice during the time period in which the books are set, the marriage of Jonathan's parent's is explicitly stated to have been arranged and many of the other marriages depicted were probably also arranged. [[spoiler: Although inverting the usual trope it's Mordecai - who enforced the arranged marriage - who comes off sympathetically rather than Suzannah.]] This custom causes conflict between Flavia and her father when her father wants to arrange a betrothal for her.

* JewishHolidays: Rosh Hashannah, Yom Kippur, Succot and Passover are all featured in the series.