A novel by Mary Ray. Young Philo lives in the Decapolis, ten Greek cities of first century Palestine. When his father brings home a half-dead man from the desert, Philo finds himself increasingly caught up in the conflict between the Jews and occupying Romans. First published in 1977, this story is fourth in Ray's Roman Empire Sequence and is a loose sequel to The Ides Of April.
This novel contains examples of:
- Big Brother Instinct: Conan toward Philo. When Conan has to tell Philo that their father was murdered on his last trip, he first brings Philo home. Unfortunately as they walk through the streets, a neighbor sneers about how poor Philo is now an orphan, which is the first Philo has heard of his father's death. He understandably starts to cry. Conan wants to punch the thoughtless neighbor, but since this isn't viable, settles for wrapping his brother in his cloak to shelter him from bystanders and hurries them home.
- Good Parents: Apollodorus, Philo, Nico and Conan's father, is a good dad. As a merchant, he's gone a lot, but when he's home, he's quietly affectionate to his kids, and Philo looks forward to his return enough that he runs down to the gate every day to see if his father's caravan has arrived. Then he dies from a robber attack, leaving his sons orphaned and broke. Luckily the stranger Apollodorus rescued and brought home has some business sense and helps them figure out an income.
- Good Samaritan: Apollodorus is one to Xenos and brings him home to nurse him back to health and give him a place to stay.
- Identity Amnesia: When Xenos first wakes up after being rescued from death by desert exposure, he doesn't remember anything except for vague recollections of being questioned and staked out by Roman soldiers. His memory returns after seeing a scene that reminded him of a similar incident in his life as Hylas.
- La Résistance: Philo's brother, Nicanor, joins the Jewish resistance of the Roman occupation.
- Left for Dead: Xenos aka Hylas, courtesy of Roman soldiers that did not appreciate him stalling them to buy time for escaping refugees and staked him out in the desert to die of thirst and exposure.
- Paying It Forward: A friend questions why Apollodorus would rescue Xenos when there are so many along the road in trouble (this being during a Jewish revolt against the Romans resulting in a lot of refugees) and with Xenos being in dutch with the Romans to boot. Apollodorus admits he's not really sure but notes that Xenos was alone, as Apollodorus once was before being rescued by a stranger.
