| Marcus Didius Falco |
a man of mixed fortunes and seeker after truth |
| Helena Justina |
his true love, sought and won |
| Falco’s family |
low grade, but not as bad as they seem: |
| Junilla Tacita |
formidable wife to the deplorable Geminus |
| Maia Favonia |
Falco’s sister, the best of the bunch |
| Flavia Albia |
heart-broken and ready to break heads |
| Katutis |
Falco’s secretary, a disappointed man |
| Helena’s family |
high class, but not as good as they look: |
| Aulus Camillus Aelianus |
keeping a low profile |
| Quintus Camillus Justinus |
keeping his career on target, thanks to: |
| Claudia Rufina |
his wife and financial backer |
| Lentullus |
an accident waiting to happen |
| Falco’s associates in Rome |
|
| Lucius Petronius Longus |
an upright vigiles enquirer (low pay) |
| Lucius Petronius Rectus |
his brother, feeling off colour |
| Nero |
their ox, another one gone missing |
| Tiberius Fusculus |
Petro’s second in command |
| Sergius |
their whip man (always encouraging) |
| Clusius |
a devious rival auctioneer (low motives) |
| Gaius |
a dubious apprentice (high hopes) |
| Gornia |
a tight-lipped porter (no comment) |
| Septimus Parvo |
a family lawyer (absolutely no comment) |
| Thalia |
a contortionist with a problem to wriggle out of |
| Philadelphion and Davos |
her lovers, keeping well off the scene |
| Minas of Karystos |
a lawyer, on the up |
| Hosidia Meline |
a bride (on the make?) |
| Also in Rome |
|
| Tiberius Claudius Laeta |
a smooth bureaucrat with high aspirations |
| Momus |
a rough-edged auditor with low habits |
| Tiberius Claudius Anacrites |
the Chief Spy, a high-flyer of low worth |
| The Melitans |
his agents (dodgy connections) |
| Perella |
an assassin who wants a new job (her boss’s) |
| Heracleides |
party-planner to the stars |
| Nymphidias |
his thieving chef |
| Scorpus |
a singer, spying on spies (an idiot) |
| Alis |
a fortune-teller who blames Mum (a wise woman) |
| Arrius Persicus |
a philanderer, oversexed and over-budget |
| A courier |
newly wed and newly dead |
| Volusius |
Mum’s boy, a numerate victim |
| In Latium |
|
| Januaria |
a waitress at Satricum, an all-rounder |
| Livia Primilla & Julius |
|
| Modestus |
complainants in high dudgeon |
| Sextus Silanus |
their nephew in Lanuvium, in low spirits |
| Macer |
their loyal overseer, gone missing |
| Syrus |
their runaway slave, fatally roughed up |
| A butcher in Lanuvium |
a very careless creditor |
| The horrible Claudii |
neighbours from Hades: |
| Aristocles and Casta |
cold-natured, hot-tempered parents (deceased) |
| Claudius Nobilis |
so notorious, he has ‘gone to see his granny’ |
| Pius and Virtus |
the twins, ‘working away from home’ |
| Probus |
‘upholding the family name’ |
| Felix |
‘lost’ |
| Plotia and Byrta |
downtrodden wives |
| Demetria |
runaway wife of Claudius Nobilis (low esteem) |
| Costus |
her new boyfriend (asking for trouble) |
| Vexus |
her father (anticipating the worst) |
| Thamyris |
employer of Nobilis and Costus (over-confident) |
| Silvius |
an officer of the Urban Cohorts, undercover |
| Plus full supporting cast |
| Jason the python, dogs, missing persons, slaves (non-persons), personal beauticians, impersonal magistrates |
| And featuring |
|
| The Praetorian Guards |
bastards! |
