Roman Diary

This engaging title continues the successful formula established with the first titles in the series, Castle Diary and Pirate Diary: a strong historical narrative with a hefty side-order of fun.

As before, the first person account fosters intimacy with both characters and the period. This is Rome in the reign of the Emperor Trajan as seen from the ‘underside’ by Iliona, a young Greek girl enslaved on a sea-voyage to Egypt with her brother, Apollo. She is comparatively fortunate, attached to a Senator’s household where she is well treated and able to continue her education despite the round of menial tasks and some petty humiliations at the hands of the crude soldier son of the family, Cratinus. This beautifully judged name is just one of the many pleasures of the elegant text, which unobtrusively conducts the reader on a comprehensive tour of Roman customs and mores through Iliona’s and her brother’s adventures.

Apollo has been sent to the Roman family’s country estates, which allows Richard Platt to contrast his much harsher rural existence with Iliona’s urban life in the capital. Here her errands and mistress’s liberality allow her to visit the Baths, Theatre, the Senate and gladiatorial amphitheatre, as well as witnessing the Emperor’s triumphant return from war in Dacia. And Iliona’s experiences, perhaps surprisingly for the young reader, lead her to reflect that life as a slave in the right household is more comfortable and secure than as a free, but impoverished Roman citizen. The story charts her upward trajectory to ‘freed slave’ electing to stay with her mistress rather than risk the perils of a return journey to Mytilini.

David Parkins’ exuberant drawings are an integral part of the text. Whether vibrant colour double-spreads, cartoon-style inserts on ‘parchment’ rolls, mischievous or poignant black and white drawings tucked into corners of the page, they enthral. Every last foot soldier or Roman citizen in a crowd is wittily individualised. This book is an absolute joy for child and adult reader alike. Useful notes on Roman life and an excellent index make it a good addition for any school library.