The Cleansing: A Novel of Ancient Rome
Fifty thousand Romans have died in a single day of carnage at the Battle of Cannae. In a bid to distract the Roman people and avoid blame for the tragedy, the ruling elites scapegoat a priestess named Opimia. They claim that the tragedy was a divine punishment sent because Opimia broke her sacred vows.
It is surprising that, before now, so few authors have chosen to pay much attention to the Vestal Virgins. These priestesses sat atop a strange pedestal in Roman society. They held great wealth and political power, answering to none but the pontifex maximus, Rome’s high priest. For all these privileges, the Vestals still lacked freedom and privacy, a symptom of the social inequalities that this novel analyzes.
Victoria Alvear’s considerable knowledge of Roman history enhances this detailed exploration of Roman culture. Readers come to know and care for Opimia as she carries out her daily rituals and reflects on her life. Little time goes to waste, as even quiet moments provide a source of insight into her and the civilization she inhabits. Roman society’s injustices and double standards are brought into sharp relief, as its religion and state are weaponized against its own people.
Original, sharply critical, if occasionally over expository, this novel invites a renewed dialogue with Roman antiquity. So many novels set in Rome focus on just a few familiar topics: the dictatorship of Julius Caesar, the conquest of Britain, the fall of the empire. The Cleansing proves that Roman history still has new treasures to offer authors and readers.
