Quo Vadis

Synopsis

Quo Vadis is a historical novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz. It tells of a love between a young Christian woman and a Roman patrician in Rome, under the rule of emperor Nero, c. AD 64. The main characters are: Marcus Vinicius, a military tribune and Roman patrician who recently returned to Rome. On arrival he meets and falls in love with Ligia. He seeks the counsel of his uncle Petronius to find a way to possess her. Ligia, the daughter of a deceased king of a barbarian tribe, is technically a hostage of the Senate and people of Rome, and was forgotten years ago by her own people. A great beauty, she has converted to Christianity, but her religion is originally unknown to Marcus. Gaius Petronius, former governor of Bithynia, a member of Nero's court who uses his wit to flatter and mock him at the same time. Somewhat amoral and a bit lazy, he tries to help his nephew, but his cunning plan is thwarted by Ligia's Christian friends. Nero, and the apostle Peter and Paul also appears. Artist Bio Author: Henryk Sienkiewicz (1846-1916) was a Polish journalist, novelist and winner of the Nobel Prize in literature. He is best remembered for his internationally known best-seller Quo Vadis.