Banks, Lynne Reid. Tiger, tiger.BANKS, Lynne Reid. Tiger, tiger. Random House. 256p. c2005. 0-385-73240-6. $15.95. JS Aurelia is the 12-year-old daughter of Caesar Lucius Julius Julius, in the New Testament, centurion in whose charge Paul was sent to Rome. Caesar, d. 87 B.C., consul (90 B.C.). He proposed a law extending Roman citizenship to Roman allies that had not joined in the Social War against Rome (90 B.C.). He was killed in the beginning of the civil war by partisans of Marius. His brother Caius Julius Caesar Strabo Vopiscus, d. 87 B.C., is mentioned as an orator in Cicero's De oratore. He was killed with his brother. His name also appears as Vopisius. in ancient Rome. She lives a privileged life and is on the verge of adulthood, when she will marry and take her place in Roman aristocracy. But for the moment, she is still a child and her father sends her a special gift--a tiger cub. The cub is trained and watched by a servant named Julius, a young man to whom Aurelia is quietly attracted. The tiger cub, Boots, has a twin, Brute, who is trained to fight gladiators gladiators [Lat.,=swordsmen], in ancient Rome, class of professional fighters, who performed for exhibition. Gladiatorial combats usually took place in amphitheaters. They probably were introduced from Etruria and originally were funeral games. Gladitorial combats, which took place in the Colosseum and in hundreds of other ampitheaters throughout the Roman world, reached their height in the 1st and 2d cent. A.D. in the Coliseum--a blood sport for the amusement of Caesar and the crowd. Although kept from that world, Aurelia and her cousin Marcus are aware of it. Marcus longs to be old enough to enjoy the spectacle, but the first time he is there, he becomes violently ill. While spending time with his cousin, he also realizes Aurelia's feelings for the tiger's servant. Soon the chance comes when Marcus can show Julius to be a fool. The trick goes terribly awry and the tiger escapes, bringing down the wrath of Caesar on Julius. Despite the recapture of Boots, both tigers and Julius are sentenced to the arena where only well-trained gladiators survive. Aurelia pleads with her father but learns firsthand the ruthlessness of Caesar. Janis Flint-Ferguson, Assoc. Prof., English, Gordon College, Wenham, MA J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers. S--Recommended for senior high school students. |
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