LYNCHBURG, Va. (MMD Newswire) June 13, 2011 - - The newly released novel "Buried: The Discernment of Pagans in Ancient Rome" (ISBN 1456471651) opens with a hostile confrontation between pagans and Christians. Though the Christian viewpoint may be familiar, says author Frank Troy, the reader is then swiftly transported into the unfamiliar, dangerous and strangely beautiful world of pre-Christian Rome as it is seen and understood by the pagan narrator. Troy, a retired literature professor, has spent a lifetime studying the literature and philosophy of European civilizations prior to the arrival of Christian ideas and concepts.
The novel's principal narrator is a 27-year-old Roman aristocrat named Aeneas. Educated in Aristotle's Lyceum in Athens, a lover of boxing and philosophy, his narrative aims to help readers understand the how and why of paganism's magnificent achievements in a range of areas including philosophy, politics, art and science.
While fulfilling his military obligation in Alexandria in 387 A.D., Aeneas falls hopelessly in love with the beautiful female scholar Hypatia. After he is discharged from service the lovers travel by way of Athens and Delphi to Rome to meet Aeneas' sister, Honoria. Unexpected family obligations require Aeneas and Hypatia to separate, but they vow to reunite. Hypatia returns to Alexandria and Aeneas and Honoria travel north to join their father, the governor of Upper Germania. As the summer passes, Honoria falls deeply in love, only to lose her lover in a war between opposing generals. Their father too becomes a victim of the war, and the siblings flee to the safety of a family farm near Carthage and plan their reunion with Hypatia. Their future, however, becomes more complicated than they ever imagined.
Troy seeks to offer readers a tale that is rich with historical details and numerous surprising plot turns, along with the narrative that interprets events in light of paganism's core beliefs about the underlying nature of reality and the purpose and meaning of life. Modern readers, Troy contends, will encounter an unfamiliar world view that is initially puzzling, yet as the novel unfolds, pagan core beliefs gradually become clearer. Troy aims to provide insight to readers so they can begin to see that even though ancient and modern core beliefs are fundamentally different, the practical problems faced by Rome were an amazingly accurate reflection of ours today.
"Rome was the first superpower and promoted unprecedented achievements in the arts and sciences, and a standard of living that would not be equaled for almost 1500 years," says Troy. "But it also suffered from unfair wealth distribution, economic instability, political partisanship, a militant foreign religious movement, environmental degradation, divisive immigration problems, cultural conflict and more."
"Buried: The Discernment of Pagans in Ancient Rome" is available for sale online at Amazon.com and other channels.
About the Author:
Frank Troy, whose birth name is Frank Hanenkrat, holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Richmond and a Ph.D. in English from Emory University. He has investigated and taught literature and philosophy of the Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian traditions for more than thirty years. This is his first novel.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Frank Troy
Email: discernmentofpagans@gmail.com
REVIEW COPIES AND INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE
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