The novel, illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop, was first published in 1933 and was a Newbery Honor recipient in 1934.
[2] Roman centurion Laevinius is away when his Greek wife dies giving birth.
Chloe's life is harsh, only brightened by the stories her friend Melissa tells.
Chloe's future looks bleak, and her love for a noble Roman seems doomed, until the plague reunites her with her father.
The book has been praised for accurate details that show the culture and everyday life of early Rome.