Carinus: Historiallinen novelli

The narrative follows a wealthy, ageing patrician who retires to a country villa with two daughters—one widowed and public, the other secretly attracted to a new Christian faith—and the procession of Roman nobles who arrive seeking marriage, wealth, or imperial favor. Lavish banquets, political favoritism and rumors reveal the decadence and ambitions of the court, while the father resists matches that would compromise his household. A returning soldier becomes the center of attention amid entertainments that heighten moral tensions, contrasting pagan luxury and the drive for power with the quiet persistence of emerging religious conviction.