The Last Days of Pompeii
by Edward Bulwer-Lytton
A classic Victorian story about the last days of Pompeii, a doomed city lying at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. From poets to flower girls, from gladiators to Roman grandstands, here is a plausible story of their lives, their love, and the tragic fate that awaits them. The novel uses its characters to compare the decadent culture of first-century Rome with both ancient cultures and future trends. The main character, Glaucus, represents the Greeks, who were subject to Rome, and his enemy, the Arbax - an older culture of Egypt. Olinf is the main representative of the newly emerging Christian religion, which is positively represented, but not without criticism. The Vesuvius Witch, despite not possessing supernatural abilities, shows Bulwer-Lytton's interest in the occult.
