クォ・ヴァディスのあらすじ

対象読者

Readers who love big historical novels, with palaces, feasts and arenas, will find a great deal here. So will anyone drawn to love stories set against danger.

本の内容

Picture Petronius lying in a perfumed bath as his nephew, a returning Roman officer, says he wants only one thing in the world. It is a girl he saw once at a garden fountain at dawn. She is not a slave, so she cannot be bought.

That is how Quo Vadis begins, in the years when Nero rules Rome. Henryk Sienkiewicz, a Polish novelist, wrote it in the 1890s. He set a love story between the cruel court of Caesar and a small band of Christians who meet at night in sand pits and believe that love is stronger than power.

『クォ・ヴァディス』についての質問

What is Quo Vadis about?

It tells of the love between Marcus Vinicius, a Roman officer, and Lygia, a hostage girl who is secretly Christian. Their story unfolds in the court of Nero, where feasts, fear and early Christian faith pull against each other.

What does Quo Vadis mean?

It is Latin for Where are you going? The words are a question that comes late in the book, and they give the novel its title. They carry the idea of choosing a path under pressure.

Is Quo Vadis a true story?

The setting and many people are real, including Nero, Petronius, Seneca, Peter and Paul. The love story of Vinicius and Lygia is invented. Sienkiewicz wrote it in the 1890s as a historical novel about Rome under Nero.

Who are Vinicius and Petronius?

Vinicius is a young army tribune who wants Lygia. Petronius is his uncle, a witty nobleman called the judge of elegance at Nero's court. He helps his nephew with clever plans while enjoying beauty and keeping his distance from politics.

Is Quo Vadis worth reading today?

Yes, readers enjoy its vivid scenes, bold characters and clear contrast of power and love. The story moves from baths and palaces to catacombs and arenas, with plenty of humor, danger and romance along the way.