A Lovecraftian horror story set in ancient Rome. Osric, the narrator, is an old man, recounting the "adventures" of his youth some 75 years before.  Osric, and his patron, Lucius Calpurnius Agricola, must solve a mystery in the city of Rome itself, but as they delve deeper into what seems like a garden-variety murder, they quickly realize that they stand on the verge of uncovering things best left hidden in the dark. (Since it is Lovecraftian horror, one should exercise more than the usual caution in disclaimers--I intend to keep it clean, and within bounds of propriety, but I won't deny it still may upset some. Hence, I have checked all the disclaimer boxes.) (It is designed to mimic a scholarly work--think of Graves' I Claudius or Fraser's Flashman.  Hence you will occasionally find footnotes dropped in there, explaining the text. Nothing too heavy, I guarantee.)