"Apia de Roma" is a book by Viviana Rivero published by Editorial Planeta

Synopsis of Apia de Roma

"Apia Pópulus is about to lose her mother. Despite her young age, following prevailing customs, she enters into marriage with Salvio Sextus, a wealthy and elderly pearl merchant. In the Palatine, the most prestigious neighborhood in the city, the young woman must armor herself to face life with someone she does not love, fulfill her duties as a mistress, and defend her home from political conspiracies. Rome is a hotbed of intrigue. After the assassination of Julius Caesar in the Senate, Marcus Antonius and Octavius, the future emperor, vie for power. Crimes are a daily occurrence, and Salvio Sextus fears for his life. Apia stoically endures the tyranny of her husband and the constant attacks from Senecio, his son. As if that weren't enough, she is forced to accept the humiliating dominance games imposed on her as a woman by one of the city's powerful men. Her only support is her loyal slave Furnilla. Together, they forge an unbreakable alliance and fight to carve out a path in a hostile environment. However, the appearance of Manius Marcio, an attractive centurion, disrupts Apia's life and allows her to discover feelings and sensations she had never experienced before. From that moment on, she must balance giving in to her passionate romance and fighting for her place in a patriarchal and misogynistic business world. Narrated in two timelines, this novel tells a story of passion, violence, and triumph in the height of the Roman Empire. With her usual mastery for constructing compelling plots, Viviana Rivero portrays a woman who confronts the mandates and impositions of her time in pursuit of equality, independence, and true love."