List of The Roman Mysteries Characters - R

R

Rectina

Rectina first appears in The Secrets of Vesuvius. She is the wife of Tascius, the wealthy neighbour of Gaius Flavius Geminus. She is a handsome middle-aged woman and the adoptive mother of nine little girls who have been named after the nine Muses. She turns out to be the biological mother of the blacksmith Vulcan and recognises him at first glance during the festival of Vulcan. It is revealed her husband actually stole the infant Vulcan and left him on the riverbank to die, believing that Rectina had been having an affair with Pliny. He believes that the deformed foot Vulcan has is positive proof that the child was never his. When Rectina confronts him about Vulcan being their long-lost son, Tascius flies into a rage and blindly accuses her of being an adultress. Rectina flees heartbroken with their nine daughters to their villa upon the slopes of the volcano.

She reappears with Clio at the end of The Assassins of Rome, and Felix mentions that she and Tascius have adopted two more children, so they have evidently reconciled.

Rhoda

Rhoda Cornix is the five-year=old daughter of senator Aulus Cornix and Lady Cynthia and since the death of her little sisters, is the baby of the family once more. She is very fond of dogs and loves her older cousin, Flavia as well as Nubia. Rhoda is picked on by her older brother, Aulus Jr., in a way similar to Hyacinth, Quintus and Sextus. Flavia is her role-model.

Rhoda Cornix has appeared in the following novels in the series:

• The Enemies of Jupiter
• The Gladiators from Capua
• The Charioteer of Delphi

Rizpah

Rizpah, an eight-year old slave in Nero's Golden House, befriends Jonathan when he is enslaved there. An expert at sneaking and spying, she is a valuable ally to Jonathan and leads him to his mother. Her white hair, pink eyes and sensitivity to light suggest she has albinism. She was born in the Golden House, and her catchphrase is notably Here I was born, and here I shall die.

She returns later in The Enemies of Jupiter when she shows Flavia, Jonathan, Nubia and Lupus the Ark of Covenant. Simeon was to marry her mother Rachel, and she grieves as much as Jonathan when he dies of the fever.