One of the world's first bestsellers, this historical novel contrasts the decadence of ancient Roman society with the simplicity and spiritual power of the earliest Christians. An epic tale of the romance between a young Christian convert and a Roman soldier, it mixes fictional and real-life characters such as Nero and the saints Peter and Paul.
Polish journalist and Nobel Prize–winning author Henryk Sienkiewicz (1846-1916) glorified his country's struggles in a popular trilogy of books. His best-known work, Quo Vadis?, can be interpreted as an allegory of the persecution and political subjugation of Poland by Russia.