Threshold of Fire

August 30, 1993
Initially published in The Netherlands in 1964, Haasse's ( In the Dark Wood Wandering ) pensive novel of the clash between Christian and pagan cultures in A.D. 414 is a far cry from the likes of Lloyd C. Douglas or Lew Wallace. For one thing, it's the pagan Romans following the faith of their forefathers who are persecuted in accordance with the edicts of Theodosius, while Christians exploit their new authority. There are despicable and admirable representatives of both cults; the only two truly honorable characters are an Egyptian Jew and his illegitimate half-slave grandson. After an Alexandrian education, this grandson returns to Rome, from where he had been exiled after one of the political shifts of the late Empire, to become the poet Claudian, an historical figure often considered the last classical Roman writer. His unlawful presence in Rome brings him into conflict with the Christian Prefect Hadrian. Although the real Claudian is sometimes claimed by Christians, Haasse's creation eschews established religion in favor of humanism. It is Claudian's character and his ``faith'' that forms the core of a book both less dogmatic and wiser than many which concern this period.