Review: Cloak and Stola, a Novella by Mary Hare

A story about the ban on marriage for Roman Legion soldiers

Mary’ Hare’s story of a Roman soldier and the slave he makes his wife is a well-researched and deceptively controversial tale. Hare goes into detail to paint the everyday lives of citizens living on the edge of the Empire and manages to bring heart and soul to what might otherwise be mundane domestic affairs.

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The story

Procerus is a Roman Soldier looking to start a family. The problem? Soldiers in the legion have been forbidden to marry by Caesar. But Procerus found a loophole. He finds a slave woman named Sophie, frees her, and establishes her his concubine - not quite the same thing as a wife, but with much of the same legal recognition regarding children and inheritance. But Procerus doesn’t put much thought in what Sophie wants in all this.

The characters

Ancient Romans would probably see Procerus as especially indulgent with his “wife,” and meanwhile would see Sophie as a willful woman in need of discipline. Modern audiences will see the opposite - Procerus can come across as oblivious, and Sophie as especially submissive. This tension that Hare draws on is one of the things that makes their relationship so interesting. The characters are sympathetic enough to relate to them but still a believable part of the ancient world that is so alien to our own.

The world

The world is the star of this story. Hare provides a view on everyday life in Roman Syria in minute detail in areas of law, religion, politics, fashion, cuisine - you name it. Some of the scenes reminded me of well-made documentaries that put you in the shoes of the people who actually lived in the past.

One of the key skills Hare uses in her worldbuilding is committing to the ancient point of view throughout the story. The reader get the feeling that this is a story told much as the Romans would tell it, barely acknowledging the culture shock the reader is experiencing throughout.

The politics

All politics in the story are directly related to ancient politics. One of the more refreshing things about Cloak and Stola is that there is no modern message and no added judgment of the people of the past as often seeps into historical fiction. This is a story about timeless relationship conflicts between man and woman unbound by current events.

Content warning

There is zero violence or graphic sexual content in this story whatsoever, but don’t be fooled by that. As good a man as he is for the ancient world, I don’t think anyone would question the fact that when Procerus and Sophie consummate their “wedding” night, it would be considered rape. This does not go unacknowledged by Hare, as the fallout from that reverberates through the narrative.

While there is some reconciliation at the end of the story, the characters are limited by their time and culture in how far they can actually address the issue.

Who is it for?

We at Upstream Reviews tend to stick to action and adventure - heroes battling villains with lots of violence and/or explosions. This is not that story, and it is not for all readers of this site.

But if you are an ancient history buff and looking for an unblinking view into their world that does not smuggle modern sensibilities into the telling, this story is for you.

Why read it?

Read Cloak and Stola for the painstakingly researched view into the lives of Ancient Romans on the edge of the Empire, and for the sober and ultimately heart-felt handling of the messy romance that world can produce.

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