
In a bustling 27th‑century university, a restless sociomatics scholar becomes obsessed with a daring experiment: using a prototype “time‑grapple” to snatch a handful of people from ancient Rome and study them up close. When the physicist who controls the device proves uncooperative, the scholar decides to act on his own, slipping into the lab after hours and seizing sixteen young Christians imprisoned for the gladiatorial games of Nero’s reign.
Back in the future, the captured group is hidden in a basement laboratory, where the researcher plans to observe their customs, language and belief systems as a groundbreaking case study. Yet the ancient world’s politics quickly intrude—official memos from a Roman arena captain and a police chief clash over the missing prisoners, while the scholar’s own reputation hangs in the balance. The story weaves together academic ambition, moral ambiguity, and a humorous tug‑of‑war between past and present, inviting listeners to wonder just how far one should go in the name of knowledge.
Language
en
Duration
~31 minutes (29K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: Greenleaf Publishing Company, 1952.
Credits
Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2021-08-02
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1923–2001
A major voice in classic science fiction and fantasy, this award-winning writer is best remembered for the long-running Childe Cycle and for co-creating the beloved Dragon Knight stories. His books mix big ideas, adventure, and a warm interest in courage, honor, and what makes people human.
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