Beautiful historical novel for youth

Sophie Mullenheim wrote a beautiful historical novel for youth.
The story takes place in Rome from the early fourth century at the time of the persecution of Christians. This is an adventure for young people pursuing a thief who falls in mysterious caches in the Coliseum, and go from one discovery, risking their lives.

The martyrdom, faith, questioning posed by the emergence of the Good News in a society enamored of gods, respectful of all provided that no deity is imposed exclusively. Christianity, eluding any other god than the God of the Christians cherished deeply impacts the Roman society, in jeopardizing its usual operations. No matter that Roman believe in their gods. The latter, with the procession of praise addressed to them in many forms throughout the year, weave the depths of a society.
The jolts are violent.
The Coliseum is the place offerings of martyrs in the Roman civilization.
A few decades later, the Roman civilization will integrate with Constantine, Christianity then be exceeded, the time came barbarians as described historian Alessandro Barbero in his fine book The Day of barbarians Adrianople on August 9 378

Latour07

Martyr (the martus Greek marturos, "witness")
Literally the martyr is the one who testifies to his faith.
The title, however, is reserved by the Church to those whose testimony was to the death.
But more common, we speak of martyrs whenever loyalty to the faith was the cause of suffering.
"The New Theo, for all the Catholic Encyclopedia, Mame, 2009