Edward Bulwer-Lytton 
Last Days of Pompeii 

A fantastic novel set in the final days of Ancient Pompeii before it was destroyed by the eruption of mount Vesuvius, written by English politician, poet, playwright, and prolific novelist Edward Bulwer-Lytton. Inspired by Karl Briullov’s painting The Last Day of Pompeii (which appears on the cover of this version), which the author saw in Milan, this is a fantastic look at ancient cultures, with many characters representing various ancient peoples, such as Glaucus who represents the subordinated Greeks and Arbaces who represents the Egyptian Empire.