Synopsis
Rome, in the time of the emperor Tiberius. Caius, the son of the senator Vinicius, and his brother Mucius go together with four children of the same age to the school run by the Greek scholar Xanthos.
When the pupils decide to give their beloved old teacher, who is also called Xantippus due to his grouchy manner, the slave Udo of al things for his birthday, fate takes a hand…
Udo, an extremely smooth fellow of a slave, turn out to nothing other than the secret messenger of a Roman general who is organising a murder plot against senator Vinicius. In trying to warn his father Mucius falls into the hands of gladiators who have joined forces with the conspirators.
Senator Vinicius is unable to intercede because the noose is tightening around his own neck too: the emperor himself demands to know the whereabouts of the war chest, worth ten million sestercii, which has been missing since the battle in the Teoutoberg Forest.
Before the conspirators can be exposed at the end, as is only right, there is a hair-raising adventure to be got through.
So Caius has to get the best of a gladiator using honey, Antonius has to face a real live lion in the catacombs of the Arena, the shy Rufus has to bring the enchanting Claudia a declaration of love of the special kind and teacher Xantippus must solve a mathematical problem before the stern eyes of the emperor, one which decides over life and death. But it is Caius who, finally, has the bright idea, which saves them all, and we learn the origins of the famous Latin saying: “pecunia non olet”. Which, as every schoolboy and girl knows, means: “money does not stink”.