De Carvalho, Mario. A God Strolling In The Cool Of The Evening. Baton Rogue. 1997. Louisiana State University Press. 1st American Edition. Very Good In Dustjacket. Winner Of The Pegasus Prize For Literature.Translated From The Portuguese By Gregory Rabassa. 265 pages. Jacket photo, by Dr. Patricia Lawrence, is from the Cancellaria Relief, The Vatican, Rome. Mario de Carvalho's A GOD STROLLING IN THE COOL OF THE EVENING topped the Portuguese bestseller lists in 1994. Written as the memoir of Lucius Valerius Quintius, former prefect of a fictitious second-century Roman city in what is now Portugal, it depicts a civilization threatened from without and within as its foundations begin to crumble. The Moors have invaded the Iberian peninsula, raiding and pillaging Roman towns, but the people of Tarcisis turn a blind eye to the danger. Made complacent by the prosperity of the Pax Romana, they focus instead on the sadistic Games and on the persecution of members of a new religious sect living within the city walls - the Christians. Striving always to adhere to the principles of his hero Marcus Aurelius, Lucius musters all of his moral courage and sheer strength of will to protect the city. His devotion to civic duty undergoes a crucial test, however, when the charismatic and beautiful leader of the new sect, Iunia Cantaber, is brought before his court. Mario de Carvalho depicts the timeless story of a good man struggling to maintain sense and order in his public and private lives and to uphold justice as he understands it. A GOD STROLLING IN THE COOL OF THE EVENING carries a message that resounds clearly in these confusing days at the close of our own century. MARIO DE CARVALHO practices law in Lisbon, though writing has become his primary vocation. He has published numerous novels, story collections, and plays. Um deus passeando pela brisa da tarde was awarded the 1995 Portuguese Writers' Association Grand Prize for Fiction. Poet, biographer, critic, professor, and translator GREGORY RABASSA has been honored many times for his translations of works by authors such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Mario Vargas Llosa. He won the National Book Award for Translation for Julio Cortazar's HOPSCOTCH. He lives in New York. keywords: Literature Translated Portugal. inventory # 24647. 0807122351