Marcellinus was deeply affected by the events described in the first chapter of The Breath. As one
would expect from such traumatic experiences they had a lifelong impact. It is common for children
who have experienced trauma to build walls of protection from future harm and that is exactly what
Marcellinus did. He also sought to build resilience and self-reliance as further ways of protecting
himself.
Despite this, he did not become a hard man, impervious to sympathetic emotion and feeling for
others; on the contrary he had a very tender side. No doubt this derived from a combination of
nature and nurture from both his parents and his grandparents who were significantly responsible
for him as the loss of his parents.
His Jewish mother was the biggest influence on this side of his character and he felt deeply his
responsibility to honour her memory, as reflected in his recollections of events later in life when he
felt responsible for harm brought to Jewish people. As you read, I hope you will also sense his
tenderness in a number of situations in which a Roman soldier might be expected to take a tougher
stance.
His father’s influence was more in terms of his faithful, committed allegiance to Rome and its gods,
despite Marcellinus always having questions about their efficacy. These questions no doubt were
partially related to their inability to save him and his sister, Rosa, from the impact of the fate meted
out on his parents. Did the gods really have any power? Did his prayers make the slightest difference?
Such questions dogged Marcellinus throughout his life.

As you read The Breath you might consider to what extent these questions remained for Marcellinus
at the tail end of his life, having experienced yet further pain and sorrow. Did he find a place of
contentment facing both joys and sorrows that helped him resolve such inner tensions and
questions? Is that even possible, not just for Marcellinus, but for any one of us?