Volume 2B (which can also be found in a double volume with 2A) is actually one giant flashback continuing on from 2A, in which Quintus told the story of his life after Pompeii. Here, during the years 80 and 81, Quintus finds himself in Alexandria - at the other end of the Empire from the Roman Britain of 2A - as Quintus and his freed slave Clemens attempt to adjust to new life but face xenophobia, mobsters, and self-serving fellow citizens, along with suspicious deaths.

Grammatical concepts in volume 2B include the genitive case, the 4th and 5th declensions, a variety of clauses, conjunctions and pronouns. Cultural material includes life in Alexandria, Egyptian religious practices, Roman medicine and science, and the art of underwater excavation. An index wraps up the grammar thus far studied. The narrative is now becoming more complex with a wider use of tenses and cases, and the action more exciting for students as they get to know the characters and the often grim but exciting world they inhabit.

Highly recommended with the accompanying Teacher's Handbook ( )