“The Birthday of Lucan” is a historical novel written by a philologist, translator, and specialist in late antique and early Christian literature. The novel takes the reader to first-century Rome. n. e. It is based on the true story of the life, love and death of the great Roman poet Marcus Annaeus Lucan. The personal drama of the characters unfolds against the backdrop of historical events and a carefully reconstructed panorama of the Eternal City. Among the characters are real characters known from history textbooks: Emperor Nero and the philosopher Seneca, poets Statius and Martial, satirist Petronius, etc. The novel is designed for a wide range of readers interested in history.