Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero

Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero, commonly known as Quo Vadis, is a historical novel written by Henryk Sienkiewicz in Polish. 'Quo vadis Domine' is Latin for 'Where are you going, Lord?' and alludes to the apocryphal Acts of Peter, in which Peter flees Rome but on his way meets Jesus and asks him why he is going to Rome. Jesus says 'I am going back to be crucified again', which makes Peter go back to Rome and accept martyrdom. Sienkiewicz studied the Roman Empire extensively prior to writing the novel, with the aim of getting historical details correct. As such, several historical figures appear in the book. As a whole, the novel carries an outspoken pro-Christian message. This novel contributed to Sienkiewicz's Nobel Prize for literature in 1905, and has been translated into more than 50 languages. Several movies have been based on Quo Vadis including the 1925 Italian silent film Quo Vadis, the 1951 Hollywood production Quo Vadis and the 2001 adaptation by Jerzy Kawalerowicz.