Caesar’s father would have fixed the disaster in Campania and the fire in Rome by raising taxes; he would have made the people pay for it. His son, however, is his own man – or so say the people in the streets. As Prefect, he was his father’s attack dog, quick with the sword, heavy handed and ruthless. But his citizens are pleased to see Caesar, now the first man in the empire, proving himself to be a benevolent and understanding Princeps.
And there had been no portents as of late, no dire prodigies foretelling disaster. No one has had to consult the Oracles and hear the sort of oracular pessimism that always sends the Senate and the people reeling. To the contrary, so far this year the augers have been well received.
The year is shaping into a fine one. Caesar is popular; his position strong; his people happy. Caesar has not thought of the Sibyl and her dark cave for many months.
This is the state of mind Caesar finds himself in when he learns about his sister.
It is Caesar’s closest friend, the white-haired Prefect of the Praetorian Guard, who delivers the news. Caesar was inspecting the amphitheatre with his architects. The Prefect took Caesar by the arm, pulled him aside, and whispered the news in his ear.
Dead. At the hands of the imperial slave, the famous Batavian. Mad with love for his beautiful master, the Batavian strangled her after she rejected his advances. Her honour was kept in exchange for her life.
Because he receives the news in public, Caesar cannot react as a brother should. He does not cry out or fall to his knees. Caesar must remain impervious. It is tragic when a god’s sister dies, but he must rise above it.
Caesar whispered back, ‘where is the Batavian?’
‘We do not know.’
Caesar does not change his plans after hearing the news. He attends every meeting arranged that day; he goes to the Senate, and then the forum. It is only when he retires to the Imperial Palace, in the evening, when he is finally alone, that the tears come.
And it is only in the dark of night, when mortality – his own and his family’s – is top of mind – that Caesar again thinks of the Sibyl’s voice, her dark eyes, and her pitiless prediction.
A slave shall rule.
Author’s Note
Parthia was ancient Rome’s rival for more than two centuries. It stretched from the Euphrates, past the Caspian Sea, to the Hindu Kush mountain range, and south to the Persian Gulf. It was comprised of modern day Iran, Iraq, and parts of neighbouring countries, including Turkey and Afghanistan.
When not at war, the two great empires engaged in the ancient equivalent of a cold war. Pretenders to the rival’s throne were backed. Hostages were exchanged. Concessions by one were used for political victories at home.
We know little about Parthia’s internal political history, particularly during the second half of the first century A.D. Between A.D. 77 and 80, following Vologases I’s thirty-year reign, there are references in the record to three different successors – Vologases II, Pacorus II and Artabanus III – which suggests civil strife, but this is only guesswork.
In Rome, Nero, the last of the Julio-Claudian emperors, fell from power in A.D. 68. Vespasian was the last man standing after a short but bloody civil war. He reigned for a decade and established the Flavian Dynasty, which would last another twenty years under his sons, Titus and Domitian.
Under the Flavians, at least three men claimed to be the deposed emperor Nero. Not much information has survived about these so-called False Neros. We know they were thorns in the side of the Flavians and that one sought refuge and support in Parthia during Titus’s reign, but little else.
This book is the second in a series inspired by the False Neros. It is set during A.D. 79 and 80. The extant historical record for this period is mainly comprised of accounts written decades or even centuries after the fact, by men who brought their own personal and political biases to the task of recording history. It is therefore difficult to sift fact from political fiction. Thankfully, novelists do not need to adhere to the same rules as academics. This is a work of fiction. I have taken liberties novelists allow themselves. But I have also strived for a story that is true in its own way, one that fills the gap scholarship cannot, and explores the historical record’s inherent biases and unexplained contradictions.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to my editor, Martin Fletcher, and everyone at Zaffre, especially Sophie Orme and Jennie Rothwell.
Thank you to my agent, Sam Copeland.
Thank you to those who read and commented on the various drafts on the road to publication: Jeff Hull, Michael Tonner, Marialena Carr, and Elyse Strathy.
Thank you to my wife, Anna.
About the Author
David Barbaree’s first novel DEPOSED was longlisted for the Historical Writers’ Association Debut Crown Award. He has a B.A. in Philosophy and a J.D. in law. As a lawyer, he has practiced criminal law, civil litigation and regulatory enforcement. He lives in Toronto, Canada with his wife and two children.
If you enjoyed THE EXILED, discover David Barbaree’s first novel DEPOSED – a stunning thriller of power, treachery and revenge.
‘Outstanding. An extraordinary recreation of ancient Rome. Miss this at your peril‘
Ben Kane
Available now in paperback and ebook
First published in Great Britain in 2019by Zaffre
This ebook edition published in 2019 by
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Copyright © David Barbaree, 2019
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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organisations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN: 978–1–78576–722–7
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