Legionary Books, LLC

Soldier of Rome: The Artorian Chronicles is a series of novels that chronicle the life and career of a Roman soldier during the 1st Century A.D. While historical fiction, the series is based around actual events. Though the central characters are fictitious, all historical events have been recreated as accurately as possible.

                                 
                                          Emperor Augustus Caesar

Historical Disclaimer:

                       
 Historical Persons Appearing in Soldier of Rome
   Augustus Caesar
   Tiberius Caesar
   Livia Augusta
   Germanicus Caesar
   Pontius Pilate
   Caecina Severus

                                                   
                                                         Augustus

Augustus Caesar - Rome's first Emperor, Augustus makes a brief appearance in The Legionary just prior to his death in A.D. 14. Born Gaius Octavius in 63 B.C. and more commonly referred to as Octavian prior to his rise to power, Augustus ruled the known world for more than forty years. His reign as Emperor is most often recorded as starting in 27 B.C., the time that he 'relinquished' his power back to the senate, only to be given what amounted to absolute power. It was then that he was also given the title "Augustus," which can mean "majestic" in Latin. In reality Octavian in effect became sole ruler of Rome following his defeat of Mark Antony at Actium in 31 B.C. He instituted great public works and "Found Rome a city of clay and left it a city of marble."

What is odd about Augustus is how he is portrayed on film. When shown as "Augustus" in works such as I, Claudius, he is shown to be the great and just Emperor; yet when shown prior to his rise, when still known as "Octavian," he is most often shown in a semi-villianous light. This is most true in the classic movie "Cleopatra," and even in the epic HBO series, "Rome." Non-historians could conceivably watch both Rome and I, Claudius and not even realize that Octavian and Augustus are in fact the same person. My interpretation of Augustus (though not apparent in Soldier of Rome due to the brevity of his role) is that I, Claudius and Rome portray different sides of his personality, while perhaps neglecting others. Octavian did in fact have to be quite ruthless at times in order to secure his rise to power, not to mention his very survival! However, one cannot deny the great works he instituted (which are eluded to as foreshadowing in "Rome" when Octavian is a young boy), as well as the stability he brought. After all, Rome had endured years of civil war and uncertainty up until his rise to power. The reign of Augustus is often referred to as a Golden Age in Roman history, and rightfully so.

                                              
                                                         Tiberius

Tiberius Caesar - Born Tiberius Claudius Nero, he was Rome's second Emperor, albeit a reluctant one. Tiberius was first and foremost a soldier; he had little, if any political ambition. He was also somewhat bitter towards Augustus for having selected him to be his successor pretty much by default; every other candidate having died well before Augustus. Tiberius took the imperial mantle more as a sense of duty rather than personal ambition. Tiberius first appears in The Legionary during his final campaign to secure the Rhine border against invasion. His reign as Emperor becomes a secondary storyline throughout the series.

Along with his brother Drusus, Tiberius was one of the most famous Roman generals of the age. The brothers were used by Augustus whenever a crisis requiring force of arms erupted within the Empire. Though not as famous as Julius Caesar, there are sources from the time who feel that Tiberius was tactically Caesar's equal, if not his better. Caesar may have conquered Gaul, however he was periodically defeated in battle, something that Tiberius never suffered. He was viewed by his legionaries as a hard disciplinarian, but also an outstanding commander who preferred to lead from the front. Tiberius shared the same hardships as his men; eating the same rations and sleeping on the ground when tents were not available for his troops.

Following his rise to power, Tiberius proved an able administrator, though later in his reign his judgment did become clouded by the influence of Aelius Sejanus, his Praetorian Prefect. The Legionary takes place during the early part of Tiberius' reign, long before gossip and treason trials tarnished his reputation.

My interpretation of Tiberius is somewhat unconventional, seeing as how I firmly believe him to be one of the most misunderstood of Rome's Emperors. I take a more forgiving approach to Tiberius, which may seem strange given that Tacitus (who despised Tiberius, as well as all of the Julio-Claudian emperors) is my primary historical source. At no time do I deviate from where Tiberius may have become like a tyrant, however I also omit much of the gossip that most historians now debunk, such as his supposed debaucheries on Capri during the end of his reign. A source of my personal inspiration lay in Allan Massie's book "Tiberius," which is written as a fictional autobiography, much in the same vein as Robert Graves' "I, Claudius." Whatever the gossips in Rome may have said, I feel that the legions, particularly those soldiers who had served directly under his command, would have remained steadfast in their loyalty.

                                            
                                                         Livia

Livia Augusta - Livia was the first Empress of Rome; wife to Augustus and the mother of Tiberius. Born Livia Drusilla in 58 B.C., she was first married to Tiberius Claudius Nero, the father of her sons Tiberius and Drusus. They were at first enemies of Octavian, having sided with Brutus and Cassius during the civil war that followed Julius Caesar's murder. Octavian would later grant a general amnesty to his enemies. It was while she was pregnant with Drusus that Nero was persuaded into divorcing Livia so that she could marry Octavian (Augustus). She was his third wife. Octavian took her sons as his own, both of the young boys riding in his chariot during the Triumph that followed Octavian's victory over Antony and Cleopatra.

Livia showed herself to be the strongest of women, maintaining the household of Augustus, even going so far as to make many of his clothes herself. She was also a sound financer, and proved to be among the Emperor's ablest advisors; even if it was done "behind the scenes." She was an ambitious woman, and many feel that her intent had always been to have her son Tiberius succeed Augustus. Though Livia in many ways was said to have ruled through Augustus, she was unable to exert the same influence over her son when he rose to power.

No portrayal of Livia Augusta has been done more powerfully that Sian Phillips' rendition in "I, Claudius." In fact, whenever I visualize Livia, I always picture Sian Phillips playing the part. There are however, notable differences between Livia in "I, Claudius," and Livia in "Soldier of Rome." Foremost I do not portray Livia as having murdered all possible successors to the throne so that Tiberius could follow Augustus. I do believe that Livia was a strong-willed woman who exerted great influence both in and out of the imperial court; however like most historians I do not believe that she resorted to murder in order to ensure her son's advance.

I found Livia's portrayal in the series "Rome" to be a bit peculiar. She did not strike me as the same woman of strength that Sian Phillips portrayed; that role being reserved for Octavian's mother Atia. There's even a bit of a spat between the two prior to Octavian's triumph, despite the fact that historically Atia died twelve years before this event, and four years before Octavian even met Livia. Therefore the confrontation shown at the end of the series between Atia and Livia could never have happened.

                           
                                            Germanicus

Germanicus Caesar - Germanicus was the nephew of the Emperor Tiberius and grandson of Livia Augusta. Born Nero Claudius Drusus in 15 B.C. to Nero Claudius Drusus (brother of Tiberius) and Antonia Minor (daughter of Mark Antony and Octavia, sister of Augustus), he received the agnomen "Germanicus" in 9 B.C. after it was awarded to his father. He was also the father of the future Emperor Gaius Caligula, and brother to another future Emperor, Claudius. He was married to Agrippina, the daughter of Marcus Agrippa and Julia the Elder (daughter of Augustus).

Germanicus first appears in The Legionary, and is one of the focal points of the book. He served under his uncle Tiberius in Pannonia, where he proved to be a competant commander. Further commands in Dalmatia allowed Germanicus to continue to prove his worth.

After the Teutoburger Wald disaster, Germanicus thought that he would be immediately sent to the Rhine with Tiberius. Instead, the Emperor Augustus kept him in Rome, using the young man's charisma and oratory skills to quell the frightened masses. It would be two years before he was sent to the Rhine. Following the death of Augustus a mutiny broke out amongst the Rhine legions, where there were those who petitioned Germanicus to become Emperor. Instead he remained steadfast in his loyalty to his uncle, and eventually brought the legionaries to their senses.

My interpretation of Germanicus pretty much follows what is written in the sources. I have made few, if any changes to his perceived character. He is a competent soldier and statesman, loyal to his Emperor and to Rome, a devoted husband and father, and protective of his handicapped brother. Some of his actions in The Legionary may come across as being influenced by other writings, when in fact the opposite is true. An example of this is Germanicus appearing to his soldiers in disguise on the eve of battle in order to gauge their morale. While this may sound like something right out of Shakespeare's Henry V, Germanicus' actions are in fact based around an actual event, which many speculate inspired Shakespeare to have King Henry V do the same in his play.

Pontius Pilate - One of the most controversial figures in history, Pontius Pilate first appears in The Legionary as a Military Tribune. Little is known for certain about his career before becoming Procurator of Judea. The most thorough retelling of his story comes from Paul Maier's book Pontius Pilate. Yet even this only begins while Pilate is still a member of the Praetorian Guard, just prior to his appointment to Judea. It is generally accepted that Pilate was a Military Tribune before his time in the Praetorians, which allowed me to utilize him in the Soldier of Rome series.

In Soldier of Rome, Pilate is a childhood friend of Artorius, albeit a few years older and of the Patrician class. His social class allows him to become a Tribune, where he excels. His particular specialty is artillery, which convinces Tiberius to appoint him as the Twentieth Legion's chief of artillery. He continues to delay rotating out to an administrative position, preferring to avoid being forced into the company of what he refers to as "effeminite men."

Some have asked me why I cast Pilate as part of the series. Suffice it to say, I have my reasons. Pontius Pilate is one of the most fascinating personas in history, and I felt that he would add a lot of depth to the story. Some apocryphal accounts record Pilate as stating that he was at the Battle of Idistaviso, the culminating battle in The Legionary. I admit that I found this out only after publication, but found it to be fascinating, none the less. Pilate's role in the series is entirely of my own imagination, however I think it falls into the "Prove that he wasn't there" category.