Rome, 23 BCE
In the depths of serious illness, the Emperor Augustus is forced to rethink how he governs the city. He calls upon the most unlikely helper. Lucius Sestius Quirinalis has made it through conspiracy and civil war and wants nothing more than to drink himself happy in the Italian countryside. Now he, the last of the Republicans, is invited to step up to public service.
To Lucius’ consternation, he is catapulted into office just in time to deal with a pestilence sweeping through Italy. Thousands of people are dying and the River Tiber is riding dangerously high. But Lucius is not just fighting floods and an epidemic. A conspiracy centred on the disgraced general Primus is threatening the Emperor, and Lucius is expected to choose a side. Lucius’ idyllic life on his family estate is overshadowed by a intrigues in which he wants no part but a naïve act of kindness brings the wrath of the Emperor down upon him.
Redemption in the eyes of Augustus comes at a heavy price.
Rome, 23 BCE
In the depths of serious illness, the Emperor Augustus is forced to rethink how he governs the city. He calls upon the most unlikely helper. Lucius Sestius Quirinalis has made it through conspiracy and civil war and wants nothing more than to drink himself happy in the Italian countryside. Now he, the last of the Republicans, is invited to step up to public service.
To Lucius’ consternation, he is catapulted into office just in time to deal with a pestilence sweeping through Italy. Thousands of people are dying and the River Tiber is riding dangerously high. But Lucius is not just fighting floods and an epidemic. A conspiracy centred on the disgraced general Primus is threatening the Emperor, and Lucius is expected to choose a side. Lucius’ idyllic life on his family estate is overshadowed by a intrigues in which he wants no part but a naïve act of kindness brings the wrath of the Emperor down upon him.
Redemption in the eyes of Augustus comes at a heavy price.
Rome, 23 BCE
He lies on the couch in the darkened room and is convinced that he is dying. His name is Augustus Caesar and he is the Princeps, leading citizen, but none of that can help him now. He lies in darkness and silence, in a room that is stifling in a warm May in Rome. He has always felt the cold, needing several tunics at a time in winters, but now his body is on fire.
They have summoned a famous doctor, their last hope, and he is hurrying from the Bay of Naples, but Augustus Caesar the Princeps does not believe that this miracle worker will arrive in time. The dying man has to prepare them all for his death. A twitch of his fingers summons an obedient acolyte, a whisper brings Livia, and he tells her what he is going to do. She isn’t pleased but he doesn’t care. Soon, in a quiet scurry and swish of draperies a group of men enter the room and stand awkwardly at the foot of his couch. Another flick of the fingers and Agrippa comes forward and kneels beside him. There are tears on Agrippa’s cheeks, but Augustus does not think that many other men will weep for him.
Good, honest, hard-working Agrippa. His right-hand general, the most loyal follower you could desire, a man whose ambition is to support his best friend. Rome used to be full of men like Agrippa, now they are all self-serving and idle. But enough, thinks Augustus Caesar the Princeps, I must get this done. He can barely move or speak, but his mind is clear.
Slowly and hampered by another bout of shivering, he paws at the signet ring on his finger. Fortunately, it slips off easily – he has lost weight again during this illness. He is determined that nobody can mistake his actions; carefully and as dramatically as shaking hands allow, he holds out the ring to Agrippa. He can hear a suppressed gasp from someone and there is a distinctly unconvincing outbreak of coughing. Agrippa looks aghast.
“Me?”
Augustus breathes out the slightest sound, but it is unmistakably, “You.”
By the end of the day, all Rome knows. One man has transferred power from himself to his best friend: it is unprecedented, probably illegal, and any hope that Rome is still a Republic has died.
Of course, immediately after starting this book, I began to wish I was more familiar with the history of Rome. Well-known historical figures feature prominently, and I know I missed getting some of the implications of certain conversations that I wouldn't have had a more intimate understanding of that time and place. However, this didn't detract from my pure enjoyment and satisfaction with the story. There is nothing like the secrets, subterfuge, and backroom machinations of Forsyth's ancient Rome. The Emperor's Servant vividly conveys all the complexities and totality of the scope and reach of these definitive puppet masters.
The book's main character is Lucius Sestius Quirinalis, and he has been a favorite of mine since his introduction in Rome's End. He seems like a regular guy, trying to do the right thing. He is always polite and conscientious of his family, retainers, and the people of Rome. I was sad that he had come to depend on wine to cope with his life, though he's been through plenty to need a drink. He is relatable, too. The scene of him weeping in relief after his election as consul made him seem even more real. A number of years have passed since the conclusion of book one, and at first, I thought Lucius was no longer the innocent he was then. However, even after all he's been through, he still has a natural innocence, which causes him to be surprised by what others around him do.
The looming disaster, the insidious intrigue lurks, and you know that disaster is only a page away at any moment. I was so engrossed in the story that I felt myself holding my breath at times, the muscles in my shoulders tightening as the story's tension built. When the shoe finally dropped, I was stunned. I had become emotionally engaged with this man and his family and wondered how anyone could come back from that. But people do. All the time. The story concludes on a hopeful note, and I hope there are further adventures for Lucius in the future.
I want to note that the author's writing flowed so smoothly that I was immediately drawn in and immersed in Lucius's life. Small, everyday details enhanced that you-are-there feeling. Forsyth is incredibly skillful at weaving in little tidbits of information and history that had me itching to read about further. For example, Lucius remarks about the Greek physicians who never ceased attending Rome's citizens during a terrible pestilence that their devotion to their work all came down "to an oath that they have sworn" – the Hippocratic Oath.
I recommend THE EMPEROR'S SERVANT to readers who enjoy historical fiction, especially those that like political intrigue and suspense-laden stories.