Conn Iggulden: The Death Of Kings

The fact that, as a young man, Julius Caesar was captured by pirates and held for ransom is a matter of historical record. When they suggested a ransom of twenty talents, he is said to have demanded fifty, as they had no idea whom they had captured. He told the pirates that he would have them crucified, though he would have their officers strangled out of mercy.

When he was released on the north coast of Africa, he set about raising funds and demanding men from villages until he had enough to make a crew and hire ships. It is difficult to imagine the personal charisma that must have been necessary to accomplish this. It should be remembered that he was a young man, with no authority or Senate position.

In the book, I have assumed that he picked up his recruits in Roman settlements, the children of retired soldiers. It is the only way I could explain how he was able to take ship, search the Mediterranean for the pirates, find them, and carry out his grisly promises.

On landing in Greece, he discovered the rebellion raised by Mithridates and gathered an army around him. In fact, the battle he fought to stiffen the resolve of wavering Roman cities was against Mithridates's deputy rather than the king himself. Julius achieved a victory that held the region together in the face of Senate fumbling and indecision. It was Pompey who eventually defeated Mithridates and both men gained in status in Rome. Julius was made a military tribune, with the authority to levy troops, a position he still held when the Spartacus slave rebellion began.

There is no record of Caesar's involvement in the war against Spartacus, though I find it difficult to believe that a tribune with his drive and energy would not have been part of the legions led by Crassus and Pompey.

Though Karl Marx described Spartacus as “the finest fellow that the whole of ancient history has to show,” there is little doubt that the Thracian gladiator had the chance to cross the Alps and escape Rome forever. We do not know what prompted him to turn south again, but considering how close he came, perhaps it was a genuine belief that the power of the legions could be broken.

The slave army destroyed and routed a number of the legions sent against them, sending shock waves of fear through the city and Roman lands. Estimates are that Spartacus had upward of seventy thousand slaves with him, roaming Italy north and south for two years in the field.

Crassus built his wall across the toe of Italy, and Spartacus's hope of being taken off by pirates came to nothing. The slaves broke through Crassus's barrier and streamed north once more. It took three armies to stop them in the end, and there is no record of whether Spartacus fell or was crucified with the thousands of others along the Appian Way.

Rome's first Dictator for Life, Cornelius Sulla, managed to retire from office and live comfortably until his death in 78 B.C. He is best remembered for his lists of proscriptions, published each day and naming those who had displeased him or were considered enemies of the Republic at his word. Gangs of raptores would earn a fee by dragging unfortunates out to be executed, and for a while Rome was as close to anarchy and terror as she had ever been. In many ways, Sulla was the architect of the downfall of the Republic, though the cracks would not show for some time.

As with Sulla's manner of death, I have found it necessary on occasion to make changes to events. Though Caesar fought at Mytilene, earning the oak wreath there for bravery, I have left out his travels to Asia Minor and the cases he prosecuted in Rome during this period.

Octavian was Julius's great-nephew and not a cousin, as I have it. The change in relationship allowed me to avoid including a minor character in the first book. Similarly, for plot purposes, I have included Cato's suicide in The Death of Kings , whereas in fact he was Caesar's enemy for years longer.

Julius Caesar accomplished so much that it has always been harder deciding what not to tell than to choose the events that cry out to be dramatized. Sadly, sheer limitations of length prevent me from dealing with every aspect of his achievements. For those who are interested in the details I have been forced to omit, I once again recommend Christian Meier's book Caesar.

The minutiae of Roman lives were very much as I have portrayed them, from the birthing chair and jewelry making to the manner and customs of a Roman court, for which I owe a debt to The Elements of Roman Law by R. W. Lee.

The events of the books to come will, I hope, be made richer by knowing what has gone before.

C. IGGULDEN

Conn Iggulden is the acclaimed author of Emperor: The Gates of Rome , the first novel in the Emperor series. He lives with his wife and two children in Hertfordshire, England.