Before Sulla, the strictest time limits had accompanied the title, but he managed to avoid these restrictions and scored a fatal wound on the Republic by doing so. One of the laws he passed forbade armed forces approaching the city, even for the traditional Triumph parades. He died aged sixty and for a while it looked as if the Republic might flower again into its old strength and authority. In Greece at this time, aged twenty-two, there was a young man called Caesar who would make this impossible. After all, Marius and Sulla had shown the fragility of the Republic when faced with determined ambition. We can only speculate how the young Caesar was affected when he saw Marius say, ‘Make room for your general,’ and watched the jostling crowd cut down in full view of the senate house.
The histories of these characters, especially those written shortly after the period, by Plutarch and Suetonius, make astonishing reading. In researching the life of Caesar, the question that kept coming up was ‘How did he do that?’ How did a young man recover from the disaster of being on the losing side in a civil war to the point where his very surname came to mean king? Both Tsar and Kaiser are derived from that name and were still being used two thousand years later.
The histories can be a little bare at times, though I would recommend Caesar by Christian Meier to any reader interested in the details I had to omit here. There are so many fascinating incidents in this life that it has been a great pleasure putting flesh to them. The events of the second book are even more astonishing.
Conn Iggulden
Without the help and support of a number of people, this book would never have been started or finished. I would like to thank Victoria, who has been a constant source of help and encouragement. Also, the editors at HarperCollins, who steered it through the process without too much pain. Any mistakes that remain are, unfortunately, my own.
Also, Richard, who helped to cook the raven and made Marcus possible. Finally, my wife Ella, who had more faith than I did and made the way seem easy.
EMPEROR THE DEATH OF KINGS
CONN IGGULDEN
Published by HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF
First published in Great Britain by HarperCollinsPublishers 2004
Copyright © Conn Iggulden 2004
Conn Iggulden asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
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Source ISBN: 9780007437139
Ebook Edition © December 2013 ISBN: 9780007321766
Version: 2018-08-08
To my father, who recited ‘Vitai Lampada’ with a gleam in his eye. Also to my mother, who showed me that history was a collection of wonderful stories, with dates.
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