Lollia is a fictional character, but her husbands were real to history—Titus Flavius as Vespasian’s splendid soldier son, Senator Vinius as Galba’s right-hand man, Salvius Titianus as Emperor Otho’s inoffensive brother, and Fabius Valens as Vitellius’s ruthless kingmaker were all real men and had the fates described here. Valens’s counterpart Caecina Alienus is a historical figure as well; he did turn traitor after being appointed commander of Vitellius’s armies when a temporary illness laid Fabius Valens low. He was rewarded for his treachery but was eventually executed some years later for trying to betray yet another emperor. Lollia’s daughter Flavia Domitilla was also a real figure, though historically she was Titus’s niece rather than his daughter. Both Flavia and Titus’s daughter Julia grew up to endure tragedy and adventure under the reign of their uncle Domitian.

Diana is also a fictional character, but Llyn ap Caradoc was possibly real. His father, Caradoc, or Caratacus, was a formidable warrior in Britain whose rebellion against Rome is well documented. He was eventually captured along with his family (some accounts mention daughters; some mention a son possibly named Linus or Llyen or Llyn), and they were all taken to Rome and pardoned. They disappear from history at that point, but I always wondered what happened to Caratacus and his family. His son, if he had one, would have been a vigorous young warrior forced to live most of his life among enemies he hated. The historical Caratacus never escaped captivity—history would have recorded that—but Daughters of Rome allowed me to hope that at least his son might have one day returned home.

The Roman chariot races that take up so much of Diana and Llyn’s time are depicted as accurately as possible. Successful charioteers attained celebrity status in ancient Rome, and many young patrician men drove in the great circuses—though never any women, to my knowledge. The rivalry between the four racing factions was vicious: think Red Sox/Yankees.

The Year of Four Emperors proved cataclysmic to the Roman people. There had been coups before, but always with at least a pretense of legality. The year 69 was the first time the Empire went up for grabs to any usurper with an army, profoundly shocking a nation that had existed many centuries as a Republic. A period of relative stability would follow with Vespasian and his heirs, but Rome would never be quite so secure again from ambitious usurpers. A new era had dawned.

Characters

THE FAMILY CORNELII

Gaius Cornelius, paterfamilias

Tullia, his wife

Senator Marcus Norbanus, cousin to the Cornelii, Tullia’s first husband

*Paulinus, son of Tullia and Marcus

*Cornelia Prima, Gaius’s eldest sister

*Piso Licinianus, her husband

*Cornelia Secunda, called Marcella, Gaius’s second sister

*Lucius Aelius Lamia, her husband

Cornelia Tertia, called Lollia, a first cousin

Lollia’s grandfather, freedman and wealthy trader

*Titus Flavius, Lollia’s first husband, eldest son of Vespasian