*Flavia Domitilla, their daughter

*Senator Flaccus Vinius, Lollia’s third husband, consul and advisor to Emperor Galba

*Salvius Otho, Lollia’s fourth husband, brother to Emperor Otho

*Fabius Valens, Lollia’s fifth husband, general and advisor to Emperor Vitellius

Thrax, a slave

Cornelia Quarta, called Diana, a first cousin

Paris, her father
*Llyn ap Caradoc, horse trainer and former rebel
Xerxes, faction director for the Reds
Bassus, faction director for the Blues
Derricus, star charioteer for the Blues
Siculus, charioteer for the Reds
The Anemoi (Boreas, Notus, Eurus, Zephyrus), chariot horses for the Reds

EMPERORS

*Servius Sulpicius Galba

*Senator Vinius, consul and adviser, Lollia’s third husband

*Centurion Drusus Sempronius Densus, a centurion in his Praetorian Guard

*Marcus Salvius Otho

*Salvius, Otho’s brother, Lollia’s fourth husband

*Proculus, his Praetorian Prefect

*Aulus Vitellius

*Fabius Valens, his adviser, Lollia’s fifth husband

*Caecina Alienus, his adviser

*Lucius Vitellius, his brother

*Titus Flavius Vespasian

*Titus, his eldest son, Lollia’s first husband

*Julia Flavia, his daughter by his second wife

*Domitian, his youngest son

Nessus, Domitian’s astrologer

Teaser chapter

Turn the page for an excerpt from
Mistress of Rome
Available in paperback from Berkley Books

THEA

ROME, SEPTEMBER, A.D. 81

I opened my wrist with one firm stroke of the knife, watching with interest as the blood leaped out of the vein. My wrists were latticed with knife scars, but I still found the sight of my own blood fascinating. There was always the element of danger: After so many years, would I finally get careless and cut too deep? Would this be the day I watched my young life stream away into the blue pottery bowl with the nice frieze of nymphs on the side? The thought much brightened a life of minimum excitement.

But this time it was not to be. The first leap of blood slowed to a trickle, and I settled back against the mosaic pillar in the atrium, blue bowl in my lap. Soon a pleasant haze would descend over my eyes and the world would take on an agreeably distant hue. I needed that haze today. I would be accompanying my new mistress to the Colosseum, to see the gladiatorial games for the accession of the new Emperor. And from what I’d heard about the games . . .

“Thea!”

My mistress’s voice. I muttered something rude in a combination of Greek, Hebrew, and gutter Latin, none of which she understood.