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.