Domitian
This novel is set after the absolute chaos of AD 69, the Year of The Four Emperors, when Galba, Otho, then Vitellius rose then fell, leaving the canny Vespasian to be emperor. He stabilized Rome and ruled well. Passing the throne to his popular eldest son, Titus, he didn’t get around to confirming Domitian as co-ruler. This put a strain on the brothers’ stormy relationship. Titus’ rule was short and turbulent, with the eruption of Vesuvius followed by pestilence and plague. Domitian had to fight to inherit the empire. And this he did using his extensive spy network, a talent for administration and a cold, hard determination. But while he wanted to rule well, he was aware of conspiracies against him, and so he entered a spiral of paranoia, brutal prosecutions, and suppression. How long could he last?
Told from the perspective of his long-time tutor, Nerva, this isn’t a rehabilitation of a vicious and cold-hearted despot. It’s more the highlighting of the conditions that made him that way. No forgiveness but analysis. An excellent entry in The Damned Emperors series by the same author.
