The Daughters of Palatine Hill
The Daughters of Palatine Hill tells the story of three powerful women in imperial Rome. Julia, the only child of Emperor Augustus, longs for a great love, but her father arranges her marriages to produce an heir to the empire. The passionate Julia rebels by having a series of affairs, none of which is emotionally satisfying. Meanwhile, Julia’s stepmother, Livia, who is not the evil poisoner of legend but the devoted wife of Augustus, wishes to see the Roman Empire at peace and to help the common people. But she and Julia often clash, and she finds the daughter she wants in an unlikely person: Selene, daughter of Augustus’s enemies, Mark Antony and Cleopatra. As a child, after the suicides of her parents, Selene is taken as a captive to Rome and raised in Augustus’s household. She knows she owes her life to Augustus and is torn between loyalty to him and the desire to avenge her parents. Livia takes Selene under her wing and allows her to marry Juba, a deposed prince. Juba and Selene become king and queen of Mauretania, where the arts and sciences flourish under their rule. But when Selene hears of a plot against Augustus, her loyalty is put to the test.
Each woman narrates her own story in alternating chapters. The reader sympathizes with each in turn, although the three women are often in conflict with each other. Julia is probably the hardest to like, and could come across as a spoiled brat, but I felt sympathy for her because, although she appears to have everything, she is denied the one thing she truly wants. Smith brings ancient Rome to life in all its complexities. This is an excellent follow-up to her first novel, I Am Livia, but can be read independently.
