Galba’s Men

by L. J. Trafford Book 2 in the The Four Emperors series.

First published 2016

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4.3(119)

Rome, AD 68. Galba enters the capital after violence at its gates and attempts to repair the finances, discipline and authority damaged under Nero. His government depends on Titus Vinius, Cornelius Laco and the freedman Icelus, whose influence makes them targets for petitioners and rivals. Marcus Salvius Otho, charming, indebted and convinced that the childless emperor should adopt him, recruits Epaphroditus to organise a campaign for the succession.

What begins as a seemingly harmless exercise in persuasion becomes dangerous in a court governed by suspicion. Philo attempts to keep the imperial offices operating while recovering from exploitation and building a life outside the palace’s control. When Galba chooses a different heir, Otho’s friends, soldiers and creditors are drawn towards a coup. The second novel follows how administrative grievances, personal vanity and the expectations of the Praetorian Guard turn Galba’s attempt at restoration into another violent transfer of power.