Book
The Little Emperors
First published 1951
Felix, the treasurer of Roman Britain, tries to preserve the ceremonies and accounting habits of imperial government while the province is cut off by invasions and military collapse in Gaul. Tax demands rise as the army looks for leaders who can defend Britain without waiting for instructions from the distant court of Honorius.
Felix initially overlooks the schemes of his father-in-law Gratianus, whose political manoeuvring helps produce a succession of local claimants to the purple. When the struggle turns against his family, Felix is forced out of official life and into a countryside where Roman authority is rapidly fragmenting and self-appointed emperors offer only temporary security. Some editions carry the Phoenix Fiction series label, but the novel’s title is simply The Little Emperors.
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