Day of the Caesars

by Simon Scarrow Book 16 in the Eagles of the Empire series.

First published 2017

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AD 54. Claudius is dead and Nero has become emperor, but supporters of the younger Britannicus remain capable of challenging the succession. Macro and Cato are drawn into the rival networks surrounding the imperial family as troops and Praetorians are positioned for a possible civil conflict. Cato must navigate promises from both sides while trying to keep the army from becoming the instrument through which court rivalry is settled.

The crisis reveals how vulnerable Roman succession remains even when an emperor has been formally proclaimed. Britannicus has blood, Nero has adoption and palace support, and the Praetorians possess the armed force capable of making either claim effective. Macro and Cato are caught between military obedience and political survival as rival factions try to turn soldiers into instruments of dynastic struggle.