Book
Commodus
by Simon Turney
Book 2 in the The Damned Emperors series.
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Rome, AD 180–192. The empire inherited by Commodus appears stable, yet long wars, epidemic disease and uncertainty over succession have weakened the confidence of Marcus Aurelius’s age. The young emperor attempts to define himself outside his father’s reputation while the Senate and court interpret every decision through expectations he cannot satisfy.
Marcia, first dismissed as an imperial favourite, becomes the person most able to reach Commodus when fear and isolation drive him towards cruelty and spectacle. Their relationship offers an intimate view of the ruler who presented himself as a new Hercules. The novel follows the narrowing circle of trust that ends with conspiracy inside the palace.
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