Book
Retribution
First published 2018
The Rhine frontier, AD 70. Julius Civilis and the Batavian rebels appear close to victory as Roman authority weakens across the north-west. Legions are mutinous, allied communities are watching for opportunity and the old settlement of power no longer looks inevitable.
Vespasian’s regime begins to restore order by sending experienced commanders and fresh forces against the revolt. The final novel in the trilogy follows Roman and Batavian officers as the rebellion moves from hope to reckoning.
The revolt matters because Rome's recovery depends on rebuilding trust as well as defeating Civilis. Batavian units had long served the empire, and their rebellion exposes the danger of treating auxiliary communities as permanently subordinate despite generations of military service. The conclusion therefore asks whether Roman authority can be restored without recreating the grievances that helped produce the uprising.
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