Rome Burning (85 page)
| 1847 – 1947 | 2600 – 2700 | Development of flight using circling wings powered by engines – the first spiral-wing. Continued colonisation of North and South Terranova. The arms race with Nionia goes on. |
| RECENT HISTORY | ||
| 1943 | 2697 | Titus Novius Faustus born. |
| 1949 | 2702 | Lucius Novius Faustus born. |
| 1958 | 2711 | Tertius Novius Faustus born. |
| 1969 | 2722 | Titus marries Julia Sabina. |
| 1971 | 2724 | Julia gives birth to Novia Faustina (‘Makaria’). |
| 1977 | 2730 | Lucius marries Drusilla Terentia. |
| 1979 | 2732 | Drusilla gives birth to Drusus Novius Faustus. |
| 1981 | 2734 | Lucius succumbs to hereditary madness. |
| 1982 | 2735 | Gaius Novius Faustus Rixa dies. Titus succeeds as Emperor. Tertius Novius posted to central Terranova. He quells an Aztec uprising and his courage gains him the agnomen ‘Leo’. He is hailed as a hero, but sees hundreds of previously free Aztecs enslaved and is shocked by the experience. |
| 1983 | 2736 | Faustus divorces Julia. |
| 1984 | 2738 | Leo marries Clodia Aurelia. With Senatorial approval, Faustus names Leo as Caesar and Imperial heir. |
| 1988 | 2741 | Clodia gives birth to Marcus Novius Faustus Leo. |
| 1996 | 2749 | Faustus marries Tullia ‘Tulliola’ Marciana. |
| 2004 | 2757 | Leo and Clodia are murdered after their car is sabotaged to crash in the Gallic Alps. After surviving an attempt on his own life, their son Marcus Novius goes into hiding at an illegal slave refuge in the Pyrenees. Leo’s aide Varius is publicly accused of his murder. On Marcus Novius’ return a conspiracy to prevent an opponent of slavery becoming Emperor is uncovered, including the Emperor’s wife Tullia Marciana and construction magnate Gabinius. Vigiles kill Gabinius as he attempts to escape. Marcus Novius is confirmed as Faustus’ heir. Nionian provinces are badly affected by a tidal wave after an offshore earthquake. |
| 2005 | 2758 | In January, before she can be tried for treason and murder, Tullia Marciana is found dead under house arrest. Extensive investigation into and restructuring of the Praetorian and vigile forces. Heightened tensions between Rome and Nionia. |
| 2006 | 2759 | Nionian ambassadors at Rome are arrested on suspicion of spying and deported. The Embassy is closed. |
| 2007 | 2760 | A hot summer brings a spate of serious fires across the Roman Empire. |
Thanks to—
My parents, who have both been wonderfully supportive and helpful.
Maisie Tomlinson. I made her pretend to be a victim of crucifixion while researching
Romanitas
, and dragged her across the floor as a necessary experiment for
Rome Burning
. I’m trying to think of something to do to her for Book.
Pat Cox, and his colleagues at The Fire Service College in Moreton-in-Marsh, for invaluable help in understanding the mechanics of fire.
Frances Ward especially, as well as Jonathon Partington and Jenny O’Keefe at The Royal Arsenal, for their help regarding arms manufacture.
Momoko Abe and Wang Tong for checking over the Japanese and Chinese elements of the book respectively and offering important suggestions. Yasuhiro Yamada also assisted me with place-names and other matters.
Richard Dawson and Robert Low for advice on Roman culture and history, etc.
Everyone who helped me, in all ways, in Rome and in China.
My agent Simon Trewin for his continuing encouragement and good humour.
A Gollancz eBook
Copyright © Sophia McDougall 2007, 2011
All rights reserved.
The right of Sophia McDougall to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published in Great Britain in 2007 by
Orion
The Orion Publishing Group Ltd
Orion House
5 Upper Saint Martin’s Lane
London, WC2H 9EA
An Hachette UK Company
This eBook first published in 2011 by Gollancz.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 0 575 11037 3
All characters and events in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor to be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
*
This is where my history of the Roman Empire departs from the usual one. In reality, the plot was successful. The talented and conscientious Pertinax (who planned many of the reforms indicated here) was murdered after only eighty-six days in office and the Praetorians auctioned the throne to the highest bidder. Didius Julianus bought the title of Emperor, but was deposed and executed shortly afterwards by Septimius Severus, who returned to Rome from Pannonia to avenge Pertinax. Severus corrected many of the problems facing Rome and at the time his reign could be viewed as a success. But he stripped the Senate of authority and allowed corruption and indiscipline to flourish in the army, whose power undermined the stability of the Empire. Gibbon says of Severus: ‘Posterity, who experienced the fatal effects of his maxims, justly considered him the principal author of the decline of the Roman Empire.’
