The Last Caesar by Henry Venmore-Rowland

Set in the time known as the "Year of the Four Emperors" Venmore-Rowland has written a very lively novel of political intrigue and life threatening action.

Aulus Caecina Severus has completed his necessary time with the Legions serving with distinction in Britania during the Boudica revolt.   His next step on the Cursus Honorum is to serve as Quaestor in Hispania Baetica which he looks forward to as a quiet and lucrative term of duty before returning to Rome for the next step on the road to the Senate.   However, hardly had he settled in to his new post when he is sent for by Servius Sulpicius Galba, a former Consul, and Govenor of Hispania Terraconensis.   When he arrives Galba tells him that he is going to lead a rebellion against the despised Emperor Nero and he wants Severus to go to Gaul and supervise a fake uprising which will be used by Galba's supporters in Rome to undermine Nero.   Severus sets off but finds the planned uprising a shambles and the leader incompetant.   Security is non-existant and it seems that the secret plans are common knowledge leading to the Rhine Legions moving south to counter an uprising that was never more than a sham.   The upshot of this is that despite his frantic manoevering he ends up leading a Gaulish war party in an attack on Roman Legions with hundreds killed in the process.   Somehow he manages to talk his way out of this and, Nero having commited suicide and Galba being proclaimed Emperor, he is appointed Legate of the Legion Four Macedonica an unprecedented promotion at his age of just twentynine.

Unfortunately Severus' dream of seeing out his four years in command of the quiet Rhine frontier before returning to Rome for another plum job are shattered by the growing paranoia of Galba.   Since attaining the throne he has grown more and more suspicious of everyone around him and especialy those who helped him in his conspiracy.   He orders Severus back to Rome to face a charge of corruption which Severus knows can only end one way.   Galba's behaviour is now causing grave misgivings amongst the officers of all the Legions and some are now pushing for the Govenor of Germania, Vittelius, to seize the purple.   Severus now throws in his lot with this new conspiracy.

Thus endeth the first episode in the saga of Severus.   As this book is based on historical records and the details of real people and their actions the old phrase "you couldn't make it up" comes to mind!