The Last Caesar

by The Last Caesar (retail) (epub)

  ‘You are all men of honour, and I trust you to keep the matter secret. Now for the more important question: why each one of you is here. For the benefit of those who arrived late last night, I shall make the introductions. On my right is Cornelius Tacitus, governor of Hispania Baetica, and his quaestor, Caecina Severus. Then Salvius Otho, governor of Lusitania, and on my left, my freedman Icelus Martianus, who will be taking the minutes of this meeting. I’m afraid Titus Vinius, the commander of the legion in Tarraco, can’t be with us. However, he knows my mind on this matter, so we can do without him for the time being. To put this bluntly, we are here to discuss the future of the empire, and to consider what must be done to stop the emperor from undermining our position as the dominant power in this world of ours.’

  I had been forewarned to an extent by Tacitus, but we were still quite surprised, though my reaction was nothing compared to that of Otho. However, I did notice that Martianus seemed perfectly happy to hear Galba openly talk of treason.

  Galba resumed: ‘The time has come, gentlemen, for a change of emperor.’

  Otho composed himself quickly and stood up, and Galba motioned for him to speak. ‘Begging your pardon, sir, but with respect, you are not a Caesar, and as such cannot hope to succeed Caesar.’

  ‘You assume I wish to succeed Caesar,’ Galba replied. ‘You are mistaken. I wish to replace him.’

  It had been said, and Otho, too stunned to speak, sat down again. I was less worried by Galba’s blatant treason and more interested in how he proposed to achieve his aim.

  ‘I have been persuaded that an older, wiser head is needed to restore stability to the empire. If I were the same age as you, Otho, I could not hope to succeed. Corbulo was not an ambitious man, yet he died simply for his success in the field. I am confident that the people and the Senate will recognize that, due to my age, I cannot hope to have a lengthy reign, but will instead herald the transition to a new system of government. I am not such a fool as to try and turn back time by restoring the Republic, but nor am I in favour of this dynastical monarchy that we suffer under today. Would Claudius, Caligula and Nero have reached even the lowest public office had it not been for their birth?

  ‘Before I continue, my main question is whether I have your support, passive or active. Titus Vinius and Icelus Martianus here are with me, but if I wish to mount a challenge to Nero’s rule, I cannot march on Rome leaving a fractious Hispania behind me. Tacitus?’

  My governor hesitated before he spoke, choosing his words carefully. ‘I am not a supporter of Nero by any stretch of the imagination, but on the other hand I will not recognize your authority unless it is sanctioned by the Senate. Therefore I want no part in this, if you please. Nevertheless I will keep my province secure, not least because it is my duty.’

  ‘Thank you, Tacitus. To put your mind at rest, I do not propose to become a tyrant the instant I leave this city, but to head a council such as this to propose and ratify our course of action over coming months. Severus?’

  ‘I’m with you, sir. But why do I matter? I’m not a governor.’

  ‘Patience, Severus. I’ll explain later. Otho?’

  ‘In principle, sir, yes. First I’d like to know how you propose to bring about the end of the Caesar dynasty.’

  ‘It’s very simple. Julius Vindex has been made governor of his home province in Gaul. He is just as disillusioned as the rest of us with Nero’s reign, and is this very moment preparing a rebellion, proposing my name as… an alternative to Nero.’

  This was all so sudden. A plot to overthrow the emperor, one that had support from those appointed by Nero himself.

  ‘At this point, Tacitus, I would ask you to leave this council. The fewer people who know my plans the better. My informers tell me that Nero has already sent messengers to demand that I fall on my sword, much like Corbulo. I hope you’ll forgive me?’

  Tacitus slowly stood up, upper lip as stiff as you like, and replied that he was not at all offended, and praised Galba’s good sense. ‘Might I ask,’ he ventured, ‘whether you require me or my quaestor to remain here for much longer?’

  ‘You are free to stay for as long or as short a time as you like, Tacitus. At any rate you will need to meet various members of my staff if you are to help look after Hispania for us. But I do require young Severus to perform a task or two for the cause, so there will be little need to wait around for your travelling companion.’

  I stiffened at that. I knew that he was one of the most powerful men in the empire, but I didn’t much take to his assumption that I would do his bidding like a mere slave, especially as I still had no clue what plans Galba had in store for me.

  Once Tacitus had left, Galba cleared his throat and resumed: ‘Now, to answer your question rather more fully, Otho, I ought to explain how Vindex, and others, can help us topple Nero. The plan is not to assassinate the emperor, but to put him under enough pressure to convince him that he must commit suicide. We have one legion here in Hispania, and Vinius will start recruiting for a second this very week. Vindex is to raise what troops he can in Gaul, see off any trouble, and wait for our two legions in Transalpine Gaul. There we shall join him, and begin our march on Rome. And before you all say that a few rebel legions can’t hope to take on Rome, I have one unique advantage: the loyalty of Nymphidius Sabinus.’

  * * *

  That was an advantage indeed. I should explain at this point the exact relevance of Sabinus and how he was in an admirable position to help Galba. You may or may not know that the previous conspiracy to overthrow Nero, only three years before, had led to one of the bloodiest purges since the proscriptions under Mark Antony and Octavian, as Augustus was known then. But more importantly, since Piso’s failed conspiracy involved so many men of authority, there were a lot of jobs that needed filling, and any amount of ambitious lowlife ready to plug the gaps. One of these men was Sabinus, the illegitimate child of an imperial freedwoman, by all accounts, and a nasty piece of work. I realize that as yet I have not revealed how well qualified I am to judge the ambition and ruthlessness of others, but all I can say is be patient.

  This Sabinus was an ambitious little turd, and managed to get himself appointed the new praetorian prefect. That is to say that he was in command of the Praetorian Guards, and chiefly responsible for the emperor’s safety. Hence we were unsurprisingly sceptical when Galba claimed to have his loyalty.

  ‘It seems Sabinus is motivated only by power and money. I am sure that his price will be astronomical, but that is no worry for me. His task is to exaggerate the danger of our coup and to convince the emperor to stand aside, or kill himself. Then we shall usher in a new era of peace and prosperity for Rome.’

  With that rather optimistic statement, Galba resumed his seat. Once again Otho wanted to speak, and reminded us all that something rather important had been overlooked.

  ‘As I see it, Hispania and Gaul will be yours to command, sir. But surely all the other provinces will want their say once Nero has gone. What about all the legions on the Rhine and the Danube? And what makes you so sure that Sabinus can convince Nero to do the honourable thing? I know Nero better than most; he’s capricious, fiercely stubborn when the mood takes him, and, most important of all, the bastard’s a coward. I don’t think that any man could convince Nero to kill himself.’

  ‘You forget, Otho, that Sabinus is uniquely placed to decide whether the emperor lives or dies. This is why he will not be praetorian prefect for long once I have become emperor.’

  I admired the subtlety of the man; not only had he made it perfectly clear that Nero was doomed, but at the same time implied that if Nero’s nerve failed him, Sabinus would be on hand to do the job himself. Though I couldn’t help but notice that he had said nothing to answer Otho’s first question. How would the legions in Germania and Dacia react? But now Galba turned his gaze towards me. Up till now, much like Martianus, I had kept my ears open and my mouth shut. But unlike me, it was obvious that Martianus was privy to Galba’s plans, an
d had probably helped make them. As this plot unfolded, I was eager and yet apprehensive to learn my role in it.

  ‘I feel it is time to let the youngest of us know exactly what he is doing here. Severus, you have two tasks to perform, if you are willing. One is a lot more difficult than the other. Will you hear them?’

  I had to tread carefully; I didn’t want to seem too keen to betray my emperor. If a man lets on that he has ambition, especially at an early stage in his career, then he has no chance of ever being trusted again. But if you want to rise up the ranks, or the cursus honorum as we call it, you can either take the slow and often fruitless route through the Senate, or win glory on the battlefield. Both Tacitus and Galba had drawn our attention to poor old Corbulo. Military prowess brought death under Nero’s rule. So I had to grasp this opportunity with both hands, avoid looking too ambitious but seem eager enough to be reckoned a useful man by my future emperor. I have seen many circuses in my time, and I imagine you will have too. I felt like the poor man walking the tightrope. This was the start of my momentous journey; beneath me lay political oblivion and perhaps death, but ahead of me was the glittering prize of glory and honour, not to mention wealth, wine and women. The trick is to stay on the rope, they say. Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it?

  ‘How can I be of service, sir?’ I asked warily.

  ‘First, you will have to go on another long journey, to Massilia. I believe you are acquainted with Julius Agricola?’

  ‘We served together under General Paulinus, sir.’

  ‘So I gather. Your task is to convince Agricola to join the cause. The more active a part he can play the better, but at the very least I want him to prepare the ground for our march on Rome. The Agricola family,’ Galba addressed this to Otho, who was looking somewhat confused, ‘are very well established in Transalpine Gaul, and I’m sure young Agricola will be able to convince his neighbours to be… amenable to my marching through their lands.’

  He continued to give me my orders. ‘Then you are to find Vindex and serve as my representative, pointing him in the direction that most benefits me, and not himself. You will also serve as his military adviser.’

  This provoked some outrage from Otho. He seemed rather prone to these little fits of anger, as many others would find out to their cost later.

  ‘Sir, I really must protest! How can you possibly justify sending this youth to advise a governor of Rome on military affairs? I’ll wager this is the first time he’s left Italy, let alone been near a military camp.’

  This was actually far from the truth, but I was wise enough, just, to see that it wouldn’t do to pick an argument with a man that Galba trusted enough to bring to this council. Especially as he outranked me. Instead I put on a dignified but hurt look, as I saw that Galba was also getting a tad irritated with Otho’s frequent outbursts.

  ‘What campaigns have you been on, Otho?’ Galba asked politely.

  Otho had the grace to look a little sheepish. ‘None yet.’

  ‘I will tell you exactly why Severus deserves this position, on the condition that you don’t question my judgement again.’ Galba didn’t wait for Otho’s acceptance, but launched straight in. ‘I have talked to Suetonius Paulinus, and he assures me that had it not been for Severus here, he and three legions would be feeding the crows in Britannia! Not only did he choose the battlefield that saw Boadicea defeated, but when the line began to buckle, he grabbed a horse, saddled up and went to plug the gap single-handed.’

  I won’t say it wasn’t highly enjoyable to watch Otho cower before Galba’s tirade, because it was, and all the more so since what Galba said wasn’t strictly true. You know how I came to be at the head of that bloody counter-attack, and though I killed a great many more Britons than most on that day, it was certainly not out of choice. Still, I was more than happy for Galba to believe the story, and for him to reprimand Otho with it. However, for modesty’s sake I kept my eyes downward and my mouth shut.

  Otho hastily changed the subject. ‘Am I to take it then that Vindex is rebelling purely because he would rather have you as his emperor? I’ve met the man before and he doesn’t seem the self-sacrificing sort.’

  ‘It seems that he is making this rebellion more out of spite towards Nero than any loyalty to me. But he serves our purpose,’ Galba replied.

  ‘And when you say rebellion, sir, what exactly do you mean?’ I asked.

  ‘Good question, and a difficult one to answer. The rebellion has to be large enough to ratchet up the pressure on Nero, and convince the Senate that my campaign is serious. Not that I have anything to do with the affair, officially or otherwise. You understand?’

  We both nodded.

  The old man looked straight into my eyes. ‘But you must ensure that Vindex does not get carried away. I don’t want other legions to get involved, especially those in Germania. I have held command there in the past, but that was many years ago. If, for some reason, Vindex engages Roman legions, you must do your utmost to get his opponents on our side. Thus, if Vindex should lose, it will not matter so long as the Rhine legions don’t oppose me. Is that clear?’

  ‘Perfectly, sir. When do I leave?’

  ‘Tomorrow. I know you’ve been in the saddle for a few days so I’ll put you on a boat to Massilia, then you can rest easy for a bit. I shall discuss more of the details with you over the course of today. Well, I think that is all that needs to be said at the moment. General Vinius will have a new legion ready for action in a few weeks’ time, and with any luck we should be on the road to Rome by May at the very latest. Any questions, either of you?’ He paused, looking from Otho to me and back to Otho again.

  ‘None? Then I shall talk to you individually at some point soon, but in the meantime I’d recommend a trip to the baths in town. The best in all Hispania, they say. I have some other matters to attend to, but do feel free to make yourselves at home. Thank you, gentlemen.’

  Galba took an age to rise from his chair, and the two of us stood out of respect. The silent Martianus took the old man by the elbow to help him up, and I couldn’t help but notice how Galba patted his slave affectionately on the arm. The pair shuffled slowly out of the room, leaving me alone with Otho. It seemed he didn’t wish to stay either, but turned to me and said, ‘Those baths sound rather enticing. I shall probably make my way down after a little more breakfast. Will you join me?’

  I was surprised, given his seemingly low opinion of me earlier, but I said I’d be delighted, and watched as he swaggered off in his dandyish way. I was left alone to ponder over what had probably been the most important meeting of my life. Until now, there had been little that I could look forward to in my career. My family had fallen from grace in a spectacular fashion, and such is Roman politics that it could often take a couple of centuries of graft and honest toil to make up for it. It had become clear that to rise under Nero was a death-wish. But now the opportunity to gain favour with the future emperor, if all went according to plan, had just fallen into my lap.

  By now you may have gathered that on my list of priorities in life, I had placed myself very near the top. I am sure that I am not alone in this. Most of the Senate would have done as I did, given the chance. But that is my point. The chance. Every man in Rome, whether noble or not, has the same goal in life: to surpass the achievements of his ancestors. For some this means getting rich. For a nobleman like me, there is one golden, glittering prize above all the others: the consulship. That is the dream of every senator in Rome, the pinnacle of the cursus honorum. My enemies say that I am ambitious, as though that were a criticism!

  Now that my days are running out, I have no qualms about telling the truth in these memoirs of mine. You must believe me when I say that the man who writes these words is not the same man who sat at the table with Galba and the rest of them. I have always said to my detractors that at every turn I acted for the good of the empire. That night in Hispania I honestly believed it, and in good time you will see when things began to change. After that revelati
on, I’m going to rest my aching fingers and take some wine with me to bed. Unless the emperor’s killers reach me first, I shall resume my narrative tomorrow…

  III

  I’m still here – though I must say I’m getting very twitchy, reaching for the dagger under my pillow every time I hear a sound outside my chamber’s door. But if the difference between a knife in my neck or not is a few hours’ sleep, it’s not an unreasonable price to pay.

  That day at Galba’s villa was the first time that I had met Otho. You may have deduced that we had no great liking for each other. His reason for disliking me was that I, a nobody in his eyes, had been singled out for an important task. My only grudge was that he had a grudge against me. Nonetheless I did decide to follow him to the baths, after I’d stopped off at the kitchens en route. You’ll remember that instead of a hearty breakfast I’d had Governor Tacitus shaking me, like an eager boy urging on his pony by thrashing around with the reins. So after I’d grabbed a hunk of cheese and some bread for the morning meal, I made my way into town at a jog, and soon caught up with Otho.

  * * *

  It was easy to tell who he was from behind; I’d recognize that swagger of his anywhere, not to mention the fact that he wears a wig, which had slipped ever so slightly askew since leaving Galba’s lodgings. I fell into step alongside him, and he gave a cursory nod to acknowledge my presence but continued his silent walk. The baths were by far the biggest building in all Tarraco, saving Galba’s villa, which you would think odd, considering the town has several temples and a basilica as well, but obviously some previous governor had prized cleanliness over godliness. Not a word passed between us as we went through the imposing doorway and into the atrium. A couple of attendants escorted us to the apodyterium so that we could disrobe. As we took off our togas, I noticed that Otho had quite an imposing physique that hadn’t been diminished by the soft provincial life. One of the slaves motioned to take Otho’s clothes, but a muscular arm shot out and grabbed him by the wrist.