The End of a Dynasty Read online

  The End of a Dynasty

  David Adkins

  © David Adkins 2016

  David Adkins has asserted his rights under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.

  First published by Endeavour Press Ltd in 2016.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Rome – Early Spring AD90

  I stood outside the chamber of my aunt Domitia Longina, the Empress of the Romans, waiting nervously to be summoned into her august presence. It was the first time that I had been to the Royal Palace and it would be the first time that I will have spoken to my aunt for many years. I had in that time only seen her from a distance as she sat next to her husband, the Emperor Domitian, in the Colosseo or at other public events. Why I had been summoned now, after all this time, I had no idea but it seemed I was about to find out. I started to work out in my mind how old the Empress might be. She was my mother’s younger sister by I believed nearly ten years which would make her about thirty five years of age. My mother would have been forty five this year had she still lived. I was shaken out of my calculations by the voice of a servant. “She will see you now.”

  I opened the door and entered her chamber cautiously and with none of my usual bravado. I had just recently been discarded by my mentor and employer, the great lawyer Marcus Nerva, and so I was acutely aware that my future could depend on this meeting. My aunt was lounging informally on a couch and she offered me a chair facing her. I smiled, bowed and sat down.

  “You should kneel before you sit down,” she pointed out.

  I stumbled off my chair into a kneeling position. “I am sorry, Empress,” I said humbly.

  “Aunt will do for now,” she smiled. “Now you can sit down.” I climbed back into my chair and waited patiently as she studied me. “You have grown into a handsome young man,” she observed.

  “Thank you, aunt, and you are a very beautiful woman.”

  “You mean good for my age, nephew,” she smiled again.

  “You are still young and look even younger,” I stated firmly.

  “You have all of your father’s charm though it did him little good. I remember him well though I was only fourteen when he committed suicide. It was the only honourable thing for him to do after the failed conspiracy.”

  “And it broke my mother and I have been suffering for it ever since. I even had to change my name from Lucius Vicinianus to Lucius Corbulo to try and detach myself from the stigma.” I sounded bitter as indeed I was.

  “Nephew, we both know that is not the only reason for your problems.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “Nerva is a good friend,” she said by way of explanation.

  “A friend to you perhaps, aunt, but not to me,” I countered.

  “Come now, Lucius, we both know he had good reason to dismiss you. I always felt that you were destined to become a senator. You are of a noble family even if a disgraced one but nothing seemed to come of it. Your mother asked me shortly before her death to watch out for you and to be honest I never gave you more than a fleeting interest until I spoke of you with Marcus Nerva.”

  “He, no doubt, had bad things to say about me,” I surmised.

  “He did, but on the other hand, he also had some good things to say as well. You could have been a very good lawyer but it seems your behaviour has ruined your prospects and that is why you were dismissed. I am here to, at last, act upon your mother’s wishes and give you one last chance but my help comes at a price.”

  “Help always does,” I sighed.

  “I do not owe you anything, Lucius, and you would do well to remember that but I have a position for you. In fact it is two positions, here in the palace. Nerva told me that you are very intelligent and have great promise but that promise was badly hampered by your love of wine, women and a good time and that was the reason he could no longer employ you.”

  I grinned. “I am a normal male, aunt.”

  “But not a dedicated one,” she came back. “How old are you now, Lucius?”

  “I am twenty three.”

  “Then it is time you grew up and started acting with more responsibly. You can still have your fun, nephew, but do not let it get in the way of your work and ambition.” She smiled at me and I realized what an attractive woman she still was. She had been exiled by the Emperor some years before for an indiscretion but recalled after a short while because he could not live without her. I could see why. “Do you understand, Lucius?” She adjusted her robe to show her ankle and slipper.

  Was she flirting with me? “I understand, my Empress,” I replied submissively. “What do you require of me?”

  “Domitian leaves much of the running of his household to me, for he has better things to do.” Her tone sounded bitter. “I have the position of chamberlain vacant and this is the position I intend to offer you.”

  “I must be truthful, aunt, and say that I know nothing of the running of a household, particularly a royal household,” I stated honestly.

  “Nerva tells me that you are a quick learner and there will be plenty around you to help you in the beginning including myself.”

  “You said there were two positions, aunt.”

  “Domitian may be the head of the household but you will work for me in whatever capacity I require. You will be my spy.”

  “Why do you require a spy?” I inquired.

  “My position is precarious. The Emperor has a mistress, the once famous gladiatrix, Corelia. She has been his mistress for a few years now and though she is a threat she is not a great threat. I hope that even Domitian cannot discard me for a former gladiatrix. However, he is no longer content with Corelia and is taking more lovers, and some of them from noble and aristocratic families and these are more of a threat. I am the Empress and I intend to remain so. You will watch Domitian and you will listen and you will inform me if any of his liaisons pose a danger to my position. Even at the height of his infatuation with the gladiatrix he would still come to my bed occasionally, but now he does not do so and that is worrying.”

  “I am wondering if you feel neglected, Empress,” I asked.

  Her dancing eyes met mine. “That is not for you to wonder. Perhaps you should leave your charms for the household ladies who tend his royal whores. You never know what they might hear in his bedchamber.”

  “What if I discover that you are threatened?”

  “Then we will deal with the threat,” she replied.

  “It is a varied position you offer me,” I smiled again.

  “It is indeed,” she agreed. “One more thing, Domitian does not know who you are and it is better that it stays that way. You will need to change your name again. I suggest you become Parthenian, our new chamberlain. By the way, Parthenian, your new position comes with excellent remuneration and rewards.”

  “In that case your wish is my command, Empress,” I responded enthusiastically. “Why have you chosen the name,
Parthenian?”

  “After the gifted actor, he brought me much pleasure in my youth.” Her words teased me. “Bring what possessions you need to the palace tomorrow. You will have your own room in the servant quarters and you will begin your new position in two days time after you have settled in. Is that clear, Parthenian?”

  “It is aunt.” I stood to leave.

  “You will never call me aunt again, though I may make an exception in private.” She admonished me.

  “It is clear, Empress.”

  “You are a humble chamberlain, Parthenian. You will kneel when you enter my presence and you will kneel again when you leave it. I will see you tomorrow when you return with your necessary belongings”

  I fell to my knees and bowed my head. “Yes Empress.”

  “I am truly worried about the current situation. You will be my eyes and ears for a chamberlain can go where an Empress cannot.”

  I lowered my face close to her slipper. “I will.”

  “You are dismissed, Parthenian.”

  *

  I arrived at the palace the next day clutching a large bag of possessions to find that the guards at the imperial gate were expecting me. They opened the imposing gates and I entered the gardens of the grand palace and marvelled at the beauty of the exotic and colourful plants and at the many trees, statues and fountains. I had not appreciated these sights the previous day, for I had barely noticed them in the gloom of a wet and windy day. I also then had other matters on my mind, such as why the Empress wished to see me. Today the sky was blue and cloudless and spring in all its glory was never better portrayed than in the lush gardens of the Imperial Palace. My future also had taken a turn for the better thanks to the generosity of my aunt and Empress, though there were conditions set against my new, good fortune. The guards, instead of escorting me into the palace as they had done the previous day, passed me into the hands of a member of the royal household.

  “I am Stephanus and I am steward to the Emperor’s niece Flavia Domitilla.” He announced by way of introduction.

  “I am Parthenian, the new chamberlain,” I replied without divulging any information about myself. “Are there many members of the royal family living at the palace?” I asked.

  “There are not many Flavians left at all. The few there are live here, or live here some of the time. There are the Emperor’s two nieces, Flavia Domitilla and Julia Flavia, and their husbands, Clemens and Sabinus. Now, would you follow me please and I will take you to the Emperor.”

  I was surprised that it was the Emperor I was about to meet but I followed Stephanus without comment. It was, however, towards the quarters of the Empress, and the room of our previous meeting to which I was led. “Take the bag from the new chamberlain and put it in his room,” Stephanus addressed a servant who had suddenly appeared. I handed over my bag to the servant and hastily followed the steward.

  We arrived at the door to the chamber of the Empress. Stephanus knocked and entered and I followed. He bowed low and I followed suit. Standing before us were the Emperor, Domitian, and his Empress and a member of the much vaunted Praetorian Guard. Domitian stepped forward. “At last our new chamberlain has arrived.” He seemed impatient.

  “I am sorry to keep you waiting, your majesty,” I responded and bowed even lower.

  “I just wanted to look at you. You are very young but my wife, who I leave in charge of most of the running of my household, assures me that you will do a good job. Is that so?”

  “It is,” I replied.

  “Good, you and your staff are responsible for running my household and for looking after me and my family. I expect obedience, efficiency and an enthusiasm to please. Do you understand?”

  “I understand.”

  “You have met the Empress when she interviewed you and Stephanus. This is Casperius Aelianus, the Head of my Praetorian Guard.” I nodded and smiled but Casperius simply nodded. “Now we must go for there is work to be done and so I will leave you in the capable hands of the Empress and Stephanus.” With these words Domitian then left us, followed closely by Casperius.

  “Shall I show Parthenian his new quarters and brief him, madam?” Stephanus asked Domitia Longina.

  “Wait outside for a few minutes. There are some words I wish to say to Parthenian and then you may do so.”

  Stephanus bowed and left the room. “I wish to mention one thing that Stephanus will not tell you,” she explained. “Domitian, as I told you yesterday, has regular visits from the gladiatrix, Corelia, and also from a couple of senators’ wives and they are dangerous because they are aristocrats. You will find out who they are soon enough. My main worry is my niece Julia Flavia. He is sleeping with his niece and she has royal Flavian blood. I need to know if she has any ambitions to take my place. I need to know if he has any desire to make her his new Empress. I need to know if I have to act. This is your immediate priority.”

  “She is already married,” I offered.

  She shook her head disconsolately. “She is married to Titus Flavius Sabinus and he is disposable. Now kneel before you leave me.”

  “May I ask something, Empress?”

  “You may.”

  “Why is it that Stephanus is not required to kneel in your presence but I am?” I inquired politely.

  “He does not work for me. Like all the staff in the palace he works for the Emperor. You do not just work for the Emperor but you also work for me. I need to keep you reminded of that fact less it slips your mind. When you kneel to me it is a reminder for you of who you serve.”

  I knelt. “I will never forget that I serve the Empress and only the Empress but kneeling is not necessary to make me remember that fact.”

  She smiled. “Make your inquiries and be discreet and keep your eyes and ears open. Come back to me when you feel that you have something to report. I do not want to regard Julia as an enemy unless I have to. In fact, see me regularly for we have other things to talk about, such as family matters.”

  “I will, Empress.” I stood and left the room to join the waiting Stephanus in the corridor, and then he guided me in silence to my room.

  When we reached my room two servants were waiting for us. “This is Maximus and Drucilla,” announced Stephanus. “They will work directly for you. They are aware of their duties and perform them efficiently and they will help to integrate you into your new job. Maximus nodded and Drucilla smiled. Maximus was a burley, strong looking individual and I would guess about my age though he still retained the spots of youth. Drucilla was quite pretty but bordering on plain with short dark hair and perhaps a few years older than Maximus. “You may go,” Stephanus instructed the two servants.

  I watched Maximus and Drucilla depart and then I studied Stephanus. He was about ten years my senior and had an air of authority about him. “You give orders easily and are quickly obeyed,” I observed. “Now tell me how things work here and the hierarchy; you and me for example.”

  “You are steward to the Emperor and Empress. They call you chamberlain because you are in charge of the entire royal household. I am steward to Flavia Domitilla and her husband Flavius Clemens. My authority comes from the fact that I am steward to the daughter of Domitian’s deceased sister. As such I am their servant and the only servant in the palace that does not answer to you.”

  “Really, and does not his other niece Julia Flavia have a steward, and is her position not more influential as she is the daughter of Domitian’s brother Titus, the previous Emperor?”

  “My mistress is without blemish and a far better representative of the Flavian dynasty. Julia chooses not to have a steward and is looked after by her chief maid.”

  “Who is that?” I asked.

  “Her name is Petronilla.” I had noted that Stephanus seemed very loyal to his mistress but seemed to have little time for Julia Flavia.

  “Does her husband live in the palace?”

  “Sabinus does.” I detected a sneer.

  “So we have just six members of the royal famil
y living here and no children.”

  “That is right but my mistress and her husband live some of the time at his residence on the Palatine. When they are there, then I am there. The other four live permanently at the palace.”

  “Who else resides at the palace?”

  “The servants, maids, cooks and two of the gardeners have quarters on the ground floor. They all know their duties but need to be informed of any changes to the normal schedule, such as when we have guests. The larger east side with the spacious rooms is solely for the royal family. They can access the garden down their own private staircase. On this side, the west side, are you, me and Casperius and two more of the senior guards. The rest of the Praetorian Guard occupies the barracks adjoining the palace. They increase in numbers with the Emperor’s growing concern about his safety. The guardsmen are banned from contact with the servants, especially the maids. For their amusement and pleasures they have to find women in the tavern across the road.”

  “And what do you do for amusement?” I asked.

  “That is my concern,” he brusquely replied.

  I smiled. “Is there anything else I should know?”

  “It will all become clear as you go along. Maximus and Drucilla have things under control so you will be able to learn from them.”

  “There is one thing that you might do for me, Stephanus, to help me settle in.”

  “If I can,” he replied.

  “Please arrange for Maximus, Drucilla and Petronilla to come and see me individually. I wish to question them on the running of the household.”

  “Is that necessary? As I said I think matters will become clear to you as you ease yourself into your new situation.”

  “I wish to speed up matters as much as possible.”

  He raised his eyebrows. “As you wish, Parthenian, I will send each to you as soon as possible.” With these words he left my new abode.

  I looked around and admired the furnishings in my comfortable chamber, for this was certainly more luxurious than my last lodgings. I was to find out later that it was the finest room in the servant’s quarters. Then I set about unpacking my bag. I still had some things to collect from my old establishment but there was no rush and that could wait until I had settled in. Having unpacked and put things away in cupboards I decided to relax and try out my new bed. It was very comfortable and far more agreeable than my last hard bunk. Though my father was executed, and his immediate family disowned by the Flavian Emperors after his conspiracy, I was a relative, even if a forgotten one. Perhaps I was born to a life of luxury but had to date not realized it. My thoughts were interrupted by a knocking at my door.