Q&A: Rubicon
Firstly, where did the idea come from?
Roman history is something that really interests me so it seemed like a logical subject to write about, although the decision to centre a story on Mark Antony is really all down to James Purefoy. I had seen him portray Antony in the HBO series ROME and was completely blown away by his performance. It was so different to the standard Shakespearean Antony’s that I’d seen before and it intrigued me to find out more about Mark Antony, the man. That proved difficult as at the time (2008/2009) it was pretty hard to find any books about him that were still available in print. The lack of information just made me more determined to find out more. I read anything I could get my hands on about his contemporaries like Caesar, Cleopatra and Augustus. I began to piece together my own picture of this somewhat elusive historical figure. I discovered a man far closer to the one James Purefoy portrayed than the one I expected to find.
About the same time I was finishing this instalment, a number of biographies began to come out about Antony so I wasn’t the only person who’d noticed how overlooked he had become.
So what’s this particular book about?
It’s the story of Melissa, a modern-day archaeologist who’s fallen on hard times. When her ex-boyfriend, the world renowned archaeologist Dr. Anthony Marcus, unexpectedly offers her a job her on a dig in Italy, she jumps at what she sees as the chance in a lifetime. It is whilst there that she is accidentally transported back in time to a pivotal moment in Roman history; Julius Caesar’s crossing of the Rubicon.
And why is that particular moment so important?
It is one of history’s turning points. This is Rome in the time of the Republic. The Roman system of government (The Senate) was corrupt and open to bribery, but it was designed to prevent any one man from gaining too much power. Caesar’s career was on an upward trajectory. He was popular with the masses and was becoming too powerful in the opinion of the Senate. They feared him and tried to put a stop to his political ambitions. He wasn’t prepared to give up or back down. The situation quickly turned to stalemate as Caesar’s forces camped on the banks of an insignificant little river called the Rubicon. This waterway marked the northern boundary of Italy and was a line no general was supposed to cross under arms. To do so meant starting a civil war with control of Rome as the ultimate prize. In crossing the Rubicon and starting that war, Caesar set in motion a chain of events that led to the eventual destruction of the Roman Republic, leaving the way open for the Empire to eventually form under his nephew, Octavian (the Emperor Augustus). If Caesar had not crossed that river, the development of Europe as a whole could have been very different.
Going back to Ancient Rome must be a dream-come-true for our heroine?
Yes and no. As an archaeologist the idea of learning more about history first hand is exciting for her, but she is no fool. Ancient Rome was a dangerous place and she is fully aware of the evils that await her. She is a woman transported into another time and culture where modern day morals and values do not apply. She is facing danger at every turn and her only source of protection is her knowledge of the past which she must use very carefully as any action she takes could affect the time line as she knows it.
So she hides in a quiet backwater and lives out her life peacefully?
Not exactly. On arrival in the past, she is taken prisoner by Mark Antony. As a female prisoner in a camp full of soldiers, her prospects are not good. Her only chance is to persuade the man in charge she is of some strategic value. She manages to gain an audience with Julius Caesar and convinces him of her value as a Seer; a woman able to look into his future. She cuts a deal. She will advise him on the outcomes of his battle plans and in return he will protect her from the unwelcome advances of his men.
How does that relationship work out for her?
Quite well actually. In many cultures those with an ability to see into the future were believed to be virgins and Melissa tells Caesar that she can see his future only if she remains untouched. He tests her by making use of the first piece of information she offers and when it proves to be accurate, he sets her up in a house in Rome. She’s his prisoner, so it’s not exactly the high life, but it’s a good enough arrangement for her to get by.
If she’s telling Caesar what the outcome of his actions is going to be, isn’t that affecting history?
She only tells him the facts exactly as she remembers them from her history books. She never deviates from that line or embellishes in any way. As she sees it she is not altering history, but ensuring it plays out exactly as the books she has read describe. Although it does beg the question - is she merely retelling history, or is she in fact writing it?
And she doesn’t get caught out?
All the while things are going his way Caesar doesn’t really care how Melissa is coming by the information. To him she is just another tool to be used as and when needed. He makes it very plain from the beginning that as soon as she outlives her usefulness he will “throw her to the wolves”, or to be more precise to his pet “wolf” Mark Antony.
And what does Mark Antony think about that?
Mark Antony’s opinion of Melissa is very different to Caesar’s. As he was the one who took her prisoner, he believes her to be his slave by right and is annoyed at losing his latest toy to his superior officer. He is suspicious of her professed abilities and sets out to prove her a fraud in order to increase his standing with Caesar and to reclaim his possession. He stalks her movements, waiting for his chance to bring her down.
And does he succeed?
You’ll have to read the book to find out.
Firstly, where did the idea come from?
Roman history is something that really interests me so it seemed like a logical subject to write about, although the decision to centre a story on Mark Antony is really all down to James Purefoy. I had seen him portray Antony in the HBO series ROME and was completely blown away by his performance. It was so different to the standard Shakespearean Antony’s that I’d seen before and it intrigued me to find out more about Mark Antony, the man. That proved difficult as at the time (2008/2009) it was pretty hard to find any books about him that were still available in print. The lack of information just made me more determined to find out more. I read anything I could get my hands on about his contemporaries like Caesar, Cleopatra and Augustus. I began to piece together my own picture of this somewhat elusive historical figure. I discovered a man far closer to the one James Purefoy portrayed than the one I expected to find.
About the same time I was finishing this instalment, a number of biographies began to come out about Antony so I wasn’t the only person who’d noticed how overlooked he had become.
So what’s this particular book about?
It’s the story of Melissa, a modern-day archaeologist who’s fallen on hard times. When her ex-boyfriend, the world renowned archaeologist Dr. Anthony Marcus, unexpectedly offers her a job her on a dig in Italy, she jumps at what she sees as the chance in a lifetime. It is whilst there that she is accidentally transported back in time to a pivotal moment in Roman history; Julius Caesar’s crossing of the Rubicon.
And why is that particular moment so important?
It is one of history’s turning points. This is Rome in the time of the Republic. The Roman system of government (The Senate) was corrupt and open to bribery, but it was designed to prevent any one man from gaining too much power. Caesar’s career was on an upward trajectory. He was popular with the masses and was becoming too powerful in the opinion of the Senate. They feared him and tried to put a stop to his political ambitions. He wasn’t prepared to give up or back down. The situation quickly turned to stalemate as Caesar’s forces camped on the banks of an insignificant little river called the Rubicon. This waterway marked the northern boundary of Italy and was a line no general was supposed to cross under arms. To do so meant starting a civil war with control of Rome as the ultimate prize. In crossing the Rubicon and starting that war, Caesar set in motion a chain of events that led to the eventual destruction of the Roman Republic, leaving the way open for the Empire to eventually form under his nephew, Octavian (the Emperor Augustus). If Caesar had not crossed that river, the development of Europe as a whole could have been very different.
Going back to Ancient Rome must be a dream-come-true for our heroine?
Yes and no. As an archaeologist the idea of learning more about history first hand is exciting for her, but she is no fool. Ancient Rome was a dangerous place and she is fully aware of the evils that await her. She is a woman transported into another time and culture where modern day morals and values do not apply. She is facing danger at every turn and her only source of protection is her knowledge of the past which she must use very carefully as any action she takes could affect the time line as she knows it.
So she hides in a quiet backwater and lives out her life peacefully?
Not exactly. On arrival in the past, she is taken prisoner by Mark Antony. As a female prisoner in a camp full of soldiers, her prospects are not good. Her only chance is to persuade the man in charge she is of some strategic value. She manages to gain an audience with Julius Caesar and convinces him of her value as a Seer; a woman able to look into his future. She cuts a deal. She will advise him on the outcomes of his battle plans and in return he will protect her from the unwelcome advances of his men.
How does that relationship work out for her?
Quite well actually. In many cultures those with an ability to see into the future were believed to be virgins and Melissa tells Caesar that she can see his future only if she remains untouched. He tests her by making use of the first piece of information she offers and when it proves to be accurate, he sets her up in a house in Rome. She’s his prisoner, so it’s not exactly the high life, but it’s a good enough arrangement for her to get by.
If she’s telling Caesar what the outcome of his actions is going to be, isn’t that affecting history?
She only tells him the facts exactly as she remembers them from her history books. She never deviates from that line or embellishes in any way. As she sees it she is not altering history, but ensuring it plays out exactly as the books she has read describe. Although it does beg the question - is she merely retelling history, or is she in fact writing it?
And she doesn’t get caught out?
All the while things are going his way Caesar doesn’t really care how Melissa is coming by the information. To him she is just another tool to be used as and when needed. He makes it very plain from the beginning that as soon as she outlives her usefulness he will “throw her to the wolves”, or to be more precise to his pet “wolf” Mark Antony.
And what does Mark Antony think about that?
Mark Antony’s opinion of Melissa is very different to Caesar’s. As he was the one who took her prisoner, he believes her to be his slave by right and is annoyed at losing his latest toy to his superior officer. He is suspicious of her professed abilities and sets out to prove her a fraud in order to increase his standing with Caesar and to reclaim his possession. He stalks her movements, waiting for his chance to bring her down.
And does he succeed?
You’ll have to read the book to find out.