"The Proof " by Cheryl Colwell: How much is true?

I received this email from a reader:

Dear Cheryl,
I just finished your book and I absolutely loved it! I couldn't read it fast enough and was kind of sad when I finished it and realized that it was already over! I wanted to ask you, how much of the story is based off of real historical events/people? In other words how much was real?  Look forward to your reply.

Dear Reader (and other fans),
I am so glad you asked. I love to slide my story between the lines of history. So could my story be true? Who knows. We weren't there.

If you like history, you will enjoy some of the fascinating facts from the book that I will post in order of their appearance. 

The Soci (so chee) is a dastardly group I invented, loosely based on the Praetorian Guard.

The Praetorian Guard had its beginnings as bodyguards of Roman generals sometime before 275 B.C.. The commanding general in the field was called a praetor; his tent, the praetorium. The Guard  consisted of infantry and cavalry and was called a cohort.

In 31 BC, Augustus realized the value of having an elite guard at his side within the palace and around Rome as well as in the field. He formed nine cohorts of 500 - 1500 men each, three of which were always on duty.

n 2 BC, Augustus appointed two Praetorian prefects to rule over the Guard. The prefects built the Castra Praetoria (fort of the Praetorians) just outside Rome. The prefects' influence created an unanticipated problem. Yes, the Guard was at the disposal of the emperors, but now the emperors were at the mercy of the Guard.

Asserting their power, the Praetorians demanded money from whomever wanted to be emperor. They assassinated emperors who fell out of favor, fought in turf wars between rulers, and bullied Rome's citizens in the streets. In the 4th century Constantine disbanded the powerful group and destroyed their fortress. The soldiers were sent to various corners of the empire but the prefects rose to civil authority, holding powerful positions. One might say, the Praetorians vanished in name only.

By the 8th century BC, even the prefecture had disappeared from view.

In "The Proof" we discover where they've been hiding.



Read "The Proof" at: bit.ly/TheProofColwell