Claudius

Rufus #2

by Douglas Jackson

Claudius desires total conquest. Caratacus will fight for freedom. An epic battle is coming, in this second gripping and visceral novel of the Roman invasion of Britain, for fans of Conn Iggulden and Simon Scarrow.  43 in Southern Britain, Caratacus, chief of the Britons, watches from a hilltop as the scarlet cloaks of the Roman army spread across his land like blood. Among them is Rufus, keeper of the Emperor’s elephant, an unwilling participant in the invasion of Britain. The Roman legions smash into the British forces, but just as victory seems at hand, they wait. Reinforcements are coming, led by Emperor Claudius himself. And Rufus will have a very special part to play in the coming epic battle. Heroes will be made and kings will fall in a struggle that will echo through the annals of history.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Roman, Adventure, Ebooks, Roman History

464 pages, Paperback

First published July 16, 2009

About the author

Aka James Douglas

Douglas Jackson turned a lifelong fascination for Rome and the Romans into his first novel, Caligula. He was born in Jedburgh, in the Scottish Borders and now lives in Bridge of Allan. He is an assistant editor at The Scotsman.

Reviews

[Clemens Schoonderwoert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book in 2010, and its a book about Emperor Claudius and his conquest of Britain.

On the one hand we have Caratacus, war chief of the Britons, and who will lead his men into this war against the Romans with vigour, fire and sword.

On the other hand there's the newly risen Emperor Claudius, who needs a very decisive victory over these Britons if he wants to emulate Caesar and Augustus.

In this story we find Rufus within the Roman Legions, as keeper of the Emperor's elephant, marching in Britain in an attempt to conquer this Isle of the Britons.

What is to follow is a masterful retelling of the conquest of Britain by Emperor Claudius and his famous elephant, and all this is brought to us by the author in a most brilliant and gripping fashion.

Highly recommended, for this is an excellent story about Emperor Claudius and his conquest of Britain, and that's why I like to call this marvellous book: "A Superb Claudius Tale"!

[Beorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's something just so indefinable about Douglas Jackson's novels that makes them so instantly readable. For want of a better way of putting it, they're are written in such a way that they just 'click' as soon as you stick your nose in.

With this being the second in Jackson's Rufus series, inevitable comparisons to the preceding book in the series 'Caligula' are unavoidable. Though in a strange sort of way those comparisons actually show how awesome this sequel actually is.

The previous novel was good, well written, immersive and rich in detail, it just felt that it never particularly went anywhere, whereas this book maintains that same high standard of richly detailed infectiously immersive quality and, through the injection of a wholly different situation & surroundings, ramps it up a notch clicking into top gear story-wise.
Jackson as an author was practically made for a tale such as this.
Obviously it may be down to cultural bias, being from Britain myself so the historical element being even more poignant, but this rapidly turned into one of those books that you find yourself having to make a conscious effort to actually STOP reading. On a number of occasions I stayed up past midnight telling myself I'd read just one more chapter, which would invariably turn into two or even three.

Possibly the best facet to this book, though it might get the pedants & purists up in arms, is that even though it is the Rufus series, there is plenty of attention paid to the neurosis of the main protagonists too which only in hindsight appears to detract from Rufus. When you're reading the book however, you'll be so caught up in the action and intrigue that you won't actually notice.
It's definately less The Rufus Show than Caligula though anyone who dares complain about that simply doesn't appreciate good literature when the focus is so expertly moved around, almost as though the author is toying with you.

Arguably one of the finest though not instantly obvious thing about this book is that while it's part of a series, and harks back certain facts to that book, it works as well as a standalone novel meaning that the casual reader doesn't need to have read Caligula to instantly slot into the mindset of Rufus.

It feels a little harsh only giving this a 4 out of 5 when it was such a rollicking good read but I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to giving ANYTHING 5 out of 5. If I could mark this 4.5 out of 5 I would do in an instant.

[Redfox5 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was alright but I imagine this is something I will forget about fairly quickly. Don't get me wrong I liked the main character Rufus but I couldn't help thinking about Macro and Cato from Simon Scarrow's The Eagles series, they did this battle also and they did it better. I won't be looking for the others in the series.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Claudius" by Douglas Jackson really isn't about the emperor Claudius but about his invasion of Britain as seen through the eyes of his elephant handler, a slave named Rufus and the opposing chieftain of of the Catuvellauni tribe, Caratacus.

The story begins shortly before one of the decisive battles at a crossing of the River Medway near present-day Rochester. We learn that Rufus is not just an experienced slave but an animal trainer for the arena once mentored by one of Rome's most famous gladiators, Cupido. His skill attracted the attention of the Roman emperor, Caligula who gives Rufus the task of caring for the emperor's elephant. A position he was allowed to retain after Caligula is assassinated and the emperor Claudius ascends the throne.

Rufus winds up in Britain along with Beersheba (the elephant) when Claudius' freedman, Tiberius Claudius Narcissus, develops an invasion strategy to provide Claudius with a crucial military victory to strengthen his hold on the imperial purple. As part of the invasion force, however, Rufus is viewed with disdain by some of the legion's veterans. Although his position shields him from such mundane camp chores as digging defensive ditches, a disgruntled centurion assigns him to a foraging party that is subsequently ambushed by the Britons. Rufus is knocked senseless in the fighting and wakes up in the belly of a dreaded wicker man.


But before he can be consumed by the flames made sacred by the wild gestures of a demonical Druid, he is spotted by Caratacus, recognizing Rufus as the handler of the beast so feared by his fellow tribesmen, and is wrenched from certain death.

We find Caratacus is a thoughtful leader consumed with intellectual curiosity. Although Caratacus doubts he can learn much about the impending battle from Rufus, he questions him for hours about the Romans, particularly the Roman emperor, in an effort to learn as much as he can about his enemy.
We also discover Caratacus' position as war leader is a tenuous one with other tribal kings jockeying for position to ensure a generous portion of any spoils that might result from future clashes. One of the most troublesome of his coalition is his own brother, Togodumnus.

In this novel Togodumnus is in an inferior position to his brother Caratacus but historically Togodumnus is thought by some scholars to have been the king of the Catuvellauni and the kingship only passed to Caratacus after Togodumnus was killed early in the invasion. Caratacus is shrewd and calculating here where his brother, Togodumnus, is painted as brashly impulsive, thinking little of strategy. Placing little value on unit discipline and group tactics, Togodumnus is convinced that brute force alone will ensure victory. So Caratacus must use every relationship with other tribal chieftains he can call upon to restrain the Britons until a plan can be set into motion that will give the Britons the edge they need to overcome the Roman war machine.

Jackson also portrays Caratacus as politically forced to tolerate the blood-thirsty Druid priests because of their influence with many tribesman, but not particularly superstitious or appreciative of their ritual sacrifices. This may be Jackson's way of incorporating the fierce Druids into the narrative without giving them much sway with Caratacus since there are persistent legends about Caratacus' conversion to Christianity before he is ultimately taken to Rome.

The legend with the most historical evidence surrounds one Claudia Rufina, a historical British woman known to the poet Martial ( Martial, Epigrams, XI:53 (ed. & trans. D. R. Shackleton Bailey, Harvard University Press, 1993). Martial describes Claudia's marriage to a man named Pudens thought to be Aulus Pudens, a friend of Martial's. Since the 17th century, this pair have been identified with the Claudia and Pudens mentioned as members of the Roman Christian community in 2 Timothy of the New Testament (2 Timothy 4:21 - "Eubulus saluteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren.") . Some biblical scholars have further claimed Claudia was Caratacus' daughter, and that the historical Pope Linus, described in an early church document as the "brother of Claudia" was Caratacus' son. These scholars point to the basilica of Santa Pudenziana in Rome, and with which St. Pudens is associated, which they say was once called the Palatium Britannicum and was the home of Caratacus and his family.

Anyway, back to our story. Caratacus decides Rufus will best serve the Britons by setting Rufus free to return to the Roman lines so he can report the strength of the tribes in the hope that the sheer numbers will convince Aulus Plautius, the Roman commander, to withdraw. But Plautius does not give withdrawal a second thought and formulates a master plan with his legates the Flavian brothers, Vespasian and Sabinus. Rufus, as a slave, is not privy to any of the strategy and is once more subject to the whims of Narcissus who decides Rufus and Beersheba will be part of a "river rat" Batavian cohort that is being sent upriver to outflank the Britons. Beersheba is the lynch pin in a dangerous river crossing where she will pull leather leads tied to rafts bearing the Batavian armor and equipment. Obviously the author decided to use a ploy mentioned by Vegetius (De re militari III.7) in the 4th century describing how the Batavians were able to ford rivers with full armor (although an elephant was not mentioned).


The flanking maneuver was to be supported by Vespasian's Legio II Augusta but Vespasian is delayed by fierce resistance and Rufus must join the battle line as the Batavians numbers dwindle after repeated assaults. [SLIGHT SPOILER AHEAD] Fortunately, Rufus is a skilled swordsman thanks to his earlier friendship with the gladiator Cupido and he not only stands firm but kills Togodumnus.

As for the actual historical record, there is some confusion about the fate of Togodumnus. Cassius Dio says Togodumnus was killed in a battle along the Thames River. Other scholars, including Barry Cunliffe of Oxford University, point to references in Tacitus that indicate a war leader with a similar name submitted to the Romans and became a client king over the territories of the Regini, the Atrebates, the Belgae and the Dobunni with a headquarters at Chichester, the site of Fishbourne Roman Palace. (I've actually visited the Roman remains in Fishbourne and they are very impressive!) Jackson handles this discrepency by having another British leader who sided with the Romans against Togodumnus and Caratacus formally take the name Cogidumnus as part of his alliance pact.

Claudius finally makes his appearance and symbolically leads the legions in a string of followup skirmishes where he is hailed imperator and seals his place in history. In Jackson's story, Claudius is not the drooling, stammering, frail individual portrayed in other tales. Claudius actually assumes an imposing military posture, looking every bit the brother of the famous general Germanicus. Jackson also portrays Claudius as able to address the Senate without a hint of a stammer and easily able to bend the assembly to his will.

Apparently, Jackson has chosen to take Suetonius' description of Claudius with a major dose of salt and instead present a character capable of drafting authoritative legislation regulating commerce, slavery, taxes and marriage, envisioning comprehensive public works such as the development of the port of Ostia as well as roads, canals and tunnels and utlimately dodging numerous assassination attempts while maintaining a firm grip on the reins of power.

However, Jackson is not as generous in his portrayal of Claudius' freedman, Narcissus, who is revealed as cunning, manipulative and utterly. The ambitious courtier uses everyone around him, including Rufus, to promote his own ends although he protests that such actions are ultimately for the good of Rome. This portrait of Narcissus as essentially faithless to all except Claudius is consistent with his behavior reported in the ancient sources.

The ancient sources say that Narcissus conspired with Messalina to convince Claudius to execute certain individuals that Narcissus may have deemed too powerful or too influential. But later Narcissus turned on Messalina, reporting her infidelity to Claudius and when Claudius wavered about her punishment, gave the order for her execution himself. Afterward, fearing Messalina's son, Britannicus, Narcissus tried to convince Claudius to remarry the emperor's second wife, Aelia Paetina, so Claudius would name Faustus Cornelius Sulla Felix, the husband of Claudius' daughter with Aelia, Claudia Antonia, as heir instead of Britannicus. But when Claudius chose to marry Agrippina instead and named her son Nero to be his heir, then Narcissus allied with Britannicus against Agrippina and Nero. So, as in this novel, he was truly a friend to no one, only an opportunistic courtier ultimately concerned only with his own future.

Jackson employs and interesting literary device in his story that I had never seen before, too. Narcissus betrays a minor character in the novel and the way that the plot point is injected into the story reminded me of the execution of Anne Boleyn. I have read that when the French swordsman prepared to cut off Boleyn's head, he signaled to an assistant who made a small commotion that caused Anne to turn her head in the direction of the disturbance therefore (mercifully?) distracting her at the moment the fatal blow was administered. In this book, the author distracts the reader with a minor little battlefield drama just before assassins deal the death blow to a character not involved in the mini-drama, jarring the reader with its unexpected suddeness. I'll have to remember that tactic if I ever write a novel myself!

The book closes with an epilogue describing Caratacus' entry into Rome. A passage from an epic poem by William Mason came to mind:

I was born A king and
Heav'n who bade these warrior oaks
Lift their green shields against the fiery sun
To fence their subject plain did mean that I
Should with as firm an arm protect my people
Against the pestilent glare of Rome's ambition
I fail'd and how I fail'd thou know'st too well
So does the babbling world and therefore
Druid I would be any thing save what I am
- Caractacus by William Mason, 1759



Despite years of defeat by superior forces and betrayal by a queen many thought may have been his former lover, Caratacus still walks proudly among the shouting crowds, awestruck by the magnificent architecture and opulence. He courageously approaches the palace where he expects to be ritually strangled like the hapless Vercingetorix all those years before. There he finally meets the emperor Claudius, and is surprised to find a rather frail-looking old man. He must have thought:

Ye never felt the sharp vindictive spur
That goads the injur'd warrior the hot tide
That flushes crimson on the conscious cheek
Of him who burns for glory
- Caractacus by William Mason, 1759

But this old man holds a defeated enemy's life in his withered hands and Caratacus has no doubt that a signal will be given to end his. Instead Claudius gives him a chance to address the crowd expecting him to plead for his life. But, Caratacus simply asks "With all of this, you covet our huts?"

Historically, Caratacus was brought before the Senate where he made such an impression he was pardoned and allowed to live out his life peacefully in Rome after saying:

"If the degree of my nobility and fortune had been matched by moderation in success, I would have come to this City as a friend rather than a captive, nor would you have disdained to receive with a treaty of peace one sprung from brilliant ancestors and commanding a great many nations. But my present lot, disfiguring as it is for me, is magnificent for you. I had horses, men, arms, and wealth: what wonder if I was unwilling to lose them? If you wish to command everyone, does it really follow that everyone should accept your slavery? If I were now being handed over as one who had surrendered immediately, neither my fortune nor your glory would have achieved brilliance. It is also true that in my case any reprisal will be followed by oblivion. On the other hand, if you preserve me safe and sound, I shall be an eternal example of your clemency." - Tacitus, The Annals, translated by A. J. Woodman, 2004;

However, after he was freed, Cassius Dio says the famous Briton asked, "And can you, then, who have got such possessions and so many of them, covet our poor tents?" - Dio Cassius, Roman History, Epitome of Book LXI, 33:3c

Obiviously, the author thought a paraphrase of just the last quote would make a more elegant ending and I agree.

A note about the author: Douglas Jackson is the assistant editor of The Scotsman in Edinburgh, Scotland. He has spent 30 years working for various local and national newspapers around the UK. His first up-close-and-personal experience with the Roman Empire came to him while he was a young student and spent a summer restoring a Roman marching camp at Pennymuir in the Cheviot Hills. He has followed "Caligula" and "Claudius" with a series featuring Gaius Valerius Verrens, a tribune of the 20th Legion who faces off against Boudicca in "Hero of Rome". In Jackson's latest novel, "Defender of Rome," then Verrens is charged by Nero with capturing the leader of a new religious sect, the followers of Christus.

[Brian Carrigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great story by Douglas Jackson

[Thomas Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rarely read historical fiction but the ancient Romans have always fascinated me - and my copy of this book came cheaply in a book sale.

I expected it to be bloodthirsty, with horrible deeds, and it did fulfil that expectation, of course; the reason I put off reading it at first.

The violence could have been less graphically described and would have left an entertaining tale that spoke less of man's inhumanity to man, and the horrors of war and conquest, no matter what the epoch.

Both Roman and British motivation in slaughtering each other are well brought out in the book and the fate of the British hero, King Caratacus, is left slightly in doubt in the last few lines.

The trouble with historical novels, with real historical figures in them, is that you can resolve any dilemma about what happened. Two websites I checked confirm that Caratacus was pardoned by Claudius and left to wander Rome.

The records I searched do not mention what happened to him after that.

Rufus is an engaging minnow among characters in the story but is frequently at the forefront of the plot and is most likely to get the sympathy vote from a reader.

The epic story is masterfully told, living up the book blurb.

[Jeff Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love books covering the Roman invasion of Britain and this is probably the best of the lot and I've read loads.

Superb read.

[A.M. Swink · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book ought to have been called 'Caratacus,' as he was the true title character of this book. I would hesitate to name Emperor Claudius as even the 4th or 5th most important character in this novel, so little did he feature in it. Even Rufus, the slave whose story it ostensibly is, becomes relegated to the background more often than he ought to.

While the book reads well, the head hopping that occurs when multiple characters' perspectives are being observed with no line/chapter breaks to denote a change in POV can become disorienting for a reader. It took me a couple of times to realize whose perspective we had suddenly jumped to in instances where characters observed/spoke to one another. Random jumps to the perspectives of dying characters that sometimes lacked names were puzzling as well. Overall, the quality of the writing was commendable and would have improved to top notch if the book was edited to eliminate the head hopping.

Rufus and Narcissus were written well, as was Bersheba the emperor's elephant. I wish Bersheba had featured in the book more, as her scenes were my favourites of the book. She truly came into having a character all her own. Caratacus was of course extremely developed as the book's primary character, and Nuada was set up as an easy-to-hate villain. I appreciated the book's epilogue ending on Caratacus's meeting Claudius in Rome, an element of the historical record that would have been remiss to omit. I was, however, a little confused at the battles that took place along the Tamesis - I thought the Batavian river crossing occurred during the Battle of the Medway before Platuius's army reached the Tamesis? The two seem to have become blurred into one conflict, reducing the tougher Battle of the Medway and moving those tense elements to the Tamesis crossing because Caratacus wasn't present at the Battle of the Medway, and we have to have our main character on hand for the climax, right?

I ultimately enjoyed the first book in the series more as it placed Rufus, the main character of the series, front and center. The titular emperor, Caligula, played a far larger role in the first book than Claudius does here, defining and underlining all the events of the novel. I would have enjoyed this story more if it had continued on that premise. And while Caratacus doesn't make for a poor central character to define and underline the story's action, I do feel a bit conned picking up a book labelled 'Claudius' only to find Caratacus fulfilling that plot-driving role.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book which belonged to my son and didn’t realise it was the second book in a series of two. It’s a romping good read which I thoroughly enjoyed. The character of Rufus is rich and well written the story historically interesting and well imagined. It deals brilliantly with the Roman occupation and subjugation of ancient Britain.

[Joe Corso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book written by Douglas Jackson

I love reading Douglas Jackson’s books on the Roman Legions. I’m convinced he was a Roman Soldier in a past life. Great book about the Roman legion, by an equally great writer.

[steve evans]

A little gem

Thoroughly enjoyed this book with it's great battle and excellent characters and interesting storyline , especially true about United we stand divided we fall.
Enjoyed Caligula but this was definitely more enjoyable imo.

[K.K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rufus, Narcissus, Beersheba, Claudius and the other characters in this book are all so very interesting. The battle scenes were exceptionally engrossing. The progression of events kept me turning pages deep into the night. I’ll be reading more of Douglas Jackson very soon.

[james baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok but published in 2009. I think hes become a better writer since then. I found the elephant thing a bit cartoonish and out of place and at odds with the rest of the violent action. Maybe that was the intention - to provide a contrast - but I found it didnt really sit well.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not in the same league as Scarrow. The tale is from the perspective of Rufus, keeper of the Emperor's war elephant. OK tale but a bit laborious and doesn't quite get the period to feel right

[A Kritzer · Rating 2 out of 5]

IF you have read: I Claudius by Robert Grave, and rate it a 5,... then this book rates a solid 2.5 at best.

[Laurence Ernest Hyde · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good interesting book.
Lots of action and intrigue and many interesting facts about the invasion of Great Britain by the Romans.

[Keith Neville · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totally enjoyed both books Rufus should go on to be a great soldier in the Roman Army , definitely recommend

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good historical fiction.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even better than # 1 !
The depth of research is eveident when reading this series and much kudos to DJ for doing same and writing this engaging series.

[Eed99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book.

I think what I liked most about this book is there was a lot of action, and I really liked the fact that Caratacus while the main antagonist in the story was very complicated and not portrayed as evil.

The relationship between Caratacus, his brother and the Druid were interesting. I thought some of the action was very vivid and easily pulled me into the story.

I also really liked the Iceni character, Ballan. I almost wish he had been given a little more prominence in the story I liked him so well.

My only real complaint is that Rufus felt almost like a secondary character in this story. There wasn't much conflict developed for his character-if I hadn't read Caligula I would have assumed he was a secondary character.

I also think some events regarding Rufus towards the end seemed to come out of nowhere.

I think where Caligula was most about court intrigue and plots and spying, this book was more of a straight forward action story. There was still some intrigue involved, but far more action as well.

[John Salter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a bit of a geek when it comes to all things Roman, I read Douglas Jacksons first book Caligula and thoroughly enjoyed it not just becasue of the subject but becasue it was different. Rufus the Emperors Elephant trainer is the main character and in this book he returns as the llegions invade Britain.

Claudius is another very good and well written story that captivated me from the first page. It reflects some of the history that occured especially with the Emperors two week visit to Britain, where he papraded through Colchester triumphantly on an elephant.

If you are interested in this topic, I have no doubt whatsoever that you would enjoy this book, the predessor and his new book about the trials of a Roman Tribune in Britian. Excellent author and story teller that stays true to historic accuracy.

[Marie Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book by Douglas Jackson that I've read and enjoyed it immensely. I realise now that this the second in a series of books but not having read the first book didn't deject from my reading enjoyment.

With a passion for the Romans and from Britain this book sung to me. The descriptive detail had me imagining the advancing Roman legions as they moved through the British countryside. Thoroughly enjoyed how Jackson managed to tell both sides of the story, both British and Roman.

I was left with a few questions, hence the four stars however I'm sure these would have been answered if I had read the first book in the series.

[Scott Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel a lot - up to a point around three quarters of the way through. I won't spoil the plot, but I reckon there was a lot of unnecessary anti-climactic filler after the main part of the story had concluded. It would have been better to leave it on a high. Having said that, Mr Jackson is a very good writer - his dialogue is convincing, his action scenes are excellent (if a little OTT occasionally), and the characterisation also top class. All in all, a great Roman read - better than Kane, perhaps not quite up to Sidebottom's standard, but very close. Recommended.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

c FWFTB: 43AD, imperial, elephant, Britain, Rome. I am not such a fan of this second book in the Rufus series. There was a lot more fighting in this book together with detailed battle plans. I certainly seemed to get bogged down two thirds of the way in. Not sure if I will remember any part of this book in a month or two. By the end of the book, I really didn't care about any of the characters at all. This was an audio book so perhaps it was more that narrator and accents employed that was this issue rather than the words or story itself.

[Lyndsay MacDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing! Somehow Jackson makes it possible to sympathize with both sides in this epic tale about the conquest of Britain... he creates characters that are both noble and faulted, at the same time. He has peppered the novel with vividly detailed battle scenes and the characters I have come to love and respect from 'Caligula' (Jackson's first book in this series) have finally reached their full potential in this novel.

[Angel Serrano · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rufus, el cuidador del elefante imperial, acompañará a las legiones romanas de Claudio en su conquista de Britania. La novela es lenta y poco trabada en su narración, hasta que llega a los momentos de batalla. Ahí cambia de nivel y se convierte en genial.

[Carla Nayland]

Battlefield action during the Roman invasion of Britain in 43 AD, with lots of graphic violence, some political manoeuvring and an elephant.
Review: http://www.carlanayland.org/reviews/c...

[Bill P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another guilty pleasure, with a modicum of historical value but an entertaining read nevertheless.

[Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, it kept me there till the end

[Margareth8537 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining way to bring in the conquest of Britain-an animal trainer with Claudius' elephants