Agrippa

Julius Caesar is dead, and Rome is entering a dangerous new era. Two young men stand at the centre of what follows: Octavius, Caesar's 17-year-old great-nephew and chosen heir, and his closest friend Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa.Together, they must survive the ruthless political world left behind by Caesar. Against powerful opponents, they fight to secure Octavius's inheritance—and eventually succeed. Octavius becomes Augustus, the first Roman emperor, while Agrippa becomes his closest ally and one of the most important military commanders in the Roman world. For two decades, the pair help build and defend the Roman Empire. But the story is told from a later point in Agrippa's life. Now fifty, ill and isolated, he retreats to his home on the Bay of Naples after discovering his wife's infidelity. There, he begins writing his memoirs and looks back over the extraordinary events of his life.His memories take him from his first encounters with Julius Caesar, through the bitter struggle between Octavius and Mark Antony, the alliance between Antony and Cleopatra, and the decisive naval Battle of Actium. They also recount the wars through which Rome's empire was expanded.

At the heart of the novel, however, is Agrippa's complicated relationship with Octavius. Their friendship has survived wars, political intrigue, ambition and betrayal—but Agrippa increasingly questions the nature of the man who has dominated his life.