Book Review: "Tyrant"

Conn Iggulden returns us to the dangerous and deadly world of 1st century Rome with another tautly-paced story focused on Agrippina and her son, the infamous Nero.

Hello, dear reader! Do you like what you read here at Omnivorous? Do you like reading fun but insightful takes on all things pop culture? Do you like supporting indie writers? If so, then please consider becoming a subscriber and get the newsletter delivered straight to your inbox. There are a number of paid options, but you can also sign up for free! Every little bit helps. Thanks for reading and now, on with the show!

Warning: Full spoilers for the book follow.

---

A few months ago I was totally blown away by Conn Iggulden’s novel, Nero, which focused on the life of its title character and his mother, Agrippina the Younger, arguably one of the most formidable and ruthless women of ancient Rome. Now, with Tyrant, he returns us to the uncertain and deeply dangerous world of 1st century Rome, as Agrippina and her son Nero have to navigate the fraught and perilous halls of the Palatine. 

As she was in the first book, Agrippina is a source of much of the narrative energy, mostly because she’s a much more interesting character than Nero. She’s the one, after all, who has the real mastery of politics and power, of how to use her gender in ways that get her what she wants. Nothing illustrates this better than her subtle manipulation of her husband/uncle Claudius, whom she convinces to name Nero his heir rather than his own son Brittanicus. Ultimately, as we all know, she had to have her husband poisoned in order to keep him from changing his mind about Nero, and it’s this event, more than perhaps any other event in the book, that shows just how willing she is to maintain power. Though it’s clear that she never really loved Claudius in the first place, it’s still rather shocking to see her be so willing to dispense with him once he becomes a threat to her even though, at the same time, one can hardly be surprised that a woman reared among the other Julio-Claudians would have a hard-hearted approach to matters of the heart.

Agrippina, much to her dismay, finds that her son isn’t nearly as compliant as she might like. Indeed, the young man is coming into his own, and he has begun to chafe at his mother’s dominance of his life. Iggulden convincingly paints Nero as a bit of a spoiled brat, a young man who, devoid of real fatherly influence in his life, is prone to self-indulgence and to wanting to get his own way, no matter what it might cost others. And, while he may not be the cruel despot that history often paints him as being–not yet, anyway–there’s no doubt that he does have a bit of a cruel streak. However, Iggulden is also at pains to make it clear that this is a result as much from growing up in a family notorious for its in-fighting and its poisonings of one another. 

Nero, moreover, proves that he’s a very dangerous foe indeed, particularly once Agrippina begins to conspire against him. Even though she is his mother, this doesn’t mean that she is blind to her son’s flaws and, once it becomes clear to her that he is a danger to both her and to the two children left behind by Claudius, she realizes that it’s a fatal game in which only one of them can survive. Iggulden has an expert grasp of his narrative, and he keeps on the edge of our seats as we watch this redoubtable woman try to cling to power, even though we know how this ends: with a Praetorian’s blade ending her life.One can’t help but wish that it were otherwise.

By the time the novel ends Nero is at the height of his powers, freed from his mother’s influence and ready to become the emperor that he knows that he can be. As he’s sure to discover in the third volume, however, being the most powerful man in Rome might seem like a dream come true, but it’s also a very lonely position to occupy. His tendency to indulge in his own ego will be something that will come back to haunt him, as will his desire for his friend Otho’s wife, Poppaea.

Iggulden is one of those historical fiction writers who has a keen eye for detail, and he does an excellent job of immersing us in the world of 1st century Rome, whether it’s in the halls of the Palatine or on the sands (and waters) of the arena. However, he doesn’t let historical detail bog down the story or overshadow character development, and all of the individuals we meet have their own depth, their own arcs, and their own personality quirks. As a result, we 

It’s also worth pointing out that he also draws our attention to several side characters whose lives and actions have a profound impact on the unfolding of history. There’s Seneca, for example, the asthmatic statesman whose tutoring of Nero bears some (but not enough) fruit,  and there’s Burrus, the Praetorian ally of Agrippina who, alerted to her efforts to assassinate her son, ends up betraying her to her doom. Though these characters aren’t always the center of the story, they do nevertheless add layers of complexity and depth to the story, allowing us to see how Nero’s life and his reign impacted both those in positions of power and those who occupied the lower rungs of the social ladder.

As I so often conclude these reviews: Suffice it to say that I loved this book. I mean, I’m a sucker for historical fiction set in ancient Rome but, even so, Conn Iggulden has given us something special. There are precious few books–let alone fiction ones–that give Agrippina her due, and this one more than delivers. She might be dead by the end of the book, but that doesn’t mean that her influence isn’t still going to be felt by her son and those she has left behind. Burrus, Seneca, and all of those who think that they will be able to control the new young emperor are soon going to find that his paranoia and his ruthlessness can be turned just as easily against them as against his mother. 

I just have two problems. One, how on Earth am I going to be able to wait for the third volume in this series? Two, what am I going to do after I finish it? 

Time enough to answer those questions, and in the meantime, go out and treat yourself to this fantastic book.