Lucius Cornelius Macro Macro, a veteran with 16 years service (as of the first novel's opening) has recently been appointed to the Centurionate. He is the epitome of a good soldier: dependable in a fight and does not question any orders given to him by a senior officer. In
Under the Eagle he is the centurion of the Sixth Century, of the Fourth Cohort, of the
Second Augustan Legion. By the time of
The Eagle in the Sand he has risen to become the acting prefect in charge of Fort Bushir in
Judaea. In
The Legion Cato and Macro join a legion in Egypt, with Macro receiving a temporary promotion to
Primus pilus (senior
centurion). Macro has been close friends with Cato since Cato saved his life in the first book. This bond deepens when Macro confesses that he is illiterate and asks Cato's help in learning to read, and so maintain his position as an officer. Macro’s approximate age, based on his previous service, years traveling with Cato and his joining age as revealed in a short story at the end of Centurion (16 when he joined after killing a gang leader) is 48 at the time of the 20th book.
Quintus Licinius Cato Cato is the son of an Imperial Freedman (former slave) in the direct service of
Emperor Claudius. Having been born a slave and the property of the state, he was given an opportunity by the Emperor as a favour to Cato's late father to enlist in the legions and be given his freedom. Cato has lived a relatively luxurious life as a slave within the Imperial palace in comparison with the rank and file of the legions, and after accepting the Emperor's offer he joins the
Second Augustan as Macro's Optio. In the first novel, he is only sixteen years of age, tall and gawky, and so weak-looking that many of the officers, including Macro, place bets on how long it will be before he quits or is killed. The Emperor grants Cato an immediate commission as a
Centurion, but because of his age
Vespasian makes him an
optio as a compromise, which causes the officers and his fellow recruits to resent him further. He is, however, extremely determined and proves the officers wrong throughout the series. Cato attains the rank of Centurion at the end of
When the Eagle Hunts and during the events of
Centurion he is promoted to acting prefect of the Second Illyrian. Halfway through
The Gladiator Cato is promoted to the rank of tribune for his mission to Egypt, temporarily outranking Macro, but at the end of the book he is awarded a temporary rank of prefect. In
The Legion Cato joins a legion in Egypt and receives a temporary promotion to Senior Tribune. Because of his palace upbringing, Cato is well-read, often portrayed as more cerebral and forward-thinking than Macro. Macro is dismissive of this at first but eventually comes to respect Cato's talent for thinking ahead and seeing the big picture.
Julia Sempronia First appears in
Centurion. Daughter of Senator Sempronius, the Emperor's
ambassador to the court of
Palmyra. Both Romans are trapped in the citadel while it is under siege by an army led by one of the King's rebellious sons. Refusing to be put aside as a "helpless woman," Julia helps to nurse the casualties in the citadel's makeshift
field hospital. She meets Cato there, and becomes his lover and accepts his proposal of marriage. While traveling back to Rome, she and her father are shipwrecked on Crete with Macro and Cato, where she is captured by the rebel leader Ajax, but manages to escape. Cato eventually learns of her death from an undisclosed illness in
Britannia. Cato learns of Julia's unfaithfulness upon his return to Rome in
Invictus, however in "Days of the Caesars" she is revealed to have been faithful by Domitia (Vespasian's wife), using her supposed infidelity as a cover to raise funds on behalf of
Britannicus. However, Tribune Cristus (the man she supposedly had an affair with), gives an ambiguous answer as to whether they had an affair or not, when Cato confronts him at the end of the book, before he commits suicide.
Lavinia Lavinia appears in the first two books and is the lover of both Cato and Vitellius. She is a slave-girl who is owned by Flavia, Vespasian's wife. In ''
The Eagle's Conquest'' she betrays Cato and unwittingly helps Vitellius try to assassinate the Emperor. However, when the plot fails Vitellius kills both her and the assassin to cover himself.
Ajax First appears in ''
The Eagle's Prophecy'' as the son of the Greek pirate leader Telemachus. He is captured by Macro and Cato and gives them and Vespasian the hiding place of the pirates and is used as a bargaining counter to make Telemachus surrender and hand over the
Sibylline Scrolls to Vespasian. His father is crucified and Ajax is sold into slavery. He becomes a professional
Secutor gladiator and is bought by a wealthy family on
Crete, used both as a fighter and a
sex slave by the household's wife. Freed when a massive earthquake devastates the island in
The Gladiator, he leads an army of other escaped slaves and captures Macro and Julia but is defeated by Cato and his troops. However, he escapes in the end and returns in
The Legion to further defy Cato and Macro by joining forces with the Nubians. Escaping capture several times, he is finally cornered by Macro and Cato in an Egyptian marsh and devoured by a
crocodile.
Historical figures •
Vespasian:
Legate of the
Second Legion and Macro and Cato's commander in the first five books during the
Roman conquest of Britain. Vespasian also appears in ''
The Eagle's Prophecy'' as the Prefect of the naval fleet. Vespasian is often fighting in the front line with his men but is consistently at odds with his tribune Vitellius who threatens him with the knowledge that Vespasian's wife Flavia is a member of the dissident group who are conspiring to overthrow the Emperor. •
Flavia Domitilla: Vespasian's wife, who, he is chagrined to learn, is a member of the "Liberators," a group of conspirators plotting Claudius's assassination; however in
Day of the Caesars, the conspirators have changed their target to
Nero, hoping to allow Britannicus to succeed his father. She also reveals that Julia was faithful to Cato. She kills herself when the coup fails. •
Titus: Vespasian's son, who appears as an infant in the first two novels. •
Vitellius: An imperial spy with disturbing ambition who attempts to steal Caesar's pay chest in
Under the Eagle and assassinate the Emperor during ''
The Eagle's Conquest, but is thwarted by Macro and Cato both times. In The Eagle's Prophecy'' he is the prefect of the naval fleet but is replaced by Vespasian who leaves him to die at one point. However Vitellius survives with the Emperor and Narcissus unaware of his attempted treason. At the end of the novel, he has also seen a snippet from the
Sibylline prophecies captured from the pirates which convinces him that he is destined to become emperor. •
Narcissus: Claudius's Chief Secretary and effectively
Prime Minister of the whole Empire. He recruits Macro and Cato for
"special" tasks around the Empire, promising them rich rewards for success, but making it clear that their lives are of little value to him or the Empire. •
Claudius: Emperor of Rome, portrayed in ''The Eagle's Conquest
and Praetorian'' as a forgetful, half-witted buffoon. •
Miriam, mother of
Jehoshua, a crucified pacifist; appears in
The Eagle in the Sand •
Caratacus: leader of the rebellious tribes of Britain. •
Boudicca: a young British noblewoman, with whom Macro becomes smitten in the third novel,
When the Eagle Hunts. •
Agrippina the Younger: the Emperor's wife and mother of
Nero; appears in
Praetorian; •
Nero: Claudius's stepson; appears in
Praetorian; •
Britannicus: Claudius's son; appears in
Praetorian; •
Sextus Afranius Burrus: Praetorian Centurion, later prefect; appears in
Praetorian; •
Gaius Ofonius Tigellinus: appears in
Praetorian. •
Marcus Antonius Pallas: appears in
Praetorian. •
Marcus Salvius Otho: appears in
Brothers in Blood as a tribune == Publishing history ==