Nest of Vipers

Abstract

Den of Wolves and Nest of Vipers are two connected historical novels exploring Ancient Roman history through the eyes of historical figures marginalised in The Annals of Imperial Rome by the ancient historian Tacitus. These figures include women, children and slaves – subordinates in the patriarchal Roman State. The novels pose an alternative, speculative view on accepted historical events at odds with Tacitus’s patriarchal view, addressing the question of whether accepted history is simply a construct that is no more/no less legitimate than fiction. The innovative method employed in the novels is to speculatively review through alternative perspectives an accepted historical narrative in or..