List of Characters
To avoid giving away any of the plot, characters usually are only described as first encountered in King of Kings.
Accius: Tribune
commanding third cohort of Celts.
Acilius Glabrio (1): Gaius Acilius Glabrio, a young patrician, a member of
the emperor’s consilium in Antioch in AD256, appointed commander of cavalry in the army of
the Dux Ripae for the Circesium campaign.
Acilius Glabrio (2): Marcus Acilius Glabrio, brother of Gaius, was killed
while Tribunus Laticlavius of Legio IIII Scythica,
commander of the detachment of the Legion in Arete.
Adventus: Marcus
Oclatinius Adventus, sometime head of the frumentarii,
offered the throne on the death of Caracalla in AD217.
Aelius Spartianus: Tribune commanding Roman troops in
Circesium.
Aemilianus: A
senator, governor of Hispania Citerior, a persecutor of
Christians.
Albinus: Prefect
of Equites Tertii Catafractarii Palmirenorum.
Anamu: A
synodiarch (caravan protector) and councillor of
Arete.
Antistius: A
slave of Aurelian.
Apollonius of Tyana: A philosopher/wonder worker of the first century
AD.
Apollos: A
Christian ‘heretic’.
Appian: Son of
Aristides, a Christian.
Aratos: A
fisherman from Pigeon Island near Ephesus.
Aulus Valerius Festus: A member of the Boule of Ephesus, a Roman
equestrian and a Christian.
Aurelian (1): Lucius Domitius Aurelian, a Roman officer from the
Danube, known as manu-ad-ferrum
(‘hand-to-steel’).
Aurelian (2): Tribune of the Equites Singulares, known as ‘The
Italian’ or ‘The Other Aurelian’.
Aurelius Dasius: Roman governor of province of Osrhoene.
Bagoas: The
‘Persian Boy’, at one time a slave owned by Ballista; he has
claimed his name before enslavement was Hormizd.
Ballista: Marcus
Clodius Ballista, originally named Dernhelm, son of Isangrim the
Dux, warleader, of the Angles; a diplomatic hostage in the
Roman empire, he has been granted Roman citizenship (AD238) and Equestrian status (AD245), having served in the Roman army in Africa,
the far west, and on the Danube and Euphrates. When the novel
starts he is returning from the city of Arete.
Bargas: Ballista’s standard bearer.
Basilides: A
Christian ‘heretic’.
Bathshiba: Daughter of the late Iarhai, a synodiarch
(caravan protector) of Arete.
Calgacus: A
Caledonian slave originally owned by Isangrim; helped raise
Ballista in Germania, and was sent with him into the Roman
empire as a body servant.
Camillus: Tribune commanding Legio VI Gallicana.
Caracalla: Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, known as Caracalla, Roman
emperor AD198–217.
Castricius: A
centurion in Legio IIII Scythica.
Cato: Marcus
Porcius Cato, known as ‘Cato the Elder’ or ‘Cato the Censor’
(234–149BC), stern moralist of the
Republican age.
Censorinus: Lucius Calpurnius Piso Censorinus, Princeps
Peregrinorum, commander of the
frumentarii.
Cledonius: Ab Admissionibus to Valerian.
Commius: A
charioteer with the Blue faction.
Corvus: The
eirenarch (police chief) of Ephesus.
Crassus: Marcus
Licinius Crassus, Republican general who lead his army to disaster
at Carrhae in 53BC.
Croesus: King of
Lydia (c. 560–546BC), of
proverbial wealth: ‘as rich as Croesus’.
Cupido: An
ex-gladiator hired by Julia as a bodyguard.
Decius: Gaius
Messius Quintus Decius, Roman emperor AD249–251, ordered first empire-wide persecution of
Christians, died in battle against the Goths.
Demetrius: The
‘Greek Boy’, a slave purchased by Julia to serve as her husband
Ballista’s secretary.
Dernhelm (1): Original name of Ballista.
Dernhelm (2): Lucius Clodius Dernhelm, second son of Ballista and
Julia.
Diocles: A
charioteer with the Green faction.
Domitian: Titus
Flavius Domitian, Roman emperor AD81–96.
Eros: Greek
slave, secretary to Aurelian.
Faraxen: Charismatic leader of a native revolt against Rome in
North Africa.
Flavius Damianus: Scribe to the Demos of Ephesus, descendant of a famous
Sophist of the same name.
Florianus: Marcus Annius Florianus, half-brother to Tacitus
(2).
Fritigern: King
of the Borani.
Gaius Valerius Festus: A member of the Boule of Ephesus, a Roman
equestrian, brother of Aulus Valerius Festus, but not a
Christian.
Gallerius Maximus: A senator, appointed governor of Africa Proconsularis, a
persecutor of Christians.
Gallienus: Publius Licinius Egnatius Gallienus, declared joint
Roman emperor by his father, the emperor Valerian, in AD253.
Gillo: A slave
of Aurelian.
Haddudad: A
mercenary captain who had served Iarhai, Bathshiba’s
father.
Hannibal: A
nickname given to a frumentarius from North Africa serving
as a scribe on the staff of Ballista.
Heracleon: A
Christian ‘heretic’.
Isangrim (1): Dux, warleader, of the Angles, father of
Dernhelm/Ballista.
Isangrim (2): Marcus Clodius Isangrim, first son of Ballista and
Julia.
Julia: Daughter
of the Senator Gaius Julius Volcatius Gallicanus of Nemausus, wife
of Ballista; also known as Paulla (‘little one’) to her family and
Paullula to her husband.
Lappius: Decurion of Equites Primi Catafractarii
Parthi.
Lucian: Writer
and satirist of the second century AD.
Macrianus (1): Marcus Fulvius Macrianus ‘the Elder’ or ‘the Lame’;
Comes Sacrarum Largitionum et Praefectus Annonae of
Valerian.
Macrianus (2): Titus Fulvius Junius Macrianus ‘the Younger’; son of
Macrianus (1).
Maeonius Astyanax: A senator, supporter of Macrianus.
Marcus Aurelius: Roman emperor AD161–180;
author of philosophical reflections in Greek To Himself
(often known as The Meditations).
Mariades: A
member of the elite of Antioch who turned bandit before going over
to the Sassanids.
Maximinus Thrax: Gaius Iulius Verus Maximinus, Roman emperor AD235–238, known as ‘Thrax’ (The Thracian’) because
of his lowly origins.
Maximus: Bodyguard to Ballista; originally a Hibernian warrior
known as Muirtagh of the Long Road, sold to slave traders and
trained as a boxer then gladiator before being purchased by
Ballista.
Mucapor: A young
Roman officer from the Danube, friend of Aurelian.
Musclosus: A
charioteer with the Blue faction.
Nicomachus Julianus: Gaius Julius Nicomachus Julianus, a senator, Proconsular
Governor of Asia.
Niger: Prefect
of Equites Primi Catafractarii Parthii.
Odenathus: Septimius Odenathus, Lord of Palmyra/Tadmor, a client
ruler of the Roman empire.
Piso Frugi: Gaius Calpurnius Piso Frugi, a senator and
nobilis, supporter of Macrianus (1).
Plato: Famous
Athenian philosopher (c. 429–347BC).
Pliny the Younger: Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus (c.
AD61–c.112), Roman senator and
author; ten book of Letters and a Panegyric on
the emperor Trajan survive.
Pomponius Bassus: Marcus Pomponius Bassus, elderly patrician.
Pupienus: Marcus
Clodius Pupienus, Roman emperor AD238.
Quietus: Titus
Fulvius Iunius Quietus, son of Macrianus the Elder.
Romulus: Standard bearer to Ballista, died outside
Arete.
Rutillius Rufus: Prefect of Legio III Felix.
Saloninus: Publius Cornelius Licinius Saloninus Valerianus, second
son of Gallienus, made Caesar in AD258
on the death of his elder brother Valerian II.
Sandario: A
young Roman officer from the Danube, friend of
Aurelian.
Sasan: Founder
of the Sassanid house.
Scorpus: A
charioteer with the Red faction.
Sejanus: Lucius
Aelius Sejanus, praetorian prefect under the emperor
Tiberius.
Shapur I: (or
Sapor) Second Sassanid King of Kings, son of Ardashir
I.
Successianus: Praetorian prefect under Valerian.
Suren: The Suren
or the Lord Suren, a Parthian nobleman, the head of the house of
Suren, vassal of Shapur.
Tacitus (1): Cornelius Tacitus (c.AD56–c.118), the greatest Latin
historian.
Tacitus (2): Marcus Claudius Tacitus, Roman senator of third century
AD (most likely) of Danubian origins;
may have claimed kinship with or even descent from the famous
historian, but this is unlikely to be true.
Teres: A
charioteer with the White faction.
Thallus: A
charioteer with the White faction.
Tiberius: Tiberius Julius, Roman emperor (AD14–37).
Titus (1): Titus
Flavius Vespasianus, Roman emperor (AD79–81).
Titus (2): A
trooper in Ballista’s Equites Singulares.
Turpio: Titus
Flavius Turpio, Pilus Prior, First Centurion, of Cohors
XX.
Valash: Prince,
‘the joy of Shapur’, a son of Shapur.
Valerian (1): Publius Licinius Valerianus, an elderly Italian Senator
elevated to Roman emperor in AD253.
Valerian (2): Publius Cornelius Licinius Valerianus, eldest son of
Gallienus, grandson of Valerian, made Caesar in AD256, dies in AD258.
Vardan: A
captain serving under the Lord Suren.
Velenus: King of
the Cardusii, a vassal of Shapur.
Verodes: Chief
minister to Odenathus.
Videric: Son of
Fritigern, King of the Borani.
Viridius: Prefect of numerus of Saracen archers in the
army of the Dux Ripae.
Xenophon: Athenian soldier and writer
(c.430–c.350BC); author of the
Anabasis (March Up Country).
Zenobia: Wife of
Odenathus of Palmyra.