The Romans (novelisation)

The TARDIS crew members have taken a break from their adventures and are enjoying a well-deserved rest in a luxury villa on the outskirts of Imperial Rome.

But in the gory grandeur that is Rome, things don't stay quiet for long. If the time-travellers can save themselves from being sold as slaves, assassinated by classical hit-men, poisoned by the evil Locusta, thrown to the lions, maimed in the arena and drowned in a shipwreck, they still have to face the diabolical might of the mad Emperor Nero.

As if that isn't enough, they also discover that, although Rome wasn't built in a day, it was burnt down in considerably less time...

Chapter titles

Prologue: Epistle to The Keeper of the Imperial Archives, Rome
Document I: First Extract from the Journal of Ian Chesterton
Document II: First Extract from the Doctor's Diary
Document III: First Letter from Legionary (Second Class) Ascaris
Document IV: Second Extract from the Doctor's Diary
Document V: Second Extract from the Journal of Ian Chesterton
Document VI: Second Letter from Legionary (Second Class) Ascaris
Document VII: Third Extract from the Doctor's Diary
Document VIII: Third Letter from Legionary (Second Class) Ascaris
Document IX: Third Extract from the Journal of Ian Chesterton
Document X: Fourth Extract from the Doctor's Diary
Document XI: First Extract from the Commonplace Book of Poppea Sabina
Document XII: Fourth Extract from the Journal of Ian Chesterton
Document XIII: First Selection of Jottings from Nero's Scrapbook - An Ode to Barbara
Document XIV: Fourth Letter from Legionary (Second Class) Ascaris
Document XV: Fifth Extract from the Doctor's Diary
Document XVI: Fifth Extract from the Journal of Ian Chesterton
Document XVII: Second Extract from the Commonplace Book of Poppea Sabina
Document XVIII: A Poisoner Remembers (Extract from The Autobiography of Locusts)
Document XIX: Letter from Barbara Wright
Document XX: Second Selection of Jottings from Nero's Scrapbook
Document XXI: Sixth Extract from the Journal of Ian Chesterton
Document XXII: Third Extract from the Commonplace Book of Poppea Sabina
Document XXIII: Fifth Letter from Legionary (Second Class) Ascaris
Document XXIV: Sixth Extract from the Doctor's Diary
Document XXV: Seventh Extract from the Journal of Ian Chesterton
Document XXVI: Seventh Extract from the Doctor's Diary
Document XXVII: Sixth Letter from Legionary (Second Class) Ascaris
Document XXVIII: Third Selection of Jottings from Nero's Scrapbook
Document XXIX: Eighth Extract from the Doctor's Diary
Epilogue: A Second Epistle to The Keeper of the Imperial Archives, Rome

Deviations from televised story

Rather than write a straightforward narrative, Cotton chose to write this novelisation in the form of letters and journal entries.
Ascaris continues to appear in the second half of the story, accidentally killing the Centurion, being pursued into the arena by lions unwittingly unleashed by the Doctor during Ian and Delos' gladiatorial fight, and fleeing Rome during the Great Fire, with the epilogue stating he is currently working on Hadrian's Wall and could be blamed for the fire. The novelisation also makes him a legionary first class and Locusta's son.
Other characters have their parts reduced: Sevcheria disappears after recapturing Ian and Delos in Rome, Locusta's death is omitted, Delos departs after the gladiatorial fight and Tavius only meets the Doctor briefly, with his status as a Christian and conspirator against Nero only established in the epilogue.
The Doctor encounters Barbara at the palace and bustles her and Ian away from the scene when Nero and Poppaea are distracted by the lions he released earlier, before accidentally starting the fire himself by dropping the burning plans into the sewer.

Writing and publishing notes

No photographic reference material was available at the time and cover artist Tony Masero, instead took his inspiration from a picture of Peter Ustinov as Nero in the film Quo Vadis.

Additional cover images

to be added

British publication history

Hardback (April 1987)

W.H.Allen & Co. Ltd. UK ISBN:049103833X, copies priced £7.50 (UK)

Paperback (September 1987)

Target / W.H. Allen & Co. Ltd. Single paperback edition, estimated print run: 30,000, priced £1.95 (UK).

External links

to be added