Review - Damnatio by S.P. Somtow

Sporus is on his way to Greece with Nero, after the emperor had the young man’s genitals removed so that he would remain looking forever young, in the image of the Empress Poppaea, whom Nero killed in a fit of rage. The onetime slave may now be Empress of Rome, but in every way that matters, Sporus has less freedom than when he belonged to Petronius.

I had thought that this third book would be the final in the series, but there’s now a fourth book announced. At just around 100 pages, this novella is more of an interlude, but still a very important turning point. The story covers the short time Sporus and Nero spend in Greece. It’s a very significant period, as the young man comes to terms with his new position, and gets a glimpse into the future. In his role as empress, even if it’s an act that fools very few, Sporus is one of the most powerful people in the world. Yet his fate is inextricably linked to Nero’s, and Sporus begins to see how precarious the emperor’s position is.

We already know Sporus’ fate, but this is the first time in the story that the young man gets some idea of what’s in store for him now that his future is tied to Nero. We see more of the sort of man Sporus is in this installment. He may be justifiably pessimistic about his prospects, but is smart and hasn’t given up all hope. He has, after all, already survived quite a lot.

I am curious to see how this series winds up. We know the fate that awaits Sporus, but the author implied in his foreword to the first book that there was a message in the story. This has definitely been an engrossing read, with a convincing fiction woven around known events, but I’m not sure what, in the end, it's trying to tell us.

“Damnatio” is available from Amazon (commissionable link).