Ask The Author

Ben Kane discusses his new novel Clash

of Empires, which features a smackdown between two of the ancient world’s biggest players: Rome and Greece Q Having already covered the Second Punic War in your Hannibal series, what attracted you to this story? A It’s one of the pivotal moments in European history yet is little known. In 225 BCE, Macedon was one of five major powers in Mediterranean Europe, along with Carthage, Rome, Egypt and the Seleucid Empire, which spanned from Turkey to India. By 202 BCE, Rome had defeated Carthage. Macedon was next to be attacked and after it, the Seleucid Empire. By 169 BCE, only Rome and a tottering Egypt were left. Q How serious a threat was Macedon to rising Rome? A Philip V would have been wiser not to lock horns with the Roman Republic in the first place. By 202 BCE, however, he was on their radar, so to speak, and war was inevitable. His army was about 25,000 to 30,000 men strong. The Roman army could call on 20 legions – about 100,000 men – with a backup pool of manpower that was several times that number.

Q Who is your favourite character

in Clash of Empires?

A Probably Demetrios – he’s a downon-his-luck oarsman who gets offered the chance to become one of King Philip’s crack soldiers: a phalangist (one of the men who fought in the phalanx). Q What sort of research did you have to do for this novel? A About three months of intensive reading about Ancient Greece, its peoples, religion, social structure, its armies and geography. It was hard work!

Q Is Clash of Empires a standalone novel or part of a series?

A It’s the first of two novels about the war between Rome and Macedon. My book for 2020 will be a standalone, and quite possibly not set in Ancient Rome.

Clash of Empires is available now for £15 from Orion.