Romeins bloed / Dood van een slavendrijver

Steven Saylor weaves real historical details into the story, but I wonder how much creative liberty he took to keep the plot engaging. Did anyone feel it was authentic or occasionally stretched?

The characters’ ambitions and betrayals felt so real, yet I'm curious how much of that was inspired by actual Roman history or purely fictional invention.

The setting adds layers of complexity and danger, but I wonder what drew the author to this particular moment—was it the intrigue, the political upheaval, or something else?