Roma Æterna (original title: Roma Eterna ), of the American author Robert Silverberg, is a Uchronie published in the Éditions Robert Laffont, in 2004.

Summary

From one chapter to another, the Roman Empire crosses the times, until the contemporary era, in an alternative history where it was not destroyed at the 5th century. It dominates in spite of the attacks of its rivals, the weaknesses of its chiefs and the internal tensions (putsches, schisms, sets of slides, etc). It continues to sit its power and to extend its borders (crossing the oceans).

Throughout the account, the author shows us the size, ostentation, disproportion. He shows us also kindness and superficiality. There is matter with several reflections. The point of view is that of the emperors, of the elite.

This account constitutes an atypical uchronie for several reasons:

• the majority of the uchronies are satisfied only one time for framework of the account. Roma Aeterna is in fact series of account which is placed on more than thousand years.
• This uchronie does not have only one not divergence, but in the month four:
• the first is the failure of the Exode led by Moïse.
• the second is the succession of Caracalla by Titus Gallius in Roma Æterna, whereas it is Macrin which succeeds to him in our history.
• the third is the death of Théodose, into 415 in Roma Æterna, and twenty years earlier in our history. One is explained besides badly why Théodose, having only one grandson heir, would have divided the empire between this last and a general.
• the fourth is exploration by two Vikings of the continent in the south of Vinland, event which does not seem to have taken place in our history.

1203 AUC: Prolog

It is a discussion between two historians which informs the reader on the historical events which started the divergence between their history and ours. Moreover, one does not perceive fear due to the invasion of Huns, whereas the decisive combat takes place the following year.

This news describes Rome at the time when Maximilianus III the large one, succeeds his/her father, told by his friend Faustus Flavius Constantinus César, descendant of Constantin Ist

This news tells the voyages of a noble Roman, Léontius Corbulo, exiled by the emperor in the Arabia Déserte, in Mecque. Corbulo seeks a brilliant deed which would enable him to put an end to its exile. It becomes acquainted with Mahmud, a merchant who seeks to restore manners of Mecque, and including/understanding the danger which it represents for the empire, the fact of killing.

A few years earlier, Haraldus, a Scandinavian navigator had discovered the Mexico and had convinced the Saturninus emperor to conquer it. Forwarding had not given of news, and second is sent, to which belonged Titus Livius Drusus.

Nearly one century ran out, during which the Romans became exhausted to try the conquest of Mexico. Then a minor diplomatic incident started a war between the two empires, that Rome is losing.

It is the history of Eudoxia Phocas, noble Greek living with Veneia during the beginning of the occupation of Rome, which has just gained the civil war between the two East and Western Empires.

the account of Tiberius Ulpius Draco, a close relation of the future emperor Démetrius II, who made research on his ancestor Trajan VII Draco, the emperor who decided to make the round the world tour.

the sumptuous and unreasoned expenditure of the emperor Démétrius II threatens finances of the empire and the people start to revolt, but the two consuls decided to rectify the situation, even if it means to make carry out the corrupted civils servant and to relieve and assassinate the emperor.

the voyage of Cymbeli Vetruvius Scapulanus, a British noble young person, in Rome at the time of the revolution which reversed the Empire and proclaimed the Second Republic.

Two children of High Pannonia discover in a hunting lodge ruins the brother of the last emperor of it. One of these child, telling his history at the end of its life, raises the question of what would be the world if the Roman empire had not existed.

the Hebrews, still in Egypt, want to make their Exodus considèrente that their Promised land is on another planête. They launch out then in the space conquest.

Chronology