“You know as well as we do that right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.” Thucydides quoting the Athenian envoys to Melos in 416 B.C. 

Living in their dangerous and unpredictable world the denizens of Subura understand the implications of that quote, some of them have likely even read Thucydides (Marcus most certainly has), and live by their first “law” – survival. Certain members of the Imperial family should pay closer attention to Subura’s first law as well. Our three graduates from the Capital Orphanage for Boys are products of Subura, and all my characters are products of their upbringing. Marcus makes promises that far exceed his authority (that he’ll spend the next decade trying to fulfill) because survival is paramount. Marin and Sadr know very well that Marcus’ promises are tenuous at best, but they also realize that what he is offering is their respective peoples best chance of survival. Septimus makes high stakes wagers on the survival of his friends – he considers them sure bets. The Commandant of COB house points out to a young recruit that good Generals consider the survival of their army more important than winning a battle (live to fight another day etc…). Antonia even references Pyrrhic victories at one point (as I am giving quotes from antiquity, King Pyrrhus’ famous one is – If we are victorious in one more battle, we shall be utterly ruined – I left out the part with the R word). 

Beyond individual motivations, survival is one of the major themes of the story. Most of Part I of the four-part novel is an exercise in survival and pretty much all of Part III is as well. Marcus might acknowledge in Part I that he must do more than just survive and his actions at the lifting of the siege confirm that belief, but all of his other actions during both sieges are exercises in survival (he fights very dirty). I also use the concept to further distinguish class attitudes (didn’t know class distinctions would be a theme but that’s the way it worked out). The powerful strive for advancement while the lesser classes are much more practical in outlook (survive the world you find yourself in). 

Finally, I just needed a title – and this one fit without sounding pretentious (it’s a bit pretentious). Coming up with a title was harder than writing the actual novel. I added the secondary line to illustrate that the other ‘laws’ are equally, if not more, important. I drive that point home in Part IV. The secondary line in the title also hints at the characters attitudes – they find themselves in dire circumstances, but they maintain a sense of humor.