At the start of the story, Livia Drusilla is a woman of advanced years who recounts the events of her life.
The Daughters of Palatine Hill
Augustus Caesar (once known as Tavius), Rome’s first emperor, is surrounded by three powerful women: Livia, Tavius’s wife and true love; Julia, Tavius’s only child; and Cleopatra Selene (called Selene), Tavius’s ward.