The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire · Character
Cleander
- Minor
- First seen · Book 1 · Ch. 20
There's something unsettling about his presence, the kind that comes from watching someone who has learned to wear power like an ill-fitting garment. His eyes hold the hungry quality of someone who measures everything in terms of advantage and acquisition.
- Gender
- male
- Age
- Adult during events
- First appears
- Book 1 · Ch. 20
- Books
- 1
Cleander rose from slavery to become one of Commodus's most powerful ministers, succeeding the executed Perennis as the emperor's chief administrator. His Phrygian origins and servile background made him an unlikely figure in Roman government, yet his ambition and lack of scruples enabled him to accumulate unprecedented influence. His reign as de facto ruler ended when popular riots forced Commodus to sacrifice him to the mob's demands.
Description
A man of Phrygian birth whose appearance reflects both his servile origins and his ambitious nature. His features suggest someone who has learned to navigate the dangerous waters of imperial favor through calculation rather than virtue, marked by the distinctive combination of refined clothing and the underlying demeanor of someone who cannot entirely escape his humble beginnings.
Story so far
BOOK 1The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire / Table of Contents with links in the HTML file to the two Project Gutenberg editions (12 volumes)
Appearances
Meet Cleander in Bookworm
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