This is a short and, I suspect first novel. The suspicion is based on the slow pace of the first chapters.
Names abound without great substance.
Romance, best omitted unless the author can convince, has an unreality, appearing to be included for the sake of it. One female 'prattles lightly', another is lustful and treacherous, a third not a decorous Roman maiden. An amusing altercation between Senator Licinius, his son Marcus and a stranger, Cornelius Laco, is delightful, marking the first chapter. Not surprisingly, Laco appears later, seething with hatred and malice. Thus the scene is set for the inevitable power struggle.