The second volume in the acclaimed Emperor series, in which Conn Igguldenbrilliantly interweaves history and adventure to recreate the astonishinglife of Julius Caesar -- an epic tale of ambition and rivalry, bravery andbetrayal, from an outstanding new voice in historical fiction. The youngCaesar must overcome enemies on land and at sea to become abattle-hardened leader -- in the spectacular new novel from thebestselling author of The Gates of Rome. Forced to flee Rome, JuliusCaesar is serving on board a war galley in the dangerous waters of theMediterranean and rapidly gaining a fearsome reputation. But no sooner hashe had a memorable victory than his ship is captured by pirates and he isheld to ransom. Abandoned on the north African coast after hard months ofcaptivity, he begins to gather a group of recruits that he will eventuallyforge into a unit powerful enough to gain vengeance on his captors and tosuppress a new uprising in Greece. Returning to Rome as a hero -- and asan increasingly dangerous problem for his enemies -- Caesar is reunitedwith his boyhood companion Brutus. But soon the friends are called upon tofight as they have never fought before, when a new crisis threatens tooverwhelm the city -- in the form of a rebellious gladiator namedSpartacus...