OF MERCHANTS & HEROES

A consuming story of love, loss and redemption set in the classical worldof Rome and Greece, Of Merchants & Heroes is the story of a young man'spursuit of his father's murderer and and of the values and qualities hedevelops that will make him a man . . . a man capable of a deep, noble andenduring love. At the end of the third century BC, as Republican Rome'slong war with Carthage was at last drawing to a close, it was alreadythreatened by a new enemy, Philip, the tyrant king of Macedon in the east.Thus begins Rome's long involvement with Greek civilization, from which itis to learn so much . . . Into this turbulent world emerges our Romanhero, Marcus, whose father is brutally murdered by pirates on a journeyfrom Italy to Corfu on a visit to his uncle. Fate takes him to some of thegreat cities of the Greco-Roman world at a time of major turbulence, wherehe learns much and finds love unexpectedly. This is a remarkable,beautifully written debut that explores political and philosophicalquestions that are timeless - democracy and tyranny, war and self-defence,right and duty - as well as questions of love, loyalty and betrayal.