''A compelling storyteller, with a striking talent for historical reconstruction'' Mary Beard
A.D. 165: The empire of Rome has reached its pinnacle. Pax Roma reigns from Britannia to Egypt, from Gaul to Greece. Emperor Marcus Aurelius oversees a golden age and the ancient Pinarius family of artisans embellish the greatest city on Earth with gilded statues and towering marble monuments. But history does not stand still. The years to come bring wars, plagues, fires, and famines. The best emperors in history are succeeded by some of the worst. Barbarians descend, eventually appearing before the gates of Rome itself. Chaos engulfs the empire.
Through it all, the Pinarius family endures, thanks in no small part to the fascinum, a protective talisman older than Rome itself, handed down through countless generations.
But on the fringes of society, a band of troublesome cultists disseminate dangerous and seditious ideas. They call themse
