With astounding narrative power,
Colleen McCullough - author of the internationally acclaimed #1 bestseller THE THORN BIRDS sweeps the reader into the whirlpool of pageantry, passion, splendor, chaos and earth-shattering upheaval that was ancient Rome. Here is the story of Marius, wealthy but lowborn, and Sulla, aristocratic but penniless and debauched - extraordinary men of vision whose
ruthless ambition will lay the foundations of the most awesome and enduring empire known to humankind. A towering saga of great events and mortal frailties, it is peopled with a vast and vivid cast of unforgettable men and women - kings, commoners, mistresses, wives, soldiers and senators - combined in a richly embroidered human tapestry to bring a remarkable era to bold and breathtaking life.