The Gates of Rome

by Conn Iggulden

The novel tells of the harsh realities of life in Ancient Rome, not only for the nobilitas but also for the slave population, who revolt and kill Gaius's father during a siege of the Caesar estate.

As the two boys begin their careers (Gaius as a senator and Brutus as a legionary), a political war is being played out in the senate between two powerful Generals: Cornelius Sulla and Gaius's uncle, Gaius Marius.