Blockbuster novel by the popular Australian author set in Rome in 110 BC. It traces the quest of two men who battle the enemies of Rome, and their enemies within the city, to become the First Man in Rome.
Marius marries Julius Ceasar's aunt, Julia, thereby gaining an entry for himself into the world of nobility. The North African war of this time establishes Marius' military reputation and that of his rival, Sulla, and also implants in both men the dream of becoming the first man in Rome.