Bøker av James Mace

After decades of strife and a pair of bloodily savage wars, the Kingdom of Dacia is no more. With King Decebalus dead, and the surviving members of the royal family in captivity, an uneasy peace descends upon the new Roman Province of Dacia. The senate and people of Rome eagerly expect the return of the victorious Emperor Trajan. With equal eagerness, the people await the legendary great Dacian treasury, said to equal hundreds of tons in gold and silver, making its way to Rome. Like Vespasian before him, Trajan's intent is twofold: to use the newly-won hoard for the benefit of all Romans, while leaving monuments that will echo across the ages. For Tiberius Artorius Castus, his nine-year tenure with the emperor's Imperial Horse Guards is about to end. His thoughts return to Britannia, the land of his youth and home of the Artorians for the past sixty years. While Emperor Trajan celebrates his triumph, Tiberius returns home to begin the next chapter in his life of service to the Empire.

The year is 104 A.D. Two years have passed since King Decebalus knelt in submission to Emperor Trajan. The recent war between Rome and Dacia was brutal and costly for both sides. The graves of many thousands lie between the River Danube and the gates of Sarmizegetusa. With peace finally come to the frontier, Trajan returns to Rome in triumph. Yet Decebalus' feigned surrender was but a ruse. With echoes of the previous war, the spirits of vanquished warriors crying out for retribution, and the humiliation of kneeling before the Emperor of Rome, the King of Dacia renews the call to arms. Tiberius Artorius Castus' tenure as Deputy Prefect of the Imperial Horse Guards is ending. But before he can begin the next chapter in his life, perhaps returning to his native Britannia, the emperor asks he remain for a time. Tiberius accepts the offer, just as renewed war with Dacia becomes inevitable. Outraged by Decebalus' flaunting of the treaty between Dacia and Rome, Trajan orders an even greater army across the Danube. Rather than subjugating the king, Trajan declares peace will only come with Dacia's fall and Decebalus brought to Rome in chains.

For twelve years a disgraceful pall has hung over the Roman Empire. Trouble along the Germanic frontier forced an abrupt end to Emperor Domitian's war against King Decebalus of Dacia. The terms were an embarrassment to Rome and a drain on the imperial coffers, with two million denarii paid to the Dacians every year. Now, a new Caesar is firmly ensconced upon the imperial throne. Emperor Trajan vows to subjugate the Dacians, humble their king, and restore honour to the Empire. A massive force numbering over 100,000 soldiers, one-third of the entire might of Rome, gathers along the Danube. It is the largest Roman army assembled in over a hundred years. Tiberius Artorius Castus has matured into his position as Deputy Prefect of the Imperial Horse Guards over the past three years. Still a young man, he is a world away from the naïve youth who first came to the capital nine years before. The Pannonian Revolt and loss of his legion hardened his soul. His tenure with the Vigiles of Rome improved his cunning. Any delusions of winning personal glory on the battlefield died long ago with his innocence. His duty as an imperial bodyguard is an immense honour, wrought with danger. He knows Trajan is a fighting Caesar, never one to shy away from battle. With war against Dacia inevitable, it is only a matter of time before Tiberius must once more draw his ancestral blade in defence of both Emperor and Empire.

A new age has dawned for Rome. Following the brief reign of Emperor Nerva, Marcus Ulpius Trajan inherits the mantle of Caesar. A revered general and statesman, the senate a people of Rome greet his rise with an optimism not seen since the reign of Vespasian. Tiberius Artorius Castus, whose tenure with the Vigiles of Rome is ending, is summoned by Trajan to the Rhine. The emperor offers him a return to active service with the newly raised Equites Singulares Augusti, more commonly known as the Imperial Horse Guards. Rome eagerly awaits the arrival of its new, charismatic Caesar, yet Trajan must first secure the Rhine and Danube frontiers. He musters a division for an expedition against the Marcomanni in retribution for their invasion in support of the Pannonia Revolt, six years prior. For Tiberius, the campaign offers a chance at redemption, as the Imperial Horse Guards accompany Trajan across the Danube, into the land of his endless nightmares.

Three years following the destruction of Legio XXI in Pannonia, former Tribune Tiberius Artorius Castus and retired Centurion Primus Ordo Gavius Lucifer arrive in Rome. Their political fortunes rest in their letters of introduction from the revered general and Governor of Pannonia and Upper Germania, Marcus Ulpius Trajan. Tiberius and Lucifer return to the Eternal City as growing turmoil engulfs the imperial court. Emperor Domitian's paranoia remains unabated, his spies ever watchful for any sign of disloyalty. Despite his loathing and fear of potential usurpers, danger lurks not within the halls of the senate, but at the very seat of power. As the two former soldiers embark on a life far removed from the Danube frontier, they remain ever mindful of Trajan's cautionary advice; that Roman politics are deadlier than the most fearsome enemy warrior.