Marcus Caelius Rufus, a young politician, has holed up in a country town in the midst of a bloody and prolonged civil war. Great forces contend for Rome, and Caelius has ties to them all-the charismatic Julius Caesar, his beloved teacher Cicero, the hero Pompey the Great. Which side is he on? He must choose. Now he must reconsider who he is: his childhood and education, his loves and friendships, his complex relationship to Caesar, the man who has come to dominate his life. Before he is done, he will discover the shocking truth about Caesar, about Rome, and about himself. This book is a vivid and exciting read.