Rome has lost its greatest warrior; Aulus Cornelius is dead. Although he is hailed as a hero, the stench of betrayal by cowardly governor Flaminus lingers heavy in the air. The death of their father has left Aulus's sons, Quintus and Titus, with new and grave responsibilities. While Titus swears vengeance against Flaminus and aims to be as great a general as his father, Quintus chooses to pursue politics-under the guidance of Lucius Falerius, now the most powerful senator in Rome.

Despite his fortune, Lucius is still haunted by the prophecy that binds his fate to Aulus's. And as he trains his son, Marcellus, in the ways of wielding their immense power, he manipulates the Cornelius family in an attempt to achieve his own goals.

Meanwhile, the young Aquila broods over his mother's deathbed revelation. With only memories and a mysterious eagle amulet left to him, Aquila joins a band of mercenaries. Unknowingly he heads straight into the heart of a slave uprising and takes a step closer to a destiny entwined with the fate of the great Roman Republic.