Emperor: The Gates of Rome

In the glorious and decadent city of Rome, Gaius and Marcus--one the privileged son of a senator and the other, a cunning bastard--grow up as friends and students of a powerful gladiator, forced to walk different paths as the empire plunges toward civil war and the two men are thrust into the middle of a bitter conflict that will put their friendship to the ultimate test. A first novel. Reprint.