Rome has lost its greatest warrior; Aulus Cornelius is dead. Although he is hailed as a hero, the betrayal by cowardly governor Flaminus is not forgotten. Aulus' death has left his sons with grave responsibilities. While Titus swears vengeance against Flaminus, and to become 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 haunted by the prophecy that binds his fate to Aulus'. As he trains his son, Marcellus, he manipulates the Cornelius family to his own ends. Meanwhile, the young Aquila considers his mother's deathbed revelation. With only 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 closer to a destiny entwined with that of the Roman Republic.