Subtitle from dust jacket.

In the first century AD, Rome faces a potent new threat from its long-standing enemy - Parthia. The two rivals are vying for control of Palmyra, an officially neutral kingdom along the Euphrates River. Palmyra's royal household is on the brink of open revolt, so Rome dispatches a task force under the command of veteran warriors Marco and Cato to defend its king and guard its borders. Marco's cohort must march against the enemy, deep into treacherous territory. If Palmyra is not to fall into the clutches of Parthia, they will have to defeat superior numbers in a desperate siege. The quest for a lasting peace has never been more challenging, nor more critical for the future of the empire.