In 88 BC it seems as if the entire ancient world is at war In the west the Italian states are rebelling against Rome; in the east Mithridates is marching through & conquering the Roman Asian provinces Even in the relatively calm Alexandria a coup has brought a new Pharaoh to power & chaos to the streets The young Gordianus has been waiting out the chaos in Alexandria with Bethesda when he gets a cryptic message from his former tutor & friend Antipater Now in Ephesus as part of Mithridates' entourage Antipater seems to think that his life is in imminent danger To rescue him Gordianus concocts a daring even foolhardy scheme to go "behind enemy lines" & bring Antipater to safety But there are powerful & deadly forces at work here which have their own plans for Gordianus Not entirely sure whether he's a player or a pawn Gordianus must unravel the mystery behind the message if he's to save himself & the people he holds most dear