Gratillonius, the main character, is a Roman soldier who has served on Hadrian's Wall in Britain. At the novel's opening, he has just helped to drive off a powerful army led by Niall. A native of Britain, he is aware of the importance of the Roman army to the peace and prosperity of the citizens of the Roman Empire. Without the army, Niall and others would ravage the Roman peoples, killing their men, raping their women, and stealing all that might be of value. Gratillonius is therefore proud of his work; it secures not only the Roman Empire but his own family from wanton destruction by cruel barbarians. He also believes that a soldier's simple honesty would well serve Rome as part of its leadership; he thus believes that his commander, Maximus, would make a good emperor. Part of his growth is his coming to understand that a...