Chapter 1 Summary

Chapter one introduces all of the main characters of the novel, starting with the Julian clan. Gaius Julius is the head of a family that has an illustrious name. The family claims to be descended from the goddess Venus through Aeneas and his son, Iulus. This gives them one of the oldest and most revered of Roman lineages.

The chapter begins on New Year's Day, 110 B.C. The new consuls for the year, Marcus Minucius Rufus and Spurious Postumius Albinus, are being sworn in at the temple of Jupiter. Many important Romans have gathered in the city to witness the ceremony. One of these men is Gaius Marius. A rich, ex-praetor from an undistinguished family, Marius desires to be consul, but lacks the lineage necessary to win the consular election. He is ambitious and dreams of being the "First Man in Rome," or...