Marjo Alkula

In the shadow of greatness, empires are forged from dreams and drowned in blood. From the bloody oath sworn over Lucretia's body that birthed the Republic, to the glittering, gilded cage of the Empire, The Marble and the Rust is a sweeping, visceral journey through the heart of ancient Rome. Walk with the forgotten souls who built a world: a legionary facing the terror of Hannibal's hordes, a senator plotting a bloody end to the Gracchi brothers' reforms, a scribe caught in the secret pact between Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus, and a Praetorian Guard standing watch as the mad emperor Nero sings while Rome burns.
This is not just the story of emperors and conquests. It is a gripping tale of the human struggle beneath the marble monuments-a world of searing ambition, brutal warfare, and breathtaking innovation, where the line between civilization and savagery is drawn in sand and blood. Experience the epic saga that shaped Western civilization, where every victory is stained with rust, and every legacy is haunted by its cost.