As the Roman Empire begins to crumble and dissent stirs from within the government, Proconsul Tullius Valerius recruits former gladiator Marcus to go undercover and find out if provincial governor Gaius is secretly working with Germanic barbarians to end Roman rule. Venturing into Gaius' territory, Marcus reunites with Lycia, the love of his life. But when Gaius catches wind of Marcus' mission, he orders him captured and frames him for murder. Even Marcus' beloved Lycia turns against him after becoming convinced of his guilt, and when Gaius condemns the gladiator to one of the most painful deaths imaginable, the fate of the Roman Empire rests in his ability to escape and prove his innocence.
