Caesar’s Son

By Jon Zackon

44BC. Gaul. Fourteen year old Arlus dreams of leaving behind his abusive stepfather and joining the legions as a cavalry officer. But when a tax collector from Rome rolls into town, a chain of dramatic and violent events leave Arlus begging for his life. To save her son, the boy’s mother is forced to admit who his father really is: the Dictator of Rome, Julius Caesar. In an instant, Arlus’ life is altered forever. Seeing the potential for profit, the tax collector Maxinius takes Arlus to Rome in a bid to have him recognised by Caesar as his son and heir. But the day set for Arlus to meet Caesar is the fateful Ides of March, and his meeting with the great ruler doesn’t go quite as planned: his father is murdered before his eyes by traitors within the Senate. Arlus is forced to flee. As Rome prepares for civil war in the wake of Caesar’s assassination, Arlus returns home to a conflict of his own. But will he be able to live up to his father’s reputation?